Best Video Settings

Modified on Sat, 22 Jul, 2023 at 5:28 AM

If you have an HDR, and/or Dolby Vision compatible TV, we recommend the following settings:


Go to Home > Settings > Video > and choose the following options:


Maximum video output mode: Auto

Auto Framerate: All (24/50/60)

Auto Resolution (Direct Source): On


Then go to Home > Settings > Video > HDR and Dolby Vision Settings > HDR Processing Mode and choose the Dolby VS10 Processing option for HDR and DV videos.


Please note! If your TV or projector does not support HDR, choose Dolby VS10 Processing for SDR, HDR and DV videos. This setting works extremely well on non-HDR compatible TVs or projectors. On the other hand, if your TV is HDR compatible, the SDR videos will be converted to HDR with a flattering result (saturated colors and more contrast) but can give sometimes very random results. We therefore urge you to test on several films if you decide to choose this option.



Leave the other settings in the HDR and Dolby Vision Settings as default:

HDR Processing Mode: Auto  
Dolby Vision output mode: Auto
Dolby Vision 4Kp50/60: On
HDR10+: Auto


For Dolby Vision and HDR10+ compatible Panasonic TVs, please use the following settings:

HDR Processing Mode: Auto
Dolby Vision output mode: STD DV (if auto: no switch to DV)
Dolby Vision 4k 50/60: Enabled  
HDR10+: Enabled




In Settings > Video > Advanced Settings, we recommend the following options:

Maximum HDMI color depth: 10-bit
Preferred HDMI color depth: As in content

Leave all other options as default. This will work with or without external processing (Lumagen Radiance or MadVR Envy type scaler).



Learn more about DV FEL and why we recommend limiting the output to 10 bits:

R_volution player is compatible with Dolby Vision Dual Layer and Dual Track Dolby Vision files, including P7 MEL and P7 FEL in all common file formats, namely Blu-ray (BDMV), Blu-ray ISO, M2TS, MKV, MP4; and this for the "dual-track / dual-layer" (double track / double layer) and single-track / dual-layer (single track / double layer) variants. When playing dual layer or dual track Dolby Vision files, the R_volution  player decodes and uses information from both layers/tracks.

Starting from the second layer/track (when playing Blu-ray FEL and MEL discs), the R_volution uses the most important Dolby Vision information, namely Dolby Vision dynamic metadata, which ensures that you actually get an image Dolby Vision with true Dolby Vision quality on your TV or projector. Dolby Vision dynamic metadata is the key element of Dolby Vision technology. This is what makes Dolby Vision video different from regular HDR video. Dolby Vision dynamic metadata determines how the player and TV match tonal values and has a significant impact on picture quality.

The so-called "residual" signal (present only on Blu-ray FEL discs, and absent on Blu-ray MEL discs) is not important and is not used; this residual signal does not affect picture quality when playing properly encoded true 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. The sole purpose of this residual signal is the possibility of reconstructing the 12-bit signal from the 10-bit signal. The ability to reconstruct a 12-bit signal is not important, because according to what we know, so far there is no consumer TV or projector capable of displaying a true 12-bit signal. All OLED panels that equip all OLED televisions on the consumer market can only display a maximum of 10-bit (and even then they have problems with high luminance values for the 10-Bit display). Samsung QLED televisions are 12-bit compatible but only with regard to local dimming, which only corresponds to an area of pixels (and not the pixel itself), and this, only on the luminance value. The LCD panels used are not compatible with 12-bit but only 10-bit. On the other hand, Samsung TVs are not Dolby Vision compatible but only HDR10+. And even though there are other mainstream LED TVs on the market from other brands, they are subject to the same local dimming and 10-bit limited chroma issues. When it comes to video projection, no consumer projector on the market is Dolby Vision compatible. On the other hand, the impact of this residual signal is only visible when playing specific test files (intentionally encoded with flaws, for example, with invalid/unnecessary data in the residual signal for video patterns) or specific poorly encoded 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray scenes such as the famous 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Mars landing scene from "Total Recall", known for its studio encoding error.

Depending on the studio, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs may be encoded in MEL or FEL, depending on studio preference, but this has no real impact on the display quality of the disc on your Dolby Vision-enabled TV. Since there is virtually no advantage to encoding in the FEL format, most studios now prefer to encode their Dolby Vision titles in the MEL format, which does not include the residual signal. In summary, it is useless to focus on the type of encoding (MEL or FEL) because it is not what determines the quality of the encoding of a disc. Many other criteria are, in our opinion, much more important, such as color grading (such as the brilliant work done on the "Joker" film), the treatment of film grain, the definition of areas of shine and the management of luminance, respect of the blacks, the quality of the restoration in the case of a silver source, the quality of the encoding, etc.

For these reasons, it is best to limit the video output to a depth of 10 bits. This will guarantee a perfect reproduction and avoid upsampling errors. It will also limit the video bitrate, which is particularly interesting on long HDMI signals (more than 8m) where the signal can degrade and generate losses.

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