Screen resetting from UHD resolution to default setting

[EveryonehatesChri]

This keeps happening. I have a BT TV Pro UHD box which never switches resolution to default setting so I know that the issue is not with the TV which is connected to the box via HDMI and connects to my amplifier via the eARC HDMI socket. 

I recently also had issues trying to watch a match in UHD (Sky Sports Football) via the red button, as per the usual prompt. Instead of giving me a list of options right hand of screen it buffered on a dark blue background before crashing completely.

As I understand it the flagship channels such as Sky Sports ME, Sky Sports Arena, Sky Sports F1 have priority over streaming of live UHD content, which accounts for simulcasting live content with other channels on occasions. It also suggests that the reason live matches presented by Sky Sports and not 3rd parties cannot always be streamed in UHD is due to lack of capacity in that format. 

If anyone has any further information or advice on Sky's use of the UHD format or how to make the most of it when viewing either live or catch-up/downloaded content I would be grateful.

Kind Regards,

Chris.

[Chodley]

Presumably the box is set to 2160p 10bit colour? - have you tried using the same cable that works on the BT box? Have you got the deep colour (can be called other things) switched on for that hdmi input on the TV settings? They don't all need this.

[EveryonehatesChri]

Thanks for your reply and advice. I'm pretty certain that the box is set to 2160p 8bit as I did not choose the setting myself but I would be able to confirm this when I have access to the box and its settings in an hour's time. I've not heard of 'deep colour' but will look into that also. I haven't yet switched cables at your suggestion as access to the TV's HDMI inputs is not so easily available but I may also do this (at the moment the Sky Q box is using the supplied cable).

As it stands I'm awaiting an engineer to come and check the box and its settings in a few weeks but really I would rather get the situation resolved without having to resort to hard reset or anything like that. 

 In the meantime I appreciate your advice and will get back to you when I have more information on the box settings this evening.

[Chodley]

10 bit versus 8 bit colour  -  also know as wide colour gamut or HDR though the two things are separate but both enabled by the extra data bandwidth available with 10bits (actually 30bits per pixel vs 24), makes a BIG difference to picture quality. It's only available on HDR capable boxes but a lot of the Sky UHD content is now in HDR.

More detail;

https://youtu.be/jGjSj_b_sj0?si=0tIpIKsuanwaKOnF

[EveryonehatesChri]

Thanks for all your help with this and sorry for not replying earlier as I said I would; there's so much wall-to-wall sport going on I got distracted. 

I looked into what you said and noted down a few of the AV settings on my Sky Q box:

Resolution: 2160 8-bit*

HDMI Audio Output: DD+

HDMI Control: On.    

Currently I'm watching Bournemouth v Chelsea on PL in UHD and my Sony TV has detected the following settings:

3840 x 2160 4K 16:9 Dolby Atmos - DD+

The UHD upgrade option seems a bit hit and miss on Sky Sports PL and Football channels (eg even when I was given the option to view in UHD it did not change picture resolution and I was presented with a blank blue screen with the error message "No programmes are currently being broadcast by this channel" - this despite the fact that the same match is being shown on Main Event).

My BT TV box is set at:

Screen Resolution: UHD 50fps and 10-Bit

It uses BT.2020 standard.

*this setting was chosen automatically by the Sky Q box but I think I will manually override it to 10-Bit as my Sony TV supports it.

Thanks again for your time.

Regards,

Chris 

[Chodley]

Yeah if your box is outoutting 2170p and switches from HD to UHD content, the output res that the TV is receiving will not change.

Whether rec.2020 is the right choice is an interesting one. You want it on Auto ideally because SDR material in 4k and even when transmitted as 10bit, is not in rec.2020, it's still rec.709. And if the TV is forced to treat it as 2020 it will display poorly. Maybe the BT box was displaying something in HDR when you checked that.