Retain HDR color space when transcoding?

Plex Media Server
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1

Server Version#: 1.30.2.6563
Player Version#: 7.0.24.8154-127760991-Plex

Hi,

I’m using Plex Server on a Windows PC, serving a 4K HDR video to the latest available Plex app on a Roku Express 4K+ (Model: 3941X) and playing on a Samsung UA32T5300ASXNZ.

The TV supports HDR color space, but has a maximum resolution of 1920x1080. 4K videos will not play on this TV without transcoding to 1080p resolution first.

Unfortunately, transcoding seems to also convert the video to SDR instead of retaining the HDR color space, making the videos look washed out or too dark.

Is there a way to retain the HDR color space when transcoding to this device?

2

Plex currently transcodes all video to H.264 SDR.

If enabled, Plex will perform HDR to SDR tonemapping, which would fix the washed out colors. This requires a Plex Pass and a Nvidia GPU (or a very beefy CPU). See HDR to SDR Tone Mapping for additional details.

Keeping HDR while transcoding would require Plex Media Server to transcode to H.265. Someone from Plex would have to comment on that, but be aware that Plex never discloses such product plans.

If desired, you could transcode the movie using Handbrake, creating a 1080p version of the media. According to their documentation, they will keep HDR10 metadata (reference).

There are scaler boxes such as the EZCOO that claim to downscale 4K to 1080p. No idea how well they work.

3

Thanks - I appreciate the insight.

Here’s hoping Plex support h.265 (or AV1) in the near future as h.264 is getting rather long in the tooth these days…

4

Is this caused by the Roku?

4K HDR plays back without problems on FullHD TVs using Fire TV 4K Sticks.
They will choose a 1080p version though, if one is available.

5

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