J3rdstkillah wrote:

Hi, I read your problem and been having the same one.  At this point I'm done with trying to make HDR work but you mentioned a secret menu where you can turn it off.  Can anyone please help me figure out how to access that menu.  I've been looking all over the internet and have been unable to find any answers

NOTE: Use at your own risk. These are service menus and the incorrect settings can severely impact your device.

Roku Secret Menu Image

Roku Secret Menu Tutorial

The above links were earlier documentation of a number of Service Code menus that could be accessed. The keystrokes below will get you to the menu that will allow you to CHANGE HDR MODE behavior. You can disable both HDR and Dolby Vision or you can OPEN HDR and set that as the device limit. That may be an option to try if your issue is with Dolby Vision content only. If Netflix DOLBY VISION content is too dark and settings can't correct, then perhaps having HDR set as your device limit will have Netflix serve up the HDR version, which may more watchable without having to give up HDR encoding completely.

CHANGE HDR MODE MENU:
HOME BUTTON (5X) - RW - PAUSE - FF - PAUSE - RW

blade_005 wrote:

J3rdstkillah wrote:

Hi, I read your problem and been having the same one.  At this point I'm done with trying to make HDR work but you mentioned a secret menu where you can turn it off.  Can anyone please help me figure out how to access that menu.  I've been looking all over the internet and have been unable to find any answers

NOTE: Use at your own risk. These are service menus and the incorrect settings can severely impact your device.

Roku Secret Menu Image

Roku Secret Menu Tutorial

The above links were earlier documentation of a number of Service Code menus that could be accessed. The keystrokes below will get you to the menu that will allow you to CHANGE HDR MODE behavior. You can disable both HDR and Dolby Vision or you can OPEN HDR and set that as the device limit. That may be an option to try if your issue is with with Dolby Vision content only. If Netflix DOLBY VISION content is too dark and settings can't correct, then perhaps having HDR set as your device limit will have Netflix serve up the HDR version, which may more watchable without having to give up HDR encoding completely.

CHANGE HDR MODE MENU:
HOME BUTTON (5X) - RW - PAUSE - FF - PAUSE - RW

The CHANGE HDR MODE MENU option did not work for me. Netflix app continues to render in Dolby Vision and it looks absolutely terrible.

georgeedwardg wrote:

blade_005 wrote:

J3rdstkillah wrote:

Hi, I read your problem and been having the same one.  At this point I'm done with trying to make HDR work but you mentioned a secret menu where you can turn it off.  Can anyone please help me figure out how to access that menu.  I've been looking all over the internet and have been unable to find any answers

NOTE: Use at your own risk. These are service menus and the incorrect settings can severely impact your device.

Roku Secret Menu Image

Roku Secret Menu Tutorial

The above links were earlier documentation of a number of Service Code menus that could be accessed. The keystrokes below will get you to the menu that will allow you to CHANGE HDR MODE behavior. You can disable both HDR and Dolby Vision or you can OPEN HDR and set that as the device limit. That may be an option to try if your issue is with with Dolby Vision content only. If Netflix DOLBY VISION content is too dark and settings can't correct, then perhaps having HDR set as your device limit will have Netflix serve up the HDR version, which may more watchable without having to give up HDR encoding completely.

CHANGE HDR MODE MENU:
HOME BUTTON (5X) - RW - PAUSE - FF - PAUSE - RW

The CHANGE HDR MODE MENU option did not work for me.  Netflix app continues to render in Dolby Vision and it looks absolutely terrible.

What option did you select? There is DISABLE HDR, OPEN HDR or DOLBY VISION. I remember testing with Netflix and selecting DISABLE HDR would remove HDR and Dolby Vision support and you would get a 4K version of any Dolby Vision Netflix content. Selecting OPEN HDR would remove Dolby Vision support, but allow HDR. Same content on Netflix would stream HDR version. And then selecting DOLBY VISION would restore both HDR and Dolby Vision support.

I won't deny that Dolby Vision Netflix content can be too dark for some content. The settings that I have found that work best and provide a good viewing experience with Netflix DOLBY VISION content is a TV Brightness setting of BRIGHT or BRIGHTER -- a Picture Mode setting of BRIGHT DV -- a Color Temp setting of WARM -- a Gamma Mode setting of 1.8 via the Roku app.

blade_005 wrote:

georgeedwardg wrote:

blade_005 wrote:

J3rdstkillah wrote:

Hi, I read your problem and been having the same one.  At this point I'm done with trying to make HDR work but you mentioned a secret menu where you can turn it off.  Can anyone please help me figure out how to access that menu.  I've been looking all over the internet and have been unable to find any answers

NOTE: Use at your own risk. These are service menus and the incorrect settings can severely impact your device.

Roku Secret Menu Image

Roku Secret Menu Tutorial

The above links were earlier documentation of a number of Service Code menus that could be accessed. The keystrokes below will get you to the menu that will allow you to CHANGE HDR MODE behavior. You can disable both HDR and Dolby Vision or you can OPEN HDR and set that as the device limit. That may be an option to try if your issue is with with Dolby Vision content only. If Netflix DOLBY VISION content is too dark and settings can't correct, then perhaps having HDR set as your device limit will have Netflix serve up the HDR version, which may more watchable without having to give up HDR encoding completely.

CHANGE HDR MODE MENU:
HOME BUTTON (5X) - RW - PAUSE - FF - PAUSE - RW

The CHANGE HDR MODE MENU option did not work for me.  Netflix app continues to render in Dolby Vision and it looks absolutely terrible.

What option did you select? There is DISABLE HDR, OPEN HDR or DOLBY VISION. I remember testing with Netflix and selecting DISABLE HDR would remove HDR and Dolby Vision support and you would get a 4K version of any Dolby Vision Netflix content. Selecting OPEN HDR would remove Dolby Vision support, but allow HDR. Same content on Netflix would stream HDR version. And then selecting DOLBY VISION would restore both HDR and Dolby Vision support.

I won't deny that Dolby Vision Netflix content can be too dark for some content. The settings that I have found that work best and provide a good viewing experience with Netflix DOLBY VISION content is a TV Brightness setting of BRIGHT or BRIGHTER -- a Picture Mode setting of BRIGHT DV -- a Color Temp setting of WARM -- a Gamma Mode setting of 1.8 via the Roku app.

Thanks for the follow up. I attempted the OPEN HDR setting, but the Dolby Vision notification (and subsequent backlight issues) returned upon playing back a Netflix Dolby Vision title.

georgeedwardg wrote:

blade_005 wrote:

georgeedwardg wrote:

blade_005 wrote:

NOTE: Use at your own risk. These are service menus and the incorrect settings can severely impact your device.

Roku Secret Menu Image

Roku Secret Menu Tutorial

The above links were earlier documentation of a number of Service Code menus that could be accessed. The keystrokes below will get you to the menu that will allow you to CHANGE HDR MODE behavior. You can disable both HDR and Dolby Vision or you can OPEN HDR and set that as the device limit. That may be an option to try if your issue is with with Dolby Vision content only. If Netflix DOLBY VISION content is too dark and settings can't correct, then perhaps having HDR set as your device limit will have Netflix serve up the HDR version, which may more watchable without having to give up HDR encoding completely.

CHANGE HDR MODE MENU:
HOME BUTTON (5X) - RW - PAUSE - FF - PAUSE - RW

The CHANGE HDR MODE MENU option did not work for me.  Netflix app continues to render in Dolby Vision and it looks absolutely terrible.

What option did you select? There is DISABLE HDR, OPEN HDR or DOLBY VISION. I remember testing with Netflix and selecting DISABLE HDR would remove HDR and Dolby Vision support and you would get a 4K version of any Dolby Vision Netflix content. Selecting OPEN HDR would remove Dolby Vision support, but allow HDR. Same content on Netflix would stream HDR version. And then selecting DOLBY VISION would restore both HDR and Dolby Vision support.

I won't deny that Dolby Vision Netflix content can be too dark for some content. The settings that I have found that work best and provide a good viewing experience with Netflix DOLBY VISION content is a TV Brightness setting of BRIGHT or BRIGHTER -- a Picture Mode setting of BRIGHT DV -- a Color Temp setting of WARM -- a Gamma Mode setting of 1.8 via the Roku app.

Thanks for the follow up.  I attempted the OPEN HDR setting, but the Dolby Vision notification (and subsequent backlight issues) returned upon playing back a Netflix Dolby Vision title.

No problem. I will have to try again on my set to make sure it still works as it did initially. But, if you still saw the DV Logo upon starting the Netflix stream then it did not disable Dolby Vision. When I tested it initially, Netflix would change the labeling from Dolby Vision to HDR and that is the notification you would get on screen at the start of the stream. If you disabled both then you would get a 4K stream.

georgeedwardg wrote:

blade_005 wrote:

Thanks for the follow up.  I attempted the OPEN HDR setting, but the Dolby Vision notification (and subsequent backlight issues) returned upon playing back a Netflix Dolby Vision title.

I went through the process and selected CHANGE HDR MODE and selected OPEN HDR and the HDR CURRENT LIMIT updates to a status of OPEN. When I return to Roku HOME screen and open Netflix app any title that previously showed a DOLBY VISION label now shows a HDR label. If I enter CHANGE HDR MODE menu and select DISABLE HDR, then Netflix DOLBY VISION titles will now be labeled as ULTRA 4K. Enter CHANGE HDR MODE and select DOLBY VISION and then all titles in Netflix that are DV capable are now labeled as DOLBY VISION.

Perhaps we are using different models of TCL TV's and that may impact how it behaves? But, I would think if we both have DOLBY VISION and HDR capable TCL Roku TV sets that they should behave similarly with these menu changes.

I also have this issue with DOLBY VISION on my 65 inch TCL Roku  5  series 2018 using Netflix. Dark and and much darker and then back to dark.  I disabled DV  and now it says HDR.  I selected gamma 2.0 for this TV as it is not very bright ( via the ROKU app on my phone).
Watching from distance in a large family room so  I am not sure if the DV made any difference.  The thing is that this TV is very cheap ( barely under $600) and picture otherwise is really good and ROKU is so smooth and fast  (best smart TV I would say)  so I am not  sure whether I should return it  (still within the window) or wait for a ROKU or TCL fix.   Thanks for the secret menu post.
(my settings  Pic mode: Bright HDR, color temp: normal  ( I cannot stand that "warm" filter that takes away the whites),  micro contrast: High,  dynamic: Off , backlight: 100,  brightness: 50, contrast: 100,  sharpness: 50 - 60,  color: 50 -60, tint: 0 -+5.)

So I returned the TCL and got a VIZIO M  series 2018 with Dolby Vision (wanted a bright TV).  Happy to report that the issue applies only to TCLs.  Last check on TCL 5 series was this am, the version was 8.2.2,  and the issue with Dolby Vision  was still there.

I am also having an issue with DV on my TCL 49S517. What the flower is going on here. Why cant Roku or TCL give us a straight answer. My screen flashes in scenes from dark to bright. When I change to bright or brighter DV the flashes get worse. Is this Roku software problem or a TCL hardware problem. It only happens on DV content. Otherwise the TV has really great picture. The HDR content works fine. I am guessing it's a software problem

Thanks for the update here. I've followed up with you directly to gather your details and share this information with our team. 

If anyone else is running into this issue, please feel free to PM me with your Roku account email address, the serial number of your Roku TV from Settings>System>About, and more information about which channel you are seeing the issue with, as well as an example content title(s) you were attempting to watch. 

I'll follow up directly to assist you further. 

Thanks,
Tanner

RokuTannerDB wrote:

If anyone else is running into this issue, please feel free to PM me with your Roku account email address, the serial number of your Roku TV from Settings>System>About, and more information about which channel you are seeing the issue with, as well as an example content title(s) you were attempting to watch.

I sent you a PM.  I'm having the same problem with Dolby Vision content on my TCL Roku TV (55S517).  The backlight fluctuating between too bright and too dark makes it impossible to watch any DV movies/shows.

TbDave-

TCL and Roku know about this issue. I really think it's a Dolby Vision bug. TCL already had reached out to Dolby. It seeks like it only happens when you strem with Netflix, Amazon and Vudu. I haven't tried Famdango or Google Play and I also dont have a 4k blu ray player so I can't say for sure it's just with the streaming apps. Now again it seems to have first started when Roku updated its firmware a few months ago to version 8. I have yet to receive and upgrade to version OS9 on my TCL tv. Dont know what's taking so long though lol. I want the 9 version cause it has audio or volume leveling which is a pain right now when streaming stuff and a commercial comes on and its volume is blaring loud. Anyway I have no clue when or if this DV bug will be fixed.

RokuTannerDB wrote:

Thanks for the update here. I've followed up with you directly to gather your details and share this information with our team. 

If anyone else is running into this issue, please feel free to PM me with your Roku account email address, the serial number of your Roku TV from Settings>System>About, and more information about which channel you are seeing the issue with, as well as an example content title(s) you were attempting to watch. 

I'll follow up directly to assist you further. 

Thanks,
Tanner

Tanner any info on this at all from the engineers? Are they aware it's a problem anyway? Lol

The team is continuing to look into these reports. In the meantime, you can try checking for any available software updates on your TV to see if this may help. If none are available, and you are still running into the issue, please feel free to PM me with your Roku account email address, the serial number of your Roku TV from Settings>System>About, and more information about which channel you are seeing the issue with, as well as an example content title(s) you were attempting to watch. I'll follow up with you directly to continue investigating. 

Thanks,
Tanner

Scottt1174 wrote:

RokuTannerDB wrote:

Thanks for the update here. I've followed up with you directly to gather your details and share this information with our team. 

If anyone else is running into this issue, please feel free to PM me with your Roku account email address, the serial number of your Roku TV from Settings>System>About, and more information about which channel you are seeing the issue with, as well as an example content title(s) you were attempting to watch. 

I'll follow up directly to assist you further. 

Thanks,
Tanner

Tanner any info on this at all from the engineers? Are they aware it's a problem anyway? Lol

Just so you’re aware, since the issue is with a soon-to-be-retired version of the OS, it’s unlikely Roku will fix anything non-fatal in 8.2. You may have to wait until 9.0 rolls to your device before a resolution is evident. Roku won’t tell you that — at least, they haven’t in the past — but it’s the nature of the beast. Resources are likely minimal for any OS that is being retired, and since 9.0 rollout to Roku TVs began last month, you likely will have to suffer with any issues until you get 9.0

It went that way with 8.1 when 9.0 was rolling to boxes and Sticks, and to TVs as 8.2 was rolling.