status dolby vision functions

Hello Forum,
I am currently thinking about getting the Zidoo Z9X, mainly due to its DV functionality (I currently have a Ver4k+).

Zidoo claims Dolby Vision functionality through the VS10 Engine, but what is actually possible now? What does the Zidoo Z9X do and what does it not do?
I tried to read through a lot of tests and forums, and to me it seems, that Zidoo is still testing and developing on the customers. And that VS10 engine actually only does a "fake upscaled" DV - from SDR, HDR and even DV (as it cannot play DV, it plays in HDR and renders up to DV - true?!)

All in all there are now so many forum posts and already several FW updates from Zidoo, that I don't really get it together. Could therefor someone please sum up the current DV functionalities and if its worth it to buy the Z9X mainly for DV or is it still recommended to wait for that purpose?

So does it:
complete iso's with DV?
MKV/MP4 with DV?
(I am personally not interested in Netflix with Dolby Vision as I play this on an Amazon Stick, but maybe someone else would be)
Is it the real DV stream in the file or is it actually the upscaled HDR stream? (if so, is the upscaled really so much better to be worth it? is it then necessary to have a DV file or is the HDR10 file good enough?)

Thanks a lot in advance guys.

Edit:
what is MEL and FEL? FEL is used in completes, MEL in MKV/MP4? MEL seems to work, FEL doesn't?
For me the most important functionality would be the complete iso with DV compatibility, as MKV do not include Dolby Atmos or DTS:X (so to get the best out of it, DV and Atmos, it has to be the complete iso's)

 

Not worth a buy because of dolby vision right now,
I get resync (short black screen) with that vs10 engine (fake dolby vision) every 10 seconds
When movies are played in 24hz, it works with 60hz
Sdr 1080p movies work also in 24hz

Native
Mp4 dolby vision files are played in HDR10
Dolby vision mkv files some have green screen some are played in hdr10
I think that's because mel and fel
Some movies in mel some in fel, it doesn't matter in witch format they are, mel fel are present in mkv and complete
You can check this here
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=276448
My tv lg c9

I would wait

 

Hi you seem to be quite confused about a few things, but to cut a long story short if you want Dolby Vision from ISO don’t buy this machine, buy the Oppo 203 clone from China, the picture with DV is really superb.

 

For now I have to say that I don't have a resync with Panasonic TX-65GZW1004.

I tested DV function and found the following:
With FW 6.0.22
HDR Setting -> Auto
Only MKV DV Profile 7 MEL was played in DV
MKV DV Profile 7 FEL - HDR
MP4 DV - HDR
ISO DV - HDR

VS10 engine:
Adwanced Setting - HDMI / DP Display Config - HDR Output Mode set to Auto, HDR is set automatically to mapping HDR10
All films, MKV, M2TS, ISO run with displaying DV without problems.

With FW 6.0.30
HDR Setting -> Auto
MKV DV Profile 7 MEL - Green display
MKV DV Profile 7 FEL - HDR
No more native DV play

VS10 Engine:
Adwanced Setting - HDMI / DP Display Config - HDR Output Mode set to Auto, HDR is set automatically to mapping HDR10
All films, MKV, M2TS, ISO run in DV, only MKV DV Profile 7 MEL - green display

Clear deterioration DV / VS10 funktion with FW version 6.0.30
I'm looking forward to the next FW version, then we'll see whether Zidoo wants to enforce DV or not

 

MINIX NEO U22-XJ can already MKV Profile 7 with Dolby Vision, if Zidoo shows no improvements in DV support with the next FW, it will probably lose some customers.

 

Sure, a box that nobody has on the slip takes the lead we're curious what Zidoo is doing ;-)

 

I am very curious to hear from you why DV Profile 7 is so important for customers?

1) Profile 7 is about multi-layer ISO's with both 4k/HDR10(+) and a 1080P/DV layer on it. So we spend a lot of money for those fancy 4K TV's and we now prefer watching a UHD/4K movie down-scaled to 1080P to have that up-scaled again by the TV. I always learned this was a very bad idea but apparently I am mistaken here?
2) Next we get out DV (provided your TV manufacturer and AMP manufactured paid the extra money to Dolby Laboratories to get that full chain working). I watched side by side demo's and frankly I did not get very impressed with DV (profile 7 MEL and even FEL) versus HDR10(+). They made me stand close to the screen pointed to specific areas will a frozen picture and claimed look here and look there you see the differences? The same with HDR10 versus HDR10+ by the way. For me it is just relevant how I experience watching a running movie at normal viewing distance from my favorite chair. Oh yes I have an OLED TV which for sure matters for HDR flavors as I could see the differences with QLED (Samsung) or LCD (Sony).
3) Now for DV itself. Dolby Laboratories managed to make a real mess out of DV with many different profiles added over time. I don't say LLDV isn't any good but just have a look at the faithful Dolby Laboratories follower LG which now is stuck with about all flavors of DV on their various models and generations. UHD players make something work on one LG model and it next fails on another LG model. Don't blame those but insist on Dolby (and LG) fixing DV related problems instead.

Bottom line for me DV profile 7 is a nice to have feature but making it an utmost important feature is a hoax in my view.

If you have an (OLED/) TV then also HDR10(+) may be hampered with a bad implementation too when e.g. lacking MaxCLL and MaxFALL which is essential for some pictures apparently using less common settings for those. Realtek brings it now as an innovative feature as it works well with RTD1619 but frankly it was just a half baked HDR10 implementation on RTD1295, which was almost fixed with RTD1296.

 

@Nice Monkey
1080p track does not play, it contains dynamic metadata for DV.

Profile 7 is the only one, that occurs more often in the real world, everything else, even if it exists, is unusable because it is just the test videos.

 

I do streaming with DV on TV, I don't need an extra media layer for this, so it's irrelevant for me on the Zidoo.

 

The MINIX alternative listed doesn't seem to support HD-Audio. It does Dolby digital+Atmos but not True-HD Atmos which I imagine would make it useless for a lot of people. The only realistic alternative for dolby Vision seems to be those Oppo clones which are quite expensive. The Nvidia shield has the same problems as Zidoo.

 

In all fairness you can’t buy an Oppo, they have closed as a business and no one bought the maintenance.

As for DV profile 7, FEL is noticeably better than static HDR on OLED, if you are watching on a LCD with elevated black I don’t suppose there is much difference.

 

sure ... and Zidoo (and other manufacturers) sell their devices to people who only play home videos with Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. Home theater is particularly important to find the cover for it.
I hope you don’t have any illegal films in your video collection? So only copies of Blurays that are on the shelves and have no copy protection? Like me.
At this point I would like to end the discussion with you.

I can confirm it

 

Motion taken for some TV's.

That 1080P/DV picture is then better than a 4K/HDR10 picture on a 55+ inch screen? That is what puzzles me looking at it side by side. The studios can then stop with bringing out the 4K/UHD blurays and players as it is waist of money, as up-scaling is enough.

 

The 1080p stream is the dolby vision metadata/enhancement layer the player still uses the 4K video and substitutes the HDR metadata with the dolby vision enhancement layer on compatible devices.

"1. MEL (Minimal Enhancement Layer)
The video info is only in the base layer (10-bit 4:2:0) and the MEL only has metadata. (Metadata being dynamic, this is still better than static based HDR10).

2. FEL (Full Enhancement Layer)
FEL layer has metadata and the extra picture information bringing the final output to 12-bit. Usually hevc file size for FEL is about 10% of hevc file size of base layer."
Quoted from makemkv forums (tango306)

 

So, current DV status with V6.0.35:
MKV DV MEL Support - OK again
The rest is played in HDR
Tested with Panasonic OLED TV

 

Thanks for explaining this: A bit confusing to be honest. Never too old to learn.

 

Learning to read is also welcome at any age

 

They seem to have broken mp4 Dolby vision playback in the last 2 firmwares though.

 

Dv mkv MEL doesnt work at all for me now. Goes almost straight to green screen.

 

please post whatever TV you have, it seems to be very dependent on it