Recommended Settings and other useful stuff for RTD1619 Players (VS10 SDR PDF added)

A lot of people ask about these, so I thought I'd post here so I can point to this in future.

Might not be suitable for everyone, but these are the settings I recommend from 2K & 4K viewing on the new Zidoo models:

MAIN SETTINGS

Playback/Automatic frame rate/Frame rate mode: Switch frame rate and resolution *

Display/HDR: Auto **
Display/Color Settings/4K 50~60Hz: Priority YUV420 10BIT
Display/Color Settings/4K 23~30Hz: Priority YUV444 10BIT
Display/Color Settings/Non-4K: Priority YUV444 8BIT
Display/Color Settings/HDMI Range: 16-235 ***
Display/Resolution: 3840x2160p 23Hz ****

Audio/HDMI Audio: AUTO *****
Audio/Downmix HD Audio output: OFF


*   Personal preference - Switch Frame Rate only can be used to let the Zidoo scale and reduce
   HDMI resyncs. (This is what I personally do)

**  Can be set discretely - available options are EDID dependent see below.

***   This sets 64 - 940 for 10-bit content.
   
**** This is my personal preference to avoid HDMI resyncs but if resyncs are not a problem
   and assuming auto framerate/resolution are both on, 1080p 60Hz might be a better option
   since the GUI/HT4 is natively 1920x1080 and text scrolls more smoothly at 60Hz.
   (Set this last since changing HDR mode resets HDMI Mode)

***** I recommend "Auto" but "RAW" can be used for bitstream only as a belt and braces approach


NOTE - If your display is HDMI 1.4 (300MHz, 8.9Gbps) then change the following to:

Display/Color Settings/4K 50~60Hz: Priority YUV420 8BIT
Display/Color Settings/4K 23~30Hz: Priority YUV422 12BIT


OTHER SETTINGS

Display/MaxCLL and MaxFALL: ON *
Display/Colour Settings/Deep Colour Compatibility Mode: OFF **


*    Some systems use MaxFALL/CCL, some don't. Generally leaving ON is fine because even if the system ignores it, there's no issue with the SEI message containing it. Can be useful to turn off for outboard gamma processing.

**   Enables forcing of 4K50/60 4:2:0 10/12-bit even if EDID does not allow.
(Some TVs can accept this signal even though EDID says it can't)
If your EDID does specify 4K50/60 4:2:0 10/12-bit this setting will have no effect.
If your EDID does not specify 4K50/60 4:2:0 10/12-bit and does not allow it, setting ON will cause picture loss.


HDR SETTINGS **Updated May '22**

Available settings will depend on TV capabilities/EDID

​

DOLBY VISION COMPATIBILITY MODE (v6.0.90 onwards)

Quick Settings/Display/Dolby vision compatible mode

This allows displays that can process both Standard DV and LLDV to prioritise which mode is used with DV output.

Either standard TV led DV or player led LLDV.


DOLBY VISION COMPATIBILITY (v6.2.00 onwards)

Since the update to v6.2.00, Dolby Vision Profile 7 (and 4) content is now playable from MEL and FEL files in multiple formats as below:


STSL = Single Track, Single Layer
STDL = Single Track, Dual Layer

The RPU (Reference Processing Unit) is used in all cases to process dynamic tone mapping but in the case of Full Enhancement Layers, the video essence of the FEL is not used.

However, to quote Dolby: "The base layer essence is a 10-bit video bitstream of the full picture element".

The FEL is simply a difference signal between the 12-bit and 10-bit master and although if the base layer is mapped to 1000nits, a 4000nit signal cannot be reconstructed, no consumer displays are capable of this anyway and indeed I'm not aware of any 12-bit consumer displays at this time either.

In the case of MEL presentations, all the video information is in the base layer as is obviously the case for Profiles 5 and 8.


LEGAL HDMI MODES

For information, below is a table detailing legal HDMI modes at 4K for both HDMI 1.4 and 2.*
The numbers show the bitrate and frequency respectively (denoting bandwidth required) for each mode. Where it shows "--", it is not legal mode and therefore not supported by HDMI.




HDFURY VERTEX SETTINGS FOR LLDV

For those with a Vertex or similar and an HDR TV who wish to try the LLDV trick, Attached is a quick and dirty PDF to show how to set this up.

This fools the Zidoo into thinking it's connected to a TV capable of LLDV but remaps the colour primaries into BT.2020 allowing it to be viewed correctly with standard HDR settings.

Also now added a PDF describing how to view LLDV on JVC projectors without an HDFury device.


NOTES ON POSTER DIRECTORY, BACKUP AND EXPORT

Choosing a "Custom directory" local to the device is the best option, and unless you have a good reason to change, just tick the bottom option "Custom directory" and leave it in Storage://

This means the .hometheatre hidden folder is local, only one is used, and it is therefore easier for the Zidoo to access.

The .hometheatre folder stores local copies of online posters, fanart and Clear Logos.

If you choose to save to "Device" that confusingly means save to the "source" folders used by HT4, not the Zidoo device. In that case the .hometheatre folder is saved to the root of the "source" device, whether that's USB, NAS or PC. If you have more than one "source" then a .hometheatre folder is created in each source which gets messy. Add more Zidoo devices and it gets very very messy!

It should be noted that when a backup is made, this just makes a backup of the SQL Lite database and settings and does not include the artwork - it only saves online links to TMDB image locations and over time these can change and the backup eventually becomes useless.

The best way to mitigate this is to use the "Export" function in Settings/Library which exports a copy of the poster (movieName-poster.jpg, collectionName-poster.jpg) and fanart (movieName-fanart.jpg, collectionName-fanart.jpg) images plus an NFO file (movieName.nfo) for each movie in the movie's folder.

Note that the .hometheatre directory is not used for local images.

If you run into trouble, you can then clear the database and rescan from scratch using local images.

Be aware that if you use NFO parsing using NFOs produced by the box, these do not carry trailer info unless previously accessed and cast info does not work through the database so you loose some functionality there.

At my request a switch was added to v6.3.0 to allow local trailers only which means if you want to include a movieName.trailer.ext file for your movies you can mitigate the loss of trailer functionality when using NFO files.

This means that the only thing missing when using NFOs to rebuild the database is full cast info and relational links to other movies. If you're not worried about that this gives scanning complete autonomy from the vagaries of online scraping!


HOW TO UNBRICK Z9X

With a great many thanks to @jjm2473 (who tirelessly helped me when I completely bricked one of my boxes) below is a link to help those who have bricked their devices.

https://jjm2473.github.io/nas/2021/03/01/rtd1619-unbrick.en.html


TO REGISTER GOOGLE PLAY STORE (FOR "G" FIRMWARE)

1. Open Google Play Store app then Exit.

2. Goto Quick Setting>Other>About>GSF ID, Make a note of the GSF ID.

3. Goto https://www.google.com/android/uncertified log in and enter the GSF ID in the box provided

4. Click Google Play Store APP, if it is still not activated, then restart and check again.


HOW TO USE LOCAL TRAILERS

Local trailers should be placed in the movie folder and named like MovieName.trailer.ext or MovieName-trailer.ext

I also switch on "Use Local Trailer Only" in HT4 Preferences.

For example:

No Time To Die.mkv (or a BDMV/ISO folder called No Time To Die) should have a trailer called:

No Time To Die.trailer.mp4

or

No Time To Die-trailer.mp4

(trailers tend to be mp4, but any supported video file will work just fine, eg .mkv)

There are a multitude of sources for trailers around the internet, not least of which is YouTube but I use these two sites almost exclusively:

https://www.traileraddict.com/ (use Chrome's "Save Video As" plugin)

https://www.youtube.com/user/TrailersPlaygroundHD (use Jdownloader)

If you want to use more than one trailer then number them like:

No Time To Die.trailer1.mp4
No Time To Die.trailer2.mp4

etc.

​

 

Why not 12-bit?

 

You really want HDR10 to output in 10 bit as that is native, if the box then needs 12 bit for DV it should still switch to 12bit.

 

Hi Mark, any chance you can expand this and explain correct settings / when you should use Max / Fall CLL and Deep Colour compatibility mode?

 

Will do

 

Hi Mark, sorry to mother but can you confirm something?

I play a Dolby Vision MKV created from a MEL title.

If my Z9X is set to Auto in the HDR settings this file triggers DV and plays at YUV 12bit 4:2:2 Dolby Vision - is the player doing the Dolby Vision Decoding and sending to the TV?

If my Z9X is set to VS10, this file triggers DV on my TV but the output shows as 8bit RGB HDR - is the player tunnelling the Dolby Vision to the TV so the TV can do the processing?

If so is this correct behaviour, it seems back to front in my mind?

Thank you.

 

No probs!

Your TV (C9 I think?) plays standard DV and LLDV so what's happening is in "Auto" it's playing in 12-bit 422 LLDV by preference and in VS10 it's playing in 8-bit RGB tunnelled DV ( in VS10, it also forces that mode on all content and the gui).

If you choose "LLDV" in HDR settings, that will do the same as "Auto" for DV content but also forces LLDV for all other content and the gui too.

If I load the C9 EDID and play a dvhe.07.06 BL+MEL+RPU file, this is what I get too:

HDR "Auto" - 12-bit 422 LLDV
HDR "VS10" - 8-bit RGB DV

The info screen on the Zidoo is very limited and should generally be ignored - as I've said a million times (no exageration!) this is where an HDFury device is invaluable so you can see exactly what's going on.

Where your TV says it's outputting 12-bit 422 DV, it's LLDV, it's just the TV doesn't tell you that.

Also, the C9 Dolby Block tells us that 12-bit 422 is not supported (for standard DV)

LG C9
EB:01:46: D0:00:2A:18:03:51:59:99:AA
DV Version: 1 [short 12-byte version]
DV DM Version: reserved
DV Interface: standard and low latency 422 12bit
2160p60: supported
YUV422 12bit: not supported
Global Dimming: not supported
Backlight Control: not supported
RED Primary: 0.707, 0.293
GREEN Primary: 0.172, 0.797
BLUE Primary: 0.133, 0.047
MAX/MIN Luminance: 700 / 0.000 nits

 

I figured that in auto it was outputting LLDV, how do I switch it to tunnelling, is the only way to choose VS10?

 

Yes, unless you get an HDFury device which will allow you to send a Standard DV only EDID.

Your best bet is to leave on Auto (assuming your TV syncs quickly enough) and let it play out in LLDV as there won't be any difference - best case scenario is HDR10 base layer with a Dolby RPU and both modes do that.

I think that since the Sony debacle that caused all this, Dolby are now moving more towards LLDV as a universal solution.

 

Mmm not sure about that Mark, on the Oppo I definitely prefer TV led processing to Player led processing (LLDV)

 

The Oppo is a completely different beast - in Player Led, it can decode both HEVC layers and process BL+EL+RPU - the Zidoo can't do that and obviously TV led is how it should be done - both video streams hit the TV and it does the full 12-bit Dolby magic!

 

The most interesting development at the moment is converting Profile 7 BL+EL+RPU to Profile 8 BL+RPU - not really sure how the enhanced layer gets incorporated in the Profile 8 base layer to maintain the integrity, but it's hellishly interesting!

 

Hi Mark, I have been creating these profile 8.1 files with Yusepes Gamma 004 tools they don’t trigger DV on the Z9X, on the shield with latest Plex they play fine (apart from the well documented colour space problems). If Zidoo could recognise the parched Data in these files we might be onto a winner.

 

Ok - that's odd. Must admit I haven't tried that yet but I've tried a couple of Dolby produced Profile 8 streams and they spit out in DV.

There are two flavours of Profile 8 (ignoring the various Levels), one with an SDR compatible Base Layer and one with an HDR10 compatible Base Layer - the streams I've tested have a Cross Compatibility ID of 1 which is HDR10 and of course since yours originate from Profile 7, they will be the same.

If you want to snip out a 2 minute sample using MKVToolnix and PM me I'd be interested to take a look..

 

Posting now, check PM in a bout 10 mins.

 

say, with the new firmware, would the dv for hdr be the preferred setting if the set supports dolby vision ??
is the results the same as lldv for hdr content ??
not sure if any other video setting changes from the latest firmware.

 

It's purely personal preference - if you have a DV display and want SDR passed through but HDR processed as DV, then yes, select VS10 for HDR, and VS10 will convert HDR to DV along with native DV (supported formats) passing through as DV.

 

Clarification question: I’ve SDR Plasma TV, so if i choose DV10 engine, everything will br processed by DV10 engine, remapped to SDR BT709, and it will spit out SDR BT709 to the TV. Is my understanding correct?

 

Yes, that's correct but unfortunately VS10 SDR currently has a very washed out look - although black and white clip are correct, the luminance of the whole image is raised so it looks lifeless.

You may be better off using "SDR.Rec.709 Limited" or even "Dolby Vision VS10 Engine for HDR".

 

i found if you check the mkv after gamma and it shows as mel 8.06 ,but Zidoos playing it in hdr...............run the mkv thru Makemkv.53 and itll start working showing dolby vision correctly.....thou with the normal stutter audio lags after 3-5 mins as we checked on justice league on the other thread