Apple TV app 4k on ...
 

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[Closed] Apple TV app 4k on firestick?

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I thought that the Apple TV app on firestick supported 4k from initial launch. I didn't bother at the time as there was no Dolby vision. Now this is supported I rented a 4k DV movie as I've heard that their bit rate was higher and good quality streams. Sure enough it was DV and a way better quality image than I get from regular 4k prime content (or even their hdr content), but it was "only" 1080p/60. I can't see any settings in the apple TV app, so perhaps it's just lower resolution during lockdown like some archives have done?
Has anyone successfully had 4k DV content from Apple TV on firestick?


 
Posted : 22/05/2020 10:20 pm
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I read somewhere that quite a few streaming services had throttled the quality to cope with additional demand at the moment


 
Posted : 22/05/2020 10:47 pm
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Thanks, Whilst there's potentially a difference between Apple TV+ and normal Apple iTunes movie rentals, almost certainly it's throttled. Perhaps I should be grateful it was in hd! To be honest, the best thing about a 4k TV is the hdr formats anyway. If actually happily have had hd resolution with hdr on top.


 
Posted : 22/05/2020 11:02 pm
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Just watching something now on my Fire Cube. Says it's 4k/60 HDR UHD?


 
Posted : 22/05/2020 11:06 pm
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I pretty sure I read that it was only Apple TV+ that people were seeing bandwidth reductions on and not movie purchases/rentals. I would have seen that info in this thread if you fancy digging through it;
https://www.avforums.com/threads/apple-tv-4k-owners-thread.2121816/page-556#post-28054113


 
Posted : 23/05/2020 7:41 am
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I don't think the streaming services are still reducing the quality anyway. Checked last night, all of them are back to 4k for me. Those articles mention a 30-day quality reduction in March.

I'd heard the Internet was well within capacity here anyway (maybe different in Europe back then). The daytime usage has gone up by 20-30%, but evenings/weekends OK.


 
Posted : 23/05/2020 9:00 am
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No settings on the Apple app to set it to 4k then? Should just do that automatically if the fire TV is set to 4k automatic.


 
Posted : 23/05/2020 9:25 am
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Mine's a TV Cube, but think it's the same as the 4k stick. No, nothing in the Apple TV app, a few settings in the Fire menus - Video Resolution/Match Original Frame Rate/Colour Depth etc. on mine.

Do you have a TV+ subscription you can try? The shows they stream are definitely 4k on mine.


 
Posted : 23/05/2020 9:45 am
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There's a 7 day TV+ trial I could experiment with. I have a 4k DV movie rental still active so might try again later.


 
Posted : 23/05/2020 10:00 am
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No 4k on TV+ streams either. Just 1080 with Dolby vision.


 
Posted : 23/05/2020 1:04 pm
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Something here. Perhaps I'm actually getting upscaled 1080p? Seems to be an Apple TV app limitation.

https://www.reddit.com/r/appletv/comments/e3iboi/apple_tv_and_apple_movies_in_4k_on_fire_tv_stick/


 
Posted : 23/05/2020 1:26 pm
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Checked last night. Turned on the Fire TV diagnostics display that shows all the techie info on what's being streamed (rather than just looking at what the TV says) and you're right, everything from the Apple TV app is 1080p. So looks like the Fire TV Apple app doesn't do 4k 👎🏻

Netflix is consistently 4k, Amazon Prime a mix.


 
Posted : 24/05/2020 9:50 am
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Watched Joker on Apple TV app last night. With Dolby vision the 1080 stream upscaled is really very good. There's clearly a higher bit rate, way less banding than other 4k streams I've watched. Shame it's not massive 4k as well.


 
Posted : 24/05/2020 10:08 am

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