I don't get appropriate blacks when I play videos through Xiaomi Mi Box S

by wiserten

I have recently bought a new Samsung TV (Q95T). When I play high quality videos natively through Samsung's OS picture quality is miles better compared to playing same videos over VLC Player or Kodi via Android TV Box (Xiaomi Mi Box S).

Here's what a completely dark scene looks like when a video file is played through Xiaomi Mi Box S (played via VLC app - hooked to HDMI Port 1): https://www.dropbox.com/s/9xqy6qgewatviql/IMG_2282.jpg?dl=0

When the same thing is played on Samsung's Tizen, it's awesome, you can't discern anything, it's just completely black and everything is much sharper and better looking. Even when I play it on my laptop it's totally black.

Anybody encountered this problem? I tried playing with display settings on Xiaomi Mi Box S, changing screen resolutions, refresh rates, color space options. Nothing helped.

Is the only solution buying perhaps a better media/blu-ray player or is this the HDMI limitation that just has to be accepted?

Thanks everyone in advance for taking a look on this. Any help and input is greatly appreciated!

Paperinoil

I don’t own either of those components but from what you’re describing, it sounds like your black levels with the Xiaomi are elevated.

You could try lowering the black level of your TV by one or two clicks and see if that helps, although you might crush some shadow detail doing that.

pawdog

If the TV is that good why not just use it. It could very well be that a TV on that level will be as good a streamer as any device. I don't know where a different device will process video any differently this stuff seems to be pretty standardized. Are these HDR files by any chance? Also do you get the same thing with streaming apps?

wasthatlatin

I don’t think it’s your job to gatekeep the blacks.