4k HDR Captures from XBOX ONE X have only 8 bit

Hi,

I have recently done some tests around capturing 4k HDR clips to external drive. Everything looked ok but when trying to process these files on PC I spotted that video stream in file is tagged with 8 bit color + plays with washed away colors.

Couple of question here.

• HDR in 8 bits? (looking at histogram and it seems that this has been converted from 10-bit)
  
• What Windows 10 app / codec you guys using to do this
  
• All hdr videos (testing videos / blue ray) I have has 10/12 bits
  
• It seems that colorspace / primarities of bt.2020 are correctly read by xbox one x internal media player.
  

General

Complete name : C:\TEMP\capture_backup\Insects 1_5_2018 10_25_19 PM.mp4

Format : MPEG-4

Format profile : Base Media / Version 2

Codec ID : mp42 (mp41/isom)

File size : 131 MiB

Duration : 39 s 467 ms

Overall bit rate : 27.9 Mb/s

Encoded date : UTC 2018-01-05 21:25:19

Tagged date : UTC 2018-01-05 21:25:19

Video

ID : 1

Format : HEVC

Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding

Format profile : Main@L5.1@Main

Codec ID : hev1

Codec ID/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding

Duration : 39 s 457 ms

Source duration : 39 s 468 ms

Bit rate : 26.7 Mb/s

Width : 3 840 pixels

Height : 2 160 pixels

Display aspect ratio : 16:9

Frame rate mode : Variable

Frame rate : 59.846 FPS

Minimum frame rate : 15.023 FPS

Maximum frame rate : 60.120 FPS

Color space : YUV

Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0

Bit depth : 8 bits

Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.054

Stream size : 125 MiB (96%)

Source stream size : 126 MiB (96%)

Encoded date : UTC 2018-01-05 21:25:19

Tagged date : UTC 2018-01-05 21:25:19

Color range : Limited

Color primaries : BT.2020

Transfer characteristics : PQ

mdhd_Duration : 39457

Audio

ID : 2

Format : AAC

Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec

Format profile : LC

Codec ID : mp4a-40-2

Duration : 39 s 467 ms

Bit rate mode : Constant

Bit rate : 157 kb/s

Nominal bit rate : 1 280 kb/s

Channel(s) : 2 channels

Channel positions : Front: L R

Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz

Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)

Compression mode : Lossy

Stream size : 758 KiB (1%)

Encoded date : UTC 2018-01-05 21:25:19

Tagged date : UTC 2018-01-05 21:25:19

:)

 

4k problem

What is the model of your TV? Sometimes, manufacturers disable 4K resolution over one or more of the HDMI inputs, and you must manually enable it in the TV's settings with your remote.

The Xbox One can support almost any TV with an HDMI input. The 8/10-bits on panels only indicates whether the TV supports HDR or not, which is an optional feature. The Xbox One X can support 8-bit 4K displays (considered non-HDR
4K).

If your TV is an 8-bit panel (non-HDR), then make sure the "Color depth" setting is set to "24 bits per pixel (8-bit)" while switching to 4K UHD resolution. You may also want to experiment with the advanced video settings if you
are still having issues in trying to get your Xbox One X to display in 4K.

 

Setting color depth for he's tv

My Xbox one x is set to my her 4k display.

I know it will automatically turn a lot of stuff on the tv when it detects hdr content. Bit for color depth, I know hdr needs 10 bit. But what about none hdr content.

If I select 8 bit, will it automatically switch to 10 bit upon sending hdr content?

 

Apparently based on High Efficiency Video Coding - Wikipedia and info from Media Info soft. Video has been encoded under Main profile, which only supports 8bit.

So either:

• Xbox one x is capable of storing 10/12 bits captures and it is just bug (presume it is using HW encoder which is part of jaguar cores)
• Xbox one x is not capable of storing 10/12 bit captures and stores stuff in 8-bit with converted values (10 bits 1024 -> 8 bits 256)

I hope it is first option.

Apart from this, playing "HDR" captures on xbox one x itself is creating banding and other artifacts.