2017-06-19, 18:07
Not lecturing. Sorry if it's coming across that way. Just trying to test what is reality vs what I'm told with detail. Let me explain.
My display does not show the HDR symbol when HDR is engaged and working. Instead, the way to tell if HDR is engaged is to go into settings and verify contrast and backlight have been automatically maxed out. My display has memory for various modes. 3D mode can be calibrated. 2D mode can be calibrated. Ports can be calibrated. Etc. All these different modes are independent and different from each other. They all retain their calibrations. None of them are calibrated with maxed backlight and contrast except when in HDR mode which is done automatically.
Here are my real world results:
Playing anything HDR without initially setting anything results in dull playback as expected.
Using madVR with a 3DLUT simulates HDR by adding post processing but does not put my display into HDR mode. (similar but in no way the same as @Gereral1 because the post processing is much more intense than bumping color settings). I verify by looking at contrast and backlight. The mode I am looking at is the 2D calibration. No new mode engages. While the picture is not dull and looks decent, this calibration is not ideal for HDR as is @Gereral1 method. I have to manually max out the contrast to get the full benefit. This does not wash out bright scenes/bright objects and looks as it should. You tell me "A) MadVR autoswitches the TV to HDR mode when playing HDR." This is clearly not the case?
Pros:
No user intervention is needed if you don't mind the picture just good enough to get by with automation in mind.
UHD file format can be navigated allowing playback with MPC.
Detailed post processing can be added allowing HDR playback although not ideal.
Cons:
Ideal playback requires recalibration which will conflict with everything non-hdr.
Using madVR with passthrough enabled and MPC, the picture remains dull. Again, HDR mode never kicks in. I can manually enable Windows HDR switch and the picture is perfect. I check settings and backlight and contrast are maxed out without any intervention. HDR mode is enabled. Playback is perfect using PowerDVD. Playback is perfect with MPC. Playback is perfect with Movies and TV app. Playback is dull with Kodi internal player. (I understand this is why you say to use an unofficial build of Kodi aka a different player. No need. MPC and PDVD are different players I have added seamless within official Kodi GUI). I assume eventually Kodi will support HDR. You tell me "A) MadVR autoswitches the TV to HDR mode when playing HDR." This is clearly not the case? I had to manually turn on HDR in Windows. The desktop is dull. I'm trying to confirm this is normal. I understand why it's dull and want to make sure a GPU upgrade doesn't tackle the problem. I agree it is a MS problem and a GPU upgrade will do nothing unless someone else pipes in with different results.
Pros:
Native HDR at the display is enabled allowing seperate and unique calibration retention without disturbing non-hdr settings.
Perfect with other players. Unfortunately, not Kodi internal at this time. I tried v.18 and still picture was dull and GUI saturated.
Performed with GPU settings at RGB 4:4:4 keeping 0-255 although YCbCr 4:2:2 produces good results also.
Cons:
Windows HDR switch must be enabled manually inhibiting automation via a script modification. No player or software enables this switch automatically despite what I've been told. There's been some promises suggested but I've yet to see anything.
In my case, with my hardware, I use madVR with a 3DLUT and live with a subpar picture simply because I don't want to fumble around with settings and then put those settings back how they were when finished with playback because I'll forget. I also don't want to upgrade to limited special motherboards, CPU's, GPU's, etc for playback of UHD. While stripped UHD HDR mkv's play using anything but Kodi, only MPC allows UHD file structure. Other players require specific hardware and simply won't launch. Should the Windows HDR switch actually automate on and off somehow in the future (script and tagged preferred) it will be a better choice for me and complete the perfection.
I am pretty sure all the necessary adjustments within MPC, LAV, and madVR are where they belong to enable HDR playback either via passthrough or 3DLUT. At no time does HDR enable at display level automatically. I think the important ones to enable are:
Fullscreen exclusive.
Direct 3D 11.
Bitdepth 10 bit.
0-255 levels.
BT.2020
Feel free to correct me. This is why I'm posting and thank you again for your feedback and opinions.
My display does not show the HDR symbol when HDR is engaged and working. Instead, the way to tell if HDR is engaged is to go into settings and verify contrast and backlight have been automatically maxed out. My display has memory for various modes. 3D mode can be calibrated. 2D mode can be calibrated. Ports can be calibrated. Etc. All these different modes are independent and different from each other. They all retain their calibrations. None of them are calibrated with maxed backlight and contrast except when in HDR mode which is done automatically.
Here are my real world results:
Playing anything HDR without initially setting anything results in dull playback as expected.
Using madVR with a 3DLUT simulates HDR by adding post processing but does not put my display into HDR mode. (similar but in no way the same as @Gereral1 because the post processing is much more intense than bumping color settings). I verify by looking at contrast and backlight. The mode I am looking at is the 2D calibration. No new mode engages. While the picture is not dull and looks decent, this calibration is not ideal for HDR as is @Gereral1 method. I have to manually max out the contrast to get the full benefit. This does not wash out bright scenes/bright objects and looks as it should. You tell me "A) MadVR autoswitches the TV to HDR mode when playing HDR." This is clearly not the case?
Pros:
No user intervention is needed if you don't mind the picture just good enough to get by with automation in mind.
UHD file format can be navigated allowing playback with MPC.
Detailed post processing can be added allowing HDR playback although not ideal.
Cons:
Ideal playback requires recalibration which will conflict with everything non-hdr.
Using madVR with passthrough enabled and MPC, the picture remains dull. Again, HDR mode never kicks in. I can manually enable Windows HDR switch and the picture is perfect. I check settings and backlight and contrast are maxed out without any intervention. HDR mode is enabled. Playback is perfect using PowerDVD. Playback is perfect with MPC. Playback is perfect with Movies and TV app. Playback is dull with Kodi internal player. (I understand this is why you say to use an unofficial build of Kodi aka a different player. No need. MPC and PDVD are different players I have added seamless within official Kodi GUI). I assume eventually Kodi will support HDR. You tell me "A) MadVR autoswitches the TV to HDR mode when playing HDR." This is clearly not the case? I had to manually turn on HDR in Windows. The desktop is dull. I'm trying to confirm this is normal. I understand why it's dull and want to make sure a GPU upgrade doesn't tackle the problem. I agree it is a MS problem and a GPU upgrade will do nothing unless someone else pipes in with different results.
Pros:
Native HDR at the display is enabled allowing seperate and unique calibration retention without disturbing non-hdr settings.
Perfect with other players. Unfortunately, not Kodi internal at this time. I tried v.18 and still picture was dull and GUI saturated.
Performed with GPU settings at RGB 4:4:4 keeping 0-255 although YCbCr 4:2:2 produces good results also.
Cons:
Windows HDR switch must be enabled manually inhibiting automation via a script modification. No player or software enables this switch automatically despite what I've been told. There's been some promises suggested but I've yet to see anything.
In my case, with my hardware, I use madVR with a 3DLUT and live with a subpar picture simply because I don't want to fumble around with settings and then put those settings back how they were when finished with playback because I'll forget. I also don't want to upgrade to limited special motherboards, CPU's, GPU's, etc for playback of UHD. While stripped UHD HDR mkv's play using anything but Kodi, only MPC allows UHD file structure. Other players require specific hardware and simply won't launch. Should the Windows HDR switch actually automate on and off somehow in the future (script and tagged preferred) it will be a better choice for me and complete the perfection.
I am pretty sure all the necessary adjustments within MPC, LAV, and madVR are where they belong to enable HDR playback either via passthrough or 3DLUT. At no time does HDR enable at display level automatically. I think the important ones to enable are:
Fullscreen exclusive.
Direct 3D 11.
Bitdepth 10 bit.
0-255 levels.
BT.2020
Feel free to correct me. This is why I'm posting and thank you again for your feedback and opinions.
