topic Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source in Android TV

Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 21:38:34 GMT

Anyone else noticed this?

When I play a 4K HDR bluray, the local dimming doesn't work. The setting is locked at Medium and can't be changed but it's patently not working.

Yes I know the backlight is driven to max in HDR mode but there's no reason local dimming shouldn't still work.

If the entire image goes black (such as after logos etc at the beginning of a film) then the dimming kicks in and the screen fades to perfect black but, if there's anything anywhere on the screen at all, the brightness level goes up across the whole screen, as if local dimming was disabled.

Oddly I only notice this from a 4K HDR bluray source, if I play 4K HDR content from Amazon Prime (such as The Grand Tour for example), dimming works fine.

This is clearly a bug and I've reported it to Sony but, as usual, their support is atrocious and they seem totally disinterested.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 16:19:46 GMT

Have now proven conclusively that local dimming is not working from a 4K HDR Bluray source.

Started playing The Martian and then paused it just after the studio logos on a totally black frame. TV turns the backlight right down and it appear perfect black - all ok.

Now bring up the player's info overlay at the top of the screen (playback stats etc) and you'd expect the backlight at the top of the screen only to come on but no, the backlight comes up on the whole screen. Toggle the overlay off again and the screen dims in entirety. Conclusive proof there's no local dimming.

If I try exactly the same test with a normal Bluray from the same player, it behaves as it should with the backlight at the top of the screen only coming on.

Have reported this to Sony. Big question is whether it's a general issue or specific to me.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 15:32:14 GMT

Well I found the solution but no one here nor at Sony seems to give a toss about such things so I'll keep it to myself.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 17:31:44 GMT

Hi there

My first thought was to reply with a message of 'great attitude' - however this is not fair on you. The reason I say this is because you may not be aware of the fact that Sony do not generally reply to comments/questions on these forums. They sometimes do monitor 'key' threads for when there is a large issue - but as a whole it is up us, the Community to help each other.

The issue you raised with Local Dimming not working from a 4K Bluray source is quite a specific issue that relates to specific models of TV (which unfortunately did not mention a model number) to a 4K HDR bluray player. As 4K bluray players rather new on the market, my assumption is that not many people would have a 4K HDR Bluray player and hence unlikely to be able to help you due to not having the same or similar equipment setup as you.

I unfortunately never saw your post until now, however even if I did, I wouldnt know where to start in regards to helping you - so my response would have been to escalate your issue to Sony Support - which you had already contacted Sony anyhow.

Anyway, I am glad you have managed to solve the issue - it is your choice whether to post the solution, but the whole idea of this community is to help each other if we can.

Thank you.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 17:43:42 GMT

I appreciate that Sony don't generally monitor these forums.

My annoyance is due to Sony's total lack of any support on this issue, or indeed others I've raised with them. They reply with sporadic emails, if at all, usually just repeating the same old advice to try a factory reset.

With regards to this particular issue, I managed to record a video of the issue which I uploaded to Youtube and forwarded a link to Sony support. I did the same with another issue I'm experiencing. Not only did they not even reply to my communications, the videos went un-watched.

I've always bought Sony TVs but I've had enough and won't buy another. The lack of support is totally unacceptable and not what I expect from any manufacturer when spending this kind of money, let alone a brand as big as Sony.

Anyway, for the benefit of anyone else experiencing this issue or who wants to experiment, the resolution lied in the MotionFlow settings. It transpires that, with MotionFlow disabled, local dimming doesn't work at all with an HDR source. Enabling MotionFlow corrects the problem. It could well be that it's not just HDR sources but merely that MotionFlow was disabled on the HDMI socket my Bluray player was connected to but only for HDR Video, not for SDR material (settings are stored separately of course).

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 18:03:36 GMT

Hi there

I fully understand your frustrations on this and I am aware that Sony Support 'seemingly ignores' communications on more complex issues. I also find this unacceptable too, however if you dont mind, I would like to raise this with Sony, using your complaint on this thread. If that is ok, can you please post here, or private message me the Case ID numbers for the issues that you have had poor experience of support.

Also, thanks for posting the solution - I am sure it will help others. Interesting the connection between motionflow and local dimming in regards to HDR.

Cheers

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 18:04:48 GMT

I'll have to sort them all into a coherent list - I ended up with several support issues pertaining to different issues then, after receiving virtually no support, tried submitting a summary of all the problems I'd had.

Now I've ended up with at least three separate case numbers and multiple representatives dealing (or rather not dealing) with them.

I'll compile it all into a proper timeline when I get a chance.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 18:06:24 GMT

Cool - sounds a nightmare !!

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

royabrown — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 19:07:09 GMT

It would also be very useful if you could indicate which model of TV and which make and model of 4K Bluray player (almost certainly not Sony!) you are experiencing this issue with, for the benefit of those later adopters who follow in your footsteps.

Me, I'm waiting for Planet Earth II to be available on 4K Bluray (Edit: 13 March it seems) before I put my toe in that particular water 🙂

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 18:40:33 GMT

It's an XD93 with a Panasonic DMP-UB900 player, although the player is irrelevant.

I have PE2 on pre-order.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 20:36:10 GMT

@AnonymousApologies for not getting round to sorting a concise chronological list of my issues but frankly they've now paled into insignificance next to my latest problems.

TV failed completely on 1st Feb. Wouldn't power on. Googling suggested a failed 'DSP' board which a lot people have reported failures of.

Engineer turns up on 4th with a replacement board, fits it and all is working again. Until last Friday when it failed again!

I am now having very heated conversations with John Lewis and Sony about this as I've had enough.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

Kuschelmonschter — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 06:06:12 GMT

We have a similar topic over at the German forums, see here.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 10:47:23 GMT

@Kuschelmonschter wrote:
We have a similar topic over at the German forums, see here.

Well my issue was solved by enabling MotionFlow but it appears that's not your issue as you have it enabled.

When my TV is finally fixed, I'm not going anywhere near the MM update - looks like a total disaster. Even when Sony re-release it and claim it's fixed, I won't trust them an inch.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

Kuschelmonschter — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 10:53:27 GMT

It might still be the same issue. The whole settings system is hardly predictable with several settings depending on each other for no obvious reason. And there is no documentation of course.

That's why the support always tells you to do a factory reset. That pretty much tells you the state of the whole thing. It is too easy for customers to break things until the TV is hardly usable anymore.

It is also not clear to me how the factory reset works. Does it really clean up all the mess you have done? I think it is just another (buggy) software which deletes/replaces some files.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

TobyCG — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 11:10:38 GMT

A factory reset should just clear all volatile memory where all user settings are stored, thus returning the set to default values for everything.

Whether it actually does that on the Sonys is another question.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

RedHagar — Tue, 22 May 2018 00:44:20 GMT

I'm having the same problem. Sony x900e with a Samsung UBD-M7500 4K BluRay player. Watching Black Panther but nothing is black! As soon as HDR kicks in all local dimming disappears. The input source even blooms all around the white text and it looks terrible. Disabling HDR does not fix it either. Motion was enabled and set to smooth, tried True cinema and was very slightly better. Just really, really disappointed in all HDR BluRay discs I've tried so far. Star Wars Last Jedi also looks terrible.

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

RedHagar — Tue, 22 May 2018 01:34:08 GMT

Okay, so I did some more playing with settings and I did find one item that made a huge difference. That is the auto picture mode. I had it set off. I noticed even the Sony screensaver coming on with a huge blooming effect around it as it moves around the screen. It was also very jittery. As soon as I set auto picture mode in to 24p, the local dimming kicked in and the smooth motion also kicked in and everything improved dramatically. This should be posted somewhere! One setting should not render a $2000 TV useless!

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

RedHagar — Tue, 22 May 2018 02:27:13 GMT

Okay, so I did some more playing with settings and I did find one item that made a huge difference. That is the auto picture mode. I had it set off. I noticed even the Samsung screensaver coming on with a huge blooming effect around it as it moves around the screen. It was also very jittery. As soon as I set auto picture mode in to 24p, the local dimming kicked in and the smooth motion also kicked in and everything improved dramatically. This should be posted somewhere! One setting should not render a $2000 TV useless!

Also...I really can't post things within an hour of each other? That's really stupid...

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

Kuschelmonschter — Tue, 22 May 2018 05:13:43 GMT

If I remember correctly, all that the Auto Picture Mode does is setting picture mode to some Cinema mode when a 24p source is detected. I assume that you misconfigured something in your other picture mode. So which picture mode to you usually use and what are your settings for Local Dimming and X-tended Dynamic Range Pro?

Re: Local dimming not working from 4K HDR bluray source

RedHagar — Tue, 22 May 2018 11:55:10 GMT

I'm well aware of what auto picture mode is supposed to do...but it completely changed the picture. Dynamic range and local dimming are both set to high. Brightness is at max.

On all SDR sources, everything looks great.

I will have to test this on some of the Netflix titles now and see if it makes any difference with those...