Trying to understand Pro Box picture settings

[stereohaven]

The soft picture from the Pro Box is the same regardless of whether you use IP or aerial, the TV you plug it into or the picture settings on the box.

The Humax T4000 was the pinnacle of YouView based hardware picture quality.

[Jogon]

I read ya thread and had my pro box at the max setting uhd50fps 10 bit
I adjusted it to 1080p and you are right the picture is sharper ...
I don't follow the box's logic but it works
Thanks

[Midnight_Voice]

@Jogon 

Do you have a UHD TV, and were you watching an HD , or even lower resolution, signal on the Pro box?

In that case, what you might be seeing is your TV being better at upscaling than the Pro box is.

Although the difference is very slight, I judge my LG GX TV as being better at upscaling than my T4000, and so I used to run the box at 1080p when there was hardly any UHD to watch, though I do run it at 50/10 now there is more.

[Jogon]

Using a Samsung QE55 qled 4k tv
Was on the highest pro box setting uhd50fps 10bit ... Picture wasn't as sharp as it is on 1080p
Maybe my old eyes lol
But it seems a better picture

[Midnight_Voice]

@Jogon 

Where was the source material on the box coming from, and what resolution was it?

[Jogon]

I'm not that technical mate

The pro box is steaming/ non aerial

All I can say is turning down the box's picture to 1080p

Is better picture this way then on the higher option's 

YouTube app adjusted back to the higher stream level is really good too

Not sure why but it works

[stereohaven · Accepted solution]

So that is where my analysis has got me to, having reset the box a number of times, used IP and aerial mode, trying different apps and channels at 1080p, 4K 8bit (the box default) and 4K 10bit.

Ultimately, the best normal linear channel viewing experience I can get (tested across an LG OLED and LCD TVs), is on 1080p and letting the TV upscale.

It reduces the softness that is present, particularly in IP mode, but means those that can watch Netflix in UHD HDR would be limited using the onboard app to HD and HD HDR for Prime Video.

The Apple TV+ app seems incapable of delivering anything in HDR, topping out at UHD. When you have watched the likes of Foundation and Silo in Dolby Vision, trust me when I tell you this is a significant compromise.

My conclusion is that those who are not fussed about picture quality so much, or don't have a UHD TV or just have a standard Netflix subscription, should just stick the box in 1080p for the best viewing experience.

If you do care about picture quality and/or have app subscriptions where you are paying for higher quality images and sound, then (a bit like Sky Q), you are best served just using the box in 1080p as an HD PVR and moving app viewing to a better device like an Apple TV 4K (excluding iPlayer) or a Chromecast.