YouTube HDR... finally

[Kuschelmonschter]

YouTube HDR content is finally available!

You will find a playlist here. However, these clips will be played as SDR on Sonys for now.

With youtube-dl you can find vp9.2 encodings for those clips:

330          webm       256x144    144p60  156k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 2.38MiB
331          webm       426x240    240p60  256k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 3.87MiB
332          webm       640x360    360p60  485k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 7.35MiB
333          webm       854x480    480p60  909k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 13.83MiB
334          webm       1280x720   720p60 1991k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 28.18MiB
335          webm       1920x1080  1080p60 3201k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 49.70MiB
336          webm       2560x1440  1440p60 11166k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 170.23MiB
337          webm       3840x2160  2160p60 20122k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 335.45MiB

Those are webm however which the native Video app won't play.

We will see whether we will get support for it soon, even for the early 2016 models with the old MediaTek SoC from last year. At least Sony promised that back at CES:

Spoiler

YouTube will also start streaming in HDR quality later this year, using a new VP9-Profile 2 codec that brings HDR support to Google’s VP9 video format. Sony’s Motoi Kawamura, Head of TV Product Planning for Sony Europe, confirmed to FlatpanelsHD that the 2016 models will support VP9-Profile 2 and be capable of streaming YouTube in HDR. We saw a demo at CES and it looked very good.

Source

[Kuschelmonschter]

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Jecht_Sin schrieb:

Version: 2.00.17 (20017320) for ARM apperead in apk mirror but 4K (max 1440p)  nor HDR are working.

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I tried some 4K test patterns and they played at 2160p. One can also tell from the geek stats that can be enabled in "More Options" while playing.

However, I could not find a way to change quality anymore. So you have to live with what YouTube selects based on available bandwidth.

Can't test HDR as I have ATV1.

[Kuschelmonschter]

Live streams finally play at >240p.

[Jecht_Sin]

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Kuschelmonschter wrote:

I tried some 4K test patterns and they played at 2160p. One can also tell from the geek stats that can be enabled in "More Options" while playing.

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??? Everything I tried didn't go above 1440p in the Geek Stats. Unless it has to do with the vp9.2 profile being supported, that messes up things. And I agree, there doesn't seem to be the option to choose the quality. At least I can't find it either.

Actually I may try via Google Cast (which has just been updated). Just to see if it works. It's just that the mess with multiple YouTube channels makes it a bit unsable for me. I want my history and my subscribed channels with the right suggestions.

[Kuschelmonschter]

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??? Everything I tried didn't go above 1440p in the Geek Stats. Unless it has to do with the vp9.2 profile being supported, that messes up things. And I agree, there doesn't seem to be the option to choose the quality. At least I can't find it either.

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Can you share the video you tried? This one goes to 2160p here.

Probably again a bandwidth issue on your side?

[Jecht_Sin]

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Kuschelmonschter wrote:

Can you share the video you tried? This one goes to 2160p here.

Probably again a bandwidth issue on your side?

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Ok, that one plays in 4K. Yesterday I tried "The World in HDR". Via Google Cast it plays at 4K as well. At least so the icon says (no geek stats via Google Cast). Via TV 1440p max. 4K in Chrome via regular YouTube player. 1080p via youtube.com.tv. I tested them again now.

It seems most UHD videos with HDR as well play at 1440p max.

PS: Geek stats report 46000 Kbps?! Seriously?

[Kuschelmonschter]

Indeed. Those geek stats say that 1440p is the best you can get for those videos on Sony Android TV (see Optimal Resolution line). The reason might be that it is a 60fps clip and the TV can't do 2160p60? My clip is only 25p...

[Kuschelmonschter]

Same with YouTube 1.3. Max is 1440p for 60fps clips.

[Jecht_Sin]

No, it doesn't seem so. That video has plenty of available different stream vp9/vp9.2 formats:

SilverMoon:~ Michele$ youtube-dl -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO01J-M3g0U | grep vp9
278          webm       256x144    144p  122k , webm container, vp9, 30fps, video only, 1.69MiB
330          webm       256x144    144p60  156k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 2.38MiB
331          webm       426x240    240p60  256k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 3.87MiB
242          webm       426x240    240p  272k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 3.61MiB
332          webm       640x360    360p60  485k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 7.35MiB
243          webm       640x360    360p  513k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 6.92MiB
333          webm       854x480    480p60  909k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 13.83MiB
244          webm       854x480    480p  988k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 12.66MiB
334          webm       1280x720   720p60 1991k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 28.18MiB
247          webm       1280x720   720p 2036k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 25.57MiB
335          webm       1920x1080  1080p60 3201k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 49.70MiB
248          webm       1920x1080  1080p 3260k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 44.89MiB
302          webm       1280x720   720p60 3261k , vp9, 60fps, video only, 41.13MiB
303          webm       1920x1080  1080p60 5108k , vp9, 60fps, video only, 71.01MiB
271          webm       2560x1440  1440p 10248k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 134.26MiB
336          webm       2560x1440  1440p60 11166k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 170.21MiB
308          webm       2560x1440  1440p60 15387k , vp9, 60fps, video only, 203.80MiB
337          webm       3840x2160  2160p60 21696k , vp9.2, 60fps, video only, 339.06MiB
313          webm       3840x2160  2160p 21981k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 314.00MiB
315          webm       3840x2160  2160p60 29805k , vp9, 60fps, video only, 457.80MiB

It could at least play the one before the last one (in bold). Instead it decides to go for 1440p30fps. It's just messed up, as usual with the maximum quality selection in YouTube. It seems like (I don't know) Google refrains to give the best quality video to save bandwidth! I always have to select it manually. But now it isn't even possible.

Too bad, because I like much more the new interface.

[Kuschelmonschter]

Yes. I know that the stream is available. But the TV for some reason says that it can't support that. So it is capped at 1440p.

Specs of the MediaTek SoC suggest that it can play 60fps at full 4K resolution (2160p).

I also can't select it manually in YouTube 1.3. Max is the 1440 stream.

[Kuschelmonschter]

I believe that the SoC is maxed out there. I wrote a renderer myself and I know how hard it is to render frames in a 16ms interval (60fps).