are dolby vision videos supposed to work with Dolby Vision on the 4k fire tv stick?
if I configure my stick to “always hdr” it pops up a dolby vision logo, but I think thats because of what the stick is doing to output hdr, not anythin to do with the video itself.
if I switch it to adaptive mode, it doesn’t seem to use dolby vision.
I also have a sony bravia so I can compare between the two.
on the bravia, dolby vision mp4’s seem to play in dolby vision (at least they triggle the icon and seem to look nice). MKVs also trigger the logo, but only play in black and white.
on the firetv stick, both trigger the dolby vision logo if in always on hdr mode (as noted), and neither trigger the logo if in adaptive mode, just seem to display in normal HDR mode.
I was wondering about the same. I created remux of UHD movie with Dolby Vision layer with it in mkv file. Plex app from android TV seemed to work (triggers dolby vision on TV) but fire stick 4k is hard to tell since DV is always on. I wish there’s a way to open up debug console or something to show more information about the video I’m playing rather than just general information.
For DoVi to work with the Fire TV 4K stick + plex the source videos must be
Single Layer Dolby Vision (MakeMKV)
MEL DoVi titles (FEL titles are NOT supported by the Firestick)
Without HDR10+ Info if present (-skip_hdr10plus switch)
TS/MKV-Container
MEL (minimum enhancement layer) lower bitrate of the 2nd video stream
FEL (full enhancement layer) higher bitrate of the 2nd video stream
Unfortunately - many DoVi titles (especially UHD Blurays) are FEL titles. So the stick can’t play them --> all you get is a black Screen with audio. There is a way to convert them to MEL, but it’s rather complicated. If you put your stick in adpative mode, you see normal HDR or Dolby Vision Logos during playback. That’s how you can tell what is really used. I haven’t tested it in an MP4 container, maybe that could somehow work to. Dual Layer DoVi files play only with a special MP4-Muxer in a MP4 Container directly via usb on my LG TV - not via plex. (audio issues, no DTS in mp4). Nvidia Shield Pro 2019 seems to be able to play single layer DoVi FEL titles without problems.
people say that. “but” My test movie is Bumblebee MKV created with MakeMKV. Per MakeMKV it’s FEL and it plays “fine” (i.e. no black screen), just can’t tell if its actually playing in DV, as it doesn’t trigger the logo with adaptive HDR mode (but plays) and triggers the logo (but everything triggers the logo) with Always HDR mode.
And as I said regular profile 5 dolby vision MP4 files play in DV when played through plex on the sony directly, but not in adaptive hdr via the firestick
Now I get what you mean. On my Firestick 4k + LG C8LLA when “Always HDR” is enabled it switches to Dolby Vision Profile on the LG for everything regardless of the content (sdr also). I don’t think this triggers actual DoVi content properly: Link
If it doesn’t trigger the DoVi Logo in adaptive mode, it defaults back to HDR. Regarding FEL/MEL. The list here: DoVi-Titles isn’t always right. It’s not only the bitrate that matters.
If you try these DoVi Test Files with the FireTV + plex, you’ll see that it can’t play FEL profile 07.06. In my case it switches to a back screen, maybe for you it switches back to hdr? I converted it to MEL for testing and it played fine. For example all GOT episodes from the new set are FEL and won’t play in DoVi with the stick --> black screen, defaults back to normal hdr. Also I’ve read the if the source has HDR10+ in addition to Dolby Vision, you’ll have to discard HDR10+ so that the stick can play it.
Okay, I changed the HDR settings to adaptive mode and playing the MEL DV remux in mkv container seem to work (at least it triggers dolby vision).
I have remuxing another UHD bluray with FEL DV layer. I will update after checking if it works with fire stick.
So my Sony TV doesn’t play nice (though something changed on the Sony Android TV side recently, perhaps my firetv tests put it in some weird mode).
So, I can’t get the dolby vision logo to come up with any of my MKV made with MakeMKV on the 4k firetv stick when in adaptive hdr mode. they just come up in normal hdr.
This includes, Bumblebee (FEL), Game of Thrones S02E01 (FEL), Spider-Man - Far From Home - (MEL).
However! now inside AndroidTV on the Sony, things have changed. Previously, Bumblebee played in black and white (I called it Noir mode). Now, they all play in color, but in “wrong” color. Spider-Man and Bumblebee are very much colorshifted red and Game of Thrones is both color shifted red and seems like a static filter was placed over it as well.
unsure if this is an improvement.
With that said, my DV MP4s still seem to work correctly (BL + RPU per mediainfo)
Well the TVs aren’t the issue. If they support DoVi, the support it fully regardless of FEL/MEL, single or double layer. I can also play a original double layer DoVi file correctly when muxed in special mp4 container directly from usb over the TVs internal media player. Before, that was only possible with a UHD BlurayPlayer. In case of my LG, the plex app for WebOS is just to old to support DoVi directly (just plays as HDR) and I’m not optimistic that it will get updated anytime soon.
With the FireTV stick 4K and the much newer plex app DoVi works, but the stick is very prickly about the source: single layer MEL without HDR10+ Info. I just tested Alita -Battle Angel, which is MEL but also HDR10+. With the latest makemkv it won’t trigger DoVi on the stick. If you de- and remux base and enhancement layer with the -skip_hdr10plus switches it works perfectly, no incorrect color issues. So my conclusion is that it’s far to much effort to get DoVi to work with the stick. That’s why I’m getting a Nvidia Shield 2019 Pro.
I can confirm that FEL DV single layer does not work with 4k Fire TV Stick. It just outputs black screens with the direct play.
So far, only the MEL DV works
Is the lack of support for FEL on Fire TV 4K stick a hardware limitation? Or, a software limitation that could be addressed?
I bought a Shield Pro 2019 thinking it would be great and haven’t been impressed unfortunately. I can’t get Plex to play a 4k mkv remux without getting endlessly stuck on the buffering/spinning circle after a minute or two of playback even though it’s not transcoding. Although for those couple minutes I get DoVi and lossless bitstreaming to my receiver which is nice, but for me it’s unusable in its current state.
Meanwhile, there are no issues playing back the same files on Fire Stick 4k with Plex on the same system. Not much of a choice for me at this point.
I believe its software limitation (which can be fixed by updates).
The FEL DV single layer mkv container does not work with 4k Fire Stick TV. However, it works with TV’s native Plex app from Android TV.
Well I just got my Shield Pro 2019 and tested all my DoVi files. All play perfectly in DoVi and Atmos/TrueHD without any problems now compared to the stick. Idk if it’s of software or hardware limitation of the stick, but I guess it’s the hardware. I had to connect the Shield to my soundbar (LG SL9YG) first, which actually does passthought 4K 60hz and DoVi contrary to what I’ve read. Connected to the TV directly the audio was delayed.
because it was not designed to support dolby vision bluray’s encoding. It was only designed to support dolby visions streaming encoding which is fundamentally different. The fact that the firetv and shield work in some cases might be more of an accident than design. Heck, no one has really done a side by side comparison of say “streaming dv” vs “dv played via bluray (say on an oppo)” vs “dolby vision played via mkv on shield” vs “dolby vision on firetv”.
i.e. we know that the colors aren’t always right on the shield (though generally they seem pretty close). It also be interesting with the tv being an older sony (for player led) and an lg or newer (900h, or the upcoming generation) sony which can do tv led.
it’s that simple. you’re trying to use a device in a matter it was not designed for.
