Server Version#: 1.43.1.10611
Player Version#: Chrome Windows 4.159.0
If playing back 4K HDR HEVC files and transcoding to H264 12Mbps 1080p, the playback looks good. PMS is choosing to hand this client SDR, which is good, as the client can’t handle HDR.
If playing back 4K HDR HEVC files and transcoding to HEVC 12Mbps 1080p, the playback looks bad (too dark, color generally “OK”). PMS is choosing to hand this client HDR, which is not good, as the client can’t handle HDR.
So the culprit imho is PMS behavior when HEVC transcoding is enabled. If I have HEVC transcoding enabled and play back on AppleTV/HDR TV e.g., AppleTV can handle the 1080p HDR fine and it looks good.
My problematic clients for 4K HEVC HDR → 1080pHDR are Chrome, and iOS. I can’t see that there is a way to tell PMS to make 4K → 1080p HEVC be SDR consistently or as appropriate for a client.
So the question: if HEVC transcoding is on, will it always be HDR->HDR if the source is HDR… it will never tonemap to SDR? H264 transcodes just always go SDR it seems… and that is my “fix” but sure I’d prefer HEVC transcodes.
I will tag @OttoKerner 'cause he usually knows about these things!
