topic Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of) in Android TV

BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

stormyuk — Fri, 18 May 2018 21:52:53 GMT

All,

For information there is a Planet Earth UHD HLG test video on the Beta iplayer which appears to work with the Android TVs. (Tested on my XE9005). Its pretty short but looks amazing. It was playing FA cup test loop video which didn't look as good and kept dropping out.

The FA Cup one just fails after about 5 seconds on my TV. Hardwired ethernet. Odd that the Planet Earth loop is fine....

Check it out.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

copicke45 — Sat, 19 May 2018 07:52:21 GMT

Can't find the Planet Earth clip.

Unfortunately the livestream football loop plays for a few seconds then fails to the spinning egg timer and an 'Ooops something went wrong' message when backing out.

The short bit you do see however does look good. I think you need to turn colourspace to BT2020 though to get HDR?

Hopefully if the dropout is happening to you as well it's a problem at the BBC end and not an incompatibility of our Sony sets 😞 Wish I could see the Planet Earth clip.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

stormyuk — Sat, 19 May 2018 08:17:58 GMT

Hey,

To get planet earth go back to the standard iplayer, ie disable the beta. Should be available in the same settings menu. I left both clips on auto.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

LightFoot — Sat, 19 May 2018 10:00:51 GMT

Good spot. The Planet Earth clip looks stunning ... XE9305

It appears the Football clip (broken) is on Beta and the Planet Earth clip is on Standard.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

rgledhill — Mon, 21 May 2018 19:00:39 GMT

Thanks for the heads-up! The footie looks great until it zombies out. Found the Planet Earth demo, in the non-Beta iPlayer in Settings. In iPlayer Beta in the same place you have the 4k UHD test video.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

speedyrite — Sat, 19 May 2018 11:36:37 GMT

Thanks for flagging this up @stormyuk

Typically though just gone away for a week! You wait months for some BBC UHD content to be available to play on the XE9005 and it rocks up just after you'be left the house!

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

copicke45 — Sat, 19 May 2018 22:48:06 GMT

Thanks @stormyuk - found the Planet Earth II material and it does indeed look amazing 🙂

The live football loop however still isn't working beyond a few seconds, and it doesn't look good for live Wimbledon & World Cup unless its performance improves.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

adamski99_uk — Tue, 22 May 2018 07:16:53 GMT

I couldn't find the clips on my 49XE8077SU last night, can anyone confirm that the 4k iPlayer works with the XE80 models?

Cheers

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

stormyuk — Tue, 22 May 2018 07:52:21 GMT

I couldn't find the clips last night, did they get removed?

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

rgledhill — Tue, 22 May 2018 20:40:07 GMT

Yep, they've gone now. I think they've taken them down while they do some upgrades; something similar will no doubt appear again soon. Apparently some of the footie was shown live on iPlayer in 4k HDR over the weekend to the lucky few who noticed!

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

pb1965 — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 19:58:36 GMT

I contacted somebody in BBC R&D today about my Sony 65XE9005 never having seen so much as a whiff of a UHD HLG stream on iPlayer. He repleid saying 'If you don't have access now to the test loop we have been putting into iPlayer beta then that means your TV currently does not support some aspect of what iPlayer needs to deliver UHD. I'm afraid only Sony will know the root cause and whether there are plans to provide an update.'

So I'm taking this to mean there is some UHD content available right now in iPlayer beta.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

rgledhill — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:04:15 GMT

Just had a look and there definitely is not any 4k/UHD test video available on iPlayer Beta. There was previously, it's offline at the moment while they prepare for the limited UHD coverage of the World Cup football in two weeks' time. There might be the odd trial in the meantime maybe.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

pb1965 — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:07:56 GMT

Ok, well perhaps he was mistaken. However, I've also noticed that the version of iPlayer running on my TV is a Youview version with a max resolution of 1280 x 720. So not even close to full HD, yet alone UHD.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

stormyuk — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:10:36 GMT

You are not mistaken. It appears whatever support the XE9005 did have (and it did work for me when I posted the OP) has evaporated.

It seems if the test streams are not working now (they are reported working on the XF9005 for example) then we are out of luck.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

stormyuk — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:17:24 GMT

@pb1965 wrote:
I contacted somebody in BBC R&D today about my Sony 65XE9005 never having seen so much as a whiff of a UHD HLG stream on iPlayer. He repleid saying 'If you don't have access now to the test loop we have been putting into iPlayer beta then that means your TV currently does not support some aspect of what iPlayer needs to deliver UHD. I'm afraid only Sony will know the root cause and whether there are plans to provide an update.'

So I'm taking this to mean there is some UHD content available right now in iPlayer beta.

Can you ask your BBC source how I was able to view the Planet Earth II clip the other weekend in UHD and HLG on my XE9005....?

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

pb1965 — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:22:57 GMT

I can't I'm afraid. He said he was unable to comment directly on manufacturers and their products.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

stormyuk — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:23:24 GMT

Totally messed up, I wish the BBC and Sony would sort this ***** out.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

pb1965 — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:56:35 GMT

It's just like my Sony AV receiver debacle all over again! That didn't do what it was meant to for long either.

Anyway, can you check which version of iPlayer you have on your TV please?

Go to iplayer >>> settings >>> help etc >>>

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

stormyuk — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 21:01:25 GMT

My version says:

4.6.110.1

Interestingly it says it was updated 31st May. Odd.

Re: BBC iplayer on Android XE9005 now working with UHD and HLG HDR (sort of)

pb1965 — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 21:02:46 GMT

Thanks. What resolution does it say?