Solving playback issues

[rinso]

Hi,

I can't seem to figure out why I'm having this issue, so I thought maybe someone might have an answer for me...

I have a Vizio M507-G1 (bought in 2020) that is Dolby Vision compatible and has a 60 frame refresh rate, so it *seems* as though it should be taking advantage of the best setting of my Roku Ultra.  However, in the Display Type menu it says that my tv can "display 4K Dolby Vision HDR at 30 fps."  The Roku is plugged directly into the tv using high speed HDMI 2.0 cables.

I know that the Roku is automatically checking and that it must be an issue with the tv, but looking at the tv specs I can't figure out why.  Or if there's a way to adjust it.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks!

Model 4802X - Roku Ultra

Serial X010006LLMM0

Software 14.0

Device ID SODA226LLMMO

[RokuEmmanuel-D]

Welcome aboard! Thanks for reaching out here in the Roku Community, @rinso!

We completely understand that you're encountering this issue with your Roku Ultra not displaying Dolby Vision contents, and we would like to be able to help you sort this out.

For starters, if your TV supports Dolby Vision and you see the message below, you may need to adjust a setting on your TV called FreeSync.

FreeSync is designed to enhance your experience with a connected game console (e.g., Xbox, PlayStation), but with some TV models, FreeSync may disable Dolby Vision. To correct this behavior, you need to adjust the settings on your TV to disable FreeSync on the HDMI port where your Roku player is connected.

If you have an LG TV, you can refer to the sample instructions below, but the steps may vary from model to model and may change when the TV software is updated. When in doubt, refer to the user manual or online documentation for your specific make and model.

LG: Go to Home > HDMI > Settings > Advanced > Picture > Additional Settings > FreeSync > Off > Restart.

Check this out for more information: Why is 4K Dolby Vision not working on my Roku streaming player?

Please let us know if you need more help.

Thanks,
Emman

[rinso]

Thanks for getting back to me.  I had looked everywhere, but couldn't find anything about FreeSync for my model of tv.  I looked online, in the manual, and dug through every menu on the tv and found nothing even similar.

As I mentioned, I'm sure that this is an issue with the tv so I really do appreciate any insight anyone has.  I'm just hoping to get the best picture possible.

Thanks again!

[RokuEmmanuel-D]

Thanks for keeping us in the loop, @rinso.

In this case, we suggest reaching out directly to Vizio TV support for any additional assistance. They can assist you in adjusting this setting on your TV.

Hopefully, they will be able to help you sort this out and get you started streaming in no time. 

Please let us know if you need anything else so we can further assist you. 

Thanks,
Emman

[rinso]

Thanks again Emman.

I did contact Vizio and they confirmed that all four ports on my model should support Dolby Vision at a 60f refresh rate.  According to them, it's an issue with what the Roku is seeing.  And there's no FreeSync setting for the tv either.  Just to be sure, I just purchased a new high speed HDMI 2.0 cable, so that shouldn't be the issue.

Is there any setting that I might be missing on the Roku?  It's not as though I have poor picture quality, but would certainly like to take advantage of the Dolby Vision if I can.

Thanks again,
Mike

[atc98092]

There's no setting you've missed on the Roku, but I still think there's something amiss with your TV settings. The key is it's statement it sees 4K/30 support. I can't speak to Vizio, but both my LG and Samsung 4K TVs require a setting on the HDMI port to passthrough the full 4K/60 that Dolby Vision requires. On my LG, it's labeled "HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color" and it's under the Picture settings. I forget exactly what Samsung calls theirs, but it's something similar. Each of these settings are specific to the HDMI port the device connects to, so you might need to enable it for multiple ports. 

[rinso]

Thanks Dan.

First, let me reiterate how much I appreciate people trying to help me with this!

I checked all of the ports on the tv, and the only adjustment that can be made is "Full UHD Color" which I have, of course, set to "on."  There's no other options for adjustments on it--"Picture size" and "Picture position" are greyed out.  The TV manual clearly states that it has/accepts Dolby Vision and has the 60 refresh rate.  Maybe it just can't have both at the same time?

Cheers,

Mike

[atc98092]

Yeah, that's the setting. I do have one Vizio TV that I think supports Dolby Vision. I'll check it later today and see if my Roku Stick will show DV on it. I know the Premiere that's connected to it right now doesn't support DV, so I'll swap it out. 

[rinso]

I just tried some different search terms and found this reddit thread for this exact question.  It looks like the answer is that it just won't work, but it's still a bit confusing to me.  Seems like if the ports are 2.0 that's not quite good enough.  If anyone wants to interpret it for me, I'd be thrilled.  🙂

https://www.reddit.com/r/VIZIO_Official/comments/14pzdmk/dolby_vision_stuck_at_30fps_m507_2019/

[atc98092]

From some quick searching, it appears Dolby Vision will pass 4K/60 on an 18 Gbps connection, which is HDMI 2.0. The only Roku player that has HDMI 2.1 is the new Ultra 4850. But my Ultra 4800 does DV streaming Disney+ (the only DV source I have other than some test clips) on my LG Nano85, and I'm pretty sure that all three devices (Roku, Yamaha AVR and TV) are only HDMI 2.0. I'll test my Stick like I mentioned later today and let you know how it does on my only Vizio TV.