Solving playback issues

[chr1s]

Hi,

I got a new Roku Express 4k for my new Hisense 50A7100FTUK and get letterbox when I watch HDR content on Disney+ (Obi-Wan). I set the tv's hdmi to Enhanced mode.

My Roku picks up that the tv is hdr. I have run through the Roku HDR setup instructions but still no joy. Anyone any ideas?

Chris

[DBDukes]

@chr1s 

Please clarify if it's only on Disney+ that you're having the issue. Do other apps work well?

Also, isn't Disney+ of of the apps Comcast provides on that TV? That's one of the TVs using Comcast's XClass platform (similar to the Xfinity Flex platform), and Disney+ should be one of the apps available. So, if you launch the Disney+ app for your Comcast platform, does it experience the same issue?

[chr1s]

Yes, I get the same issue on the built-in Disney+ App. The only time I seem to see hdr content is on the tv's Youtube app. I have set the Disney+ app to the highest streaming rate.

[makaiguy]

@chr1s-

You may just be viewing content that was created in a format too wide to fit the 16:9 proportions of a standard wide screen tv.  Many theatrical releases today are produced for theater screens that are wider than wide screen tvs.

In order to display the full content on the tv screen without cutting off the left and right edges of the image, these films are often "letterboxed", i.e. converted to the tv's 16:9 proprtions by adding black bars to the top and bottom of the image.  The black bars are actually part of the image being sent to the Roku and so are sent on to your tv as received.

Your tv may have image controls that will allow you to zoom in far enough to eliminate the black bars but you'll cut off the parts at the edges that don't fit.  One other option you may have is to keep the full width but stretch the image vertically to get rid of the bars, making the image abnormally tall and skinny.  These settings would be on your tv, not your Roku.