Playback 4K videos from DELL XPS 15 9560 that has HDMI 1.4 on SONY XR-77A80

[borzoff]

Hi,

I’m trying to make a set up that would allow to playback 4K videos from DELL XPS 15 9560 that has HDMI 1.4 on SONY XR-77A80J (HDMI 2.1) through DENON AVR S670H. What cables; dock ports; connections should be used to get 4K 120Hz picture on the SONY TV?

Your advice would be appreciated. Please be as specific as possible. You deal with a non-technical person.

[pandy]

playback 4K videos from DELL XPS 15 9560 that has HDMI 1.4 on SONY XR-77A80J (HDMI 2.1) through DENON AVR S670H. What cables; dock ports; connections should be used to get 4K 120Hz picture on the SONY TV?

HDMI 1.4 is incapable to deliver 4k at 120Hz, maximum bandwidth present in HDMI 1.4 allow to output 4k with max 30Hz.
So you need source capable HDMI 2.x to get 4k@120Hz.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI?useskin=vector#Version_1.4

[usually_quiet]

Hi,

I’m trying to make a set up that would allow to playback 4K videos from DELL XPS 15 9560 that has HDMI 1.4 on SONY XR-77A80J (HDMI 2.1) through DENON AVR S670H. What cables; dock ports; connections should be used to get 4K 120Hz picture on the SONY TV?

Your advice would be appreciated. Please be as specific as possible. You deal with a non-technical person.

You need HDMI 2.1 on the HTPC to supply 4K video at 120 Hz to your TV. Your current HTPC can't provide that.

Even HDMI 2.0b can be insufficient for 4K video at 120 Hz.

[borzoff]

Thank you. Frustrating though..... I bouhgt the TV about a year ago and the receiver just a week ago and what for?

I tried to educate myself a little and read about DisplayPort and USB-C. I had an impression that those can help to reach the goal. Maybe not 120Hz but at least 60Hz.

I have a desktop PC with ASUS Z97 A motherboard. it's HDMI is also 1.4a. From what you advised, it is also useless to improve the video?

[borzoff]

Hi,

After all the research I’ve found advice from DELL Community Manager:
‎U3415W, XPS 15-9560, connection advice? | DELL Technologies

The XPS 15-9560 HDMI out port is only version 1.4, not 2.0. Thus, the lowered resolution at 60Hz. The XPS 15-9560 also has a USB Type-C port. Using that, you should get the higher resolution =
XPS 15-9560 USB Type-C port --> USB Type-C to DP cable --> U3415W DP in port

Does it mean that any one of those two below can solve my problem?

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/startech-5-9-ft-1-8-m-usb-c-to-displayport-adapte...cable/13811652
or
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/startech-3-3-ft-1-m-usb-c-to-displayport-1-2-cabl...cable/14402720

Thank you.

[usually_quiet]

Thank you. Frustrating though..... I bouhgt the TV about a year ago and the receiver just a week ago and what for?

I understand how you feel. I bought a Sony KD-43X85K TV in March. I have an i5-10400 processor in the HTPC and use the iGPU (processor graphics). There is an HDMI 2.0b port on the HTPC's motherboard but, for technical reasons that I will provide further down in my reply, 4K HDR video only displays correctly up to 30Hz if I want the TV to handle HDR processing.

I have a desktop PC with ASUS Z97 A motherboard. it's HDMI is also 1.4a. From what you advised, it is also useless to improve the video?

HDMI 1.4a can only give you 4K at 30Hz and there is no support for HDR.

Long story short:
If you are using Intel processor graphics, you need HDMI 2.1 to play 4K HDR video at up to 120 Hz when using the TV for HDR processing.

When using Intel processor graphics, HDMI 2.0b works well enough for 4K HDR video at up to 60Hz as long as HDMI 2.0b is not provided via a conversion from DisplayPort. In the event that HDMI 2.0b is provided via a conversion from DisplayPort, 4K HDR video displays correctly at up to 30Hz using the TV to process HDR metadata. 4K SDR video at 60Hz will also display correctly. However, to watch 4K HDR video at 60Hz that approximates the correct colors, you will need a software player that applies tone mapping to simulate HDR using SDR colors.

I tried to educate myself a little and read about DisplayPort and USB-C. I had an impression that those can help to reach the goal. Maybe not 120Hz but at least 60Hz.

HDMI 2.0b is supposed to be able to provide 4K HDR 4:2:0 video at 60Hz but if HDMI 2.0b is supplied by a conversion from DisplayPort the option to output 4:2:0 video won't be available.

Technical Explanations:
After spending some time looking for answers on the Internet, I finally found out why I was having problems displaying 4K HDR video on my 4K HDR TV when HDMI 2.0b is supplied via a conversion from DisplayPort. Even if the video uses 4:2:0 for color, it is necessary to set up the processor graphics to use YCbCr 4:2:0 format for color (instead of the usual RGB) to send 4K HDR video at 60Hz to the TV. Unfortunately, the Intel Graphics Command Center only offers 4:2:0 format as an option if HDMI 2.0b is not being provided via a converted Display Port signal.

When HDMI 2.0b is being provided via a converted Display Port signal, the only options available from the Intel Graphics Command Center are YCbCr 4:4:4 or RGB. The bandwidth for an HDMI 2.0b isn't sufficient to support YCbCr 4:4:4 or RGB plus HDR metadata.

Hi,

After all the research I’ve found advice from DELL Community Manager:
‎U3415W, XPS 15-9560, connection advice? | DELL Technologies

The XPS 15-9560 HDMI out port is only version 1.4, not 2.0. Thus, the lowered resolution at 60Hz. The XPS 15-9560 also has a USB Type-C port. Using that, you should get the higher resolution =
XPS 15-9560 USB Type-C port --> USB Type-C to DP cable --> U3415W DP in port

Does it mean that any one of those two below can solve my problem?

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/startech-5-9-ft-1-8-m-usb-c-to-displayport-adapte...cable/13811652
or
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/startech-3-3-ft-1-m-usb-c-to-displayport-1-2-cabl...cable/14402720

Thank you.

I don't think it will work because HDMI is being provided by converting a DisplayPort signal.

[borzoff]

Thank you very much for such a detailed reply. It will take time for me to unersand all the stuff. One thing looks pretty clear. I'll have either to make changes to the hardware I have at present time or to be happy with playback 4K videos at 30Hz without HDR, SDR.

[usually_quiet]

Thank you very much for such a detailed reply. It will take time for me to unersand all the stuff. One thing looks pretty clear. I'll have either to make changes to the hardware I have at present time or to be happy with playback 4K videos at 30Hz without HDR, SDR.

Since my last post, I tried playing a 4K HDR 60Hz video using my laptop, which has an Intel® Core™ i5-1155G7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics and a native HDMI 2.0b port. I could select YCbCr 4:2:0 format in the Intel Graphics Command Center. Unfortunately, I couldn't turn on HDR in the System Display settings to test playback because the laptop was set up to conserve power when running on battery power alone. I'll try again later after I move the laptop power cord and power brick closer to the TV..

I'm starting to buy parts for upgrading my HTPC to an Alder Lake i5-12400 with Intel UHD 730 graphics and a native HDMI 2.1 port, which definitely supports 4K HDR at 60Hz. That should be good enough for me. However, I'm not sure why Intel doesn't claim it supports 120Hz at 4K resolution. If it supports the full bandwidth for HDMI 2.1, it should

[borzoff]

Hi,

Thank you. Upon all considerations, I've come to the conclusion that under my circumstances the easiest solution will be to get a new motherboard with HDMI 2.1. I've checked the prices and it could be within 150 - 180. Thne problem I might face is compatibility of the present components with the new motherboard. But it can be fixed. What would you say? Thak you.

[usually_quiet]

Hi,CE

Thank you. Upon all considerations, I've come to the conclusion that under my circumstances the easiest solution will be to get a new motherboard with HDMI 2.1. I've checked the prices and it could be within 150 - 180. Thne problem I might face is compatibility of the present components with the new motherboard. But it can be fixed. What would you say? Thak you.

HDMI 2.1 on motherboards is a recent innovation, so replacing the motherboard with one that has HDMI 2.1 almost certainly means replacing the CPU and possibly replacing the RAM too. If there is room for one, maybe a discrete graphics card that supports 4K HDR at 60 Hz would work better.

In case you are interested, I plugged my laptop (with Iris XE Graphics and a real HDM 2.0b port) into a wall outlet and connected one of the TV's HDMI 2.1 ports to the laptop's HDMI 2.0b port (the HDMI cable I used is rated for 4K HDR video). The option to turn on HDR was no longer disabled but I still couldn't turn on HDR until I changed the video output to use YCbCr 4:4:4 instead of 4:2:0, which automatically changed the bits per pixell channel from 8 to 10. Unfortunately, the output resolution had to be changed to 1080p to get a 60 Hz refresh rate. I'm not sure if the Intel Iris Xe graphics are the problem, or the problem is my TV is not a great choice to use as a monitor.

[pandy]

How many videos is in 120Hz today ? - i can understand gaming but then probably choosing modern graphic card will give 4k @120Hz only in very few of them... Most of common video sources are limited to 30/60fps - you can use motion interpolation to add some fake frames in between but still probably more energy wise is to left such functionality up to TV itself.
My point is enjoy what you have today, wait 1..2 years and replace faulty (planned obsolescence) component.

[usually_quiet]

I have confirmed that the HDMI 2.1 lane provided by Intel 12th and 13th generation processor graphics doesn't provide the full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. 4K HDR at 60Hz is fine for my purposes but for those who need a full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 connection, it looks like a discrete graphics card is the only way to get 4K HDR 120Hz video from an HCMI 2.1 connection right now.

There is at least one GeForce RTX 3060 with an ITX form factor and an HDMI 2.1 port that costs around $300 in the USA, about as much as the combined cost of the motherboard and processor I picked for my HTPC. I don't know which of the comparatively inexpensive AMD GPUs (if any) provides a full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 port.

The new Intel Arc cards have a native HDMI 2.0b port and provide HDMI 2.1 by means of a conversion from DisplayPort. However few of them have an HDMI 2.1 port, and it is limited to 4K 60.

[pandy]

DisplayPort since version 1.3 (2014) is capable 4k @120Hz.

[borzoff]

Thank you. I checked the prices and it looks like to replace the motherboard and CPU, if required, will cost less than a graphic card. I will lower the bar and will be looking for a board with HDMI 2.0. Maybe this will give me a chance to avoid replacing CPU. As for memory, at first glance there are lots of boards that have 8.0 GB DDR3.

Usually_quiet, I am interested but unfortunately my level of understanding of such data is very low. It’s terra incognita for me. Sorry!

I also appreciate pandy’s advice. It’s probably the wisest one if to look at the picture broader. I am still considering the options.

Thank you all.

BTW, I already posted a reply early in the morning but for some reason don’t see it.

[borzoff]

Hi,

Upon all considerations, I decided to try to get it done. The costs look reasonable, at least for now.
I’ve found two cards that have appropriate HDMI not too expensive.

https://www.newegg.ca/asrock-radeon-rx-560-rx-560-pge-4g/p/N82E16814930075
https://www.newegg.ca/p/pl?d=GIGABYTE+Eagle+Radeon+RX+6400+Video+Card+GV-R64EAGLE-4GD

Could they be used for what I need? I am not sure but you probably need my PC info. Here it is

Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
CPU Intel Core i5 4690K @ 3.50GHz Haswell 22nm Technology
RAM 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 801MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Z97-A (SOCKET 1150) 18 °C
Graphics SAMSUNG (3840x2160@29Hz)
Intel HD Graphics 4600 (ASUStek Computer Inc)
Audio Intel Display Audio

Thank you

[usually_quiet]

Hi,

Upon all considerations, I decided to try to get it done. The costs look reasonable, at least for now.
I’ve found two cards that have appropriate HDMI not too expensive.

https://www.newegg.ca/asrock-radeon-rx-560-rx-560-pge-4g/p/N82E16814930075
https://www.newegg.ca/p/pl?d=GIGABYTE+Eagle+Radeon+RX+6400+Video+Card+GV-R64EAGLE-4GD

Could they be used for what I need? I am not sure but you probably need my PC info. Here it is

Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
CPU Intel Core i5 4690K @ 3.50GHz Haswell 22nm Technology
RAM 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 801MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Z97-A (SOCKET 1150) 18 °C
Graphics SAMSUNG (3840x2160@29Hz)
Intel HD Graphics 4600 (ASUStek Computer Inc)
Audio Intel Display Audio

Thank you

I would pick the Radeon™ RX 6400 EAGLE 4G. It has an HDMI 2.1 port, although I don't know if it is the full-bandwidth version. It has relatively low power requirements and is compatible with your motherboard since a PCIe 4.0 card is backward compatible with a PCIe 3.0 slot. It decodes H.264 video and is better at decoding H.265 video than your Haswell processor's iGPU is. However, if you want to watch streaming 4K video it doesn't have the ability to decode VP9 or AV1 which are increasingly popular on streaming websites.

[borzoff]

Thank you. What about this one?

https://www.newegg.ca/p/pl?d=ASUS+Phoenix+Radeon+RX+6400+4GB+GDDR6+PCI+Express+4.0+Cro...d+PH-RX6400-4G

It’s more expensive but does it have any advantages over the first one if I don’t play games at all?

Do I understand right that once one of theme installed, I am done? I will use the card HDMI port and will get HDR and other perks.

[borzoff]

I couldn’t find details about the two mentioned but these two below support 4K 120Hz which probably means they are full-bandwidth version. Radeon is much more affordable than GeForce. Will it work for me?

MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3050
ASRock Radeon RX 6600

As for Radeon™ RX 6400 EAGLE 4G, it has HDMI™ 2.1 VRR and FRL. Does igt help?

Thank you

[borzoff]

Meanwhile I explored the PC case and not sure there available slots for a card. Please have a look at the photo of the case. Can the card be installed here, I mean slots?

[usually_quiet]

Thank you. What about this one?

https://www.newegg.ca/p/pl?d=ASUS+Phoenix+Radeon+RX+6400+4GB+GDDR6+PCI+Express+4.0+Cro...d+PH-RX6400-4G

It’s more expensive but does it have any advantages over the first one if I don’t play games at all?

It doesn't have any advantages that I can think of other than the Eagle might be a tiny bit slimmer than the Phoenix although both are double-slot cards. The graphics chips are the same. It's largely a matter of personal preference. Some people might prefer the appearance of one over the other. Some people might prefer a large single fan to two smaller ones. Both cards are made by well-regarded companies but some people might prefer one manufacturer over another or might have had a bad experience with one manufacturer but not the other.

Do I understand right that once one of theme installed, I am done? I will use the card HDMI port and will get HDR and other perks.

You'll have to set up Windows display settings to use the TV's preferred resolution and set the refresh rate to 60Hz or 120Hz, plus turn on HDR. There may be some other things that you need to tweak in the manufacturer's software.

[usually_quiet]

Meanwhile I explored the PC case and not sure there available slots for a card. Please have a look at the photo of the case. Can the card be installed here, I mean slots?

I can't tell. Do you have a bunch of PCIe cards installed? Are there cables or other items taking up space in the spot that the card will occupy.

[usually_quiet]

I couldn’t find details about the two mentioned but these two below support 4K 120Hz which probably means they are full-bandwidth version. Radeon is much more affordable than GeForce. Will it work for me?

MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3050
ASRock Radeon RX 6600

NVIDIA has a better reputation for video codec support than AMD. However, I was able to find out that a GeForce RTX 3050 can decode H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, VP8, VP9, and AV1 and a Radeon RX 6600 can decode H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and AV1. Since a Radeon RX 6600 can decode AV1 it can probably decode VP9.

HEVC, VP9, and AV1 are the most common formats used for encoding UHD-resolution video. VP9 and AV1 are mainly used for streaming.

Why do you need the GPU to decode these formats? If your CPU has to decode UHD video by itself, the video may stutter. However, you will also need to download the AV1 and HEVC codecs from the Microsoft Store to play them with some software players

As for Radeon™ RX 6400 EAGLE 4G, it has HDMI™ 2.1 VRR and FRL. Does igt help?

VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) is only important for gaming. Some Sony TVs support VRR. See https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00278129
FRL (Fixed Rate Link) is a new signaling technology that’s necessary to achieve higher uncompressed resolutions, such as 8K, and to enable 48Gbps ultra-high bandwidth speeds. See https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/geforce-rtx-hdmi-2-1-support/#:~:text=Our%20...width%20speeds

[borzoff]

Thank you. It's very helpful and educative. i'll go with Radeon RX 6600. Besides of all, it is sold with big discount.

It looks like I have tons of room and unsed slots. It shouldn't be a problem to install it.

A useful article for those who want to get real HDMI 2.1 cables:

https://www.howtogeek.com/703147/how-to-avoid-buying-a-fake-hdmi-2.1-cable/

[usually_quiet]

Thank you. It's very helpful and educative. i'll go with Radeon RX 6600. Besides of all, it is sold with big discount.

It looks like I have tons of room and unsed slots. It shouldn't be a problem to install it.

A useful article for those who want to get real HDMI 2.1 cables:

https://www.howtogeek.com/703147/how-to-avoid-buying-a-fake-hdmi-2.1-cable/

One more thing... Both the MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3050 and ASRock Radeon RX 6600 need to be connected to one of the power supply's 8-pin GPU power connectors because they require more power than the PCIe slot can safely supply. Make sure that your PSU has one before you order one of these cards.

[borzoff]

Thanks a lot!

[borzoff]

I checked and it is Corsair RM650. I couldn't find it the specs but I see lots of 4 pin connectors.

GPT advised: The Corsair RM650 is likely to have an 8-pin (4+4) CPU power connector. I believe it is OK.

Everything looks fine but the HDD racks inside the PC case. There are two of them for the two installed HDD. I removed other racks (it was 10 years ago) and cannot locate them......

I will need a long HDMI cable as the TV is 7.5 away from the PC and the distance cannot be changed. I am looking for a fibre optic HDMI 2.1 cable. Some are directional, others are two-way. Which one is better?

[usually_quiet]

I checked and it is Corsair RM650. I couldn't find it the specs but I see lots of 4 pin connectors.

GPT advised: The Corsair RM650 is likely to have an 8-pin (4+4) CPU power connector. I believe it is OK.

Everything looks fine but the HDD racks inside the PC case. There are two of them for the two installed HDD. I removed other racks (it was 10 years ago) and cannot locate them......

I will need a long HDMI cable as the TV is 7.5 away from the PC and the distance cannot be changed. I am looking for a fibre optic HDMI 2.1 cable. Some are directional, others are two-way. Which one is better?

Do you mean 7.5 meters? If so, I guess you would need something better than a regular copper cable. I don't know anything about fiber optic HDMI cables other than that they exist. All my experience is with copper Ultra High-speed internet cables. My TV is on a wheeled cart along with the UHD Blu-ray player and HTPC so distance is not a problem. The best I can do is search the Internet for advice.

[borzoff]

Yes, I already read about fiber optic. The problem is it's virtually impossible to find a certified fiber optic cable. I browsed internet for a couple of hours to-day. Either fake from China (lots of it on Amazon and very cheap. I saw che same certification numbers on packmages from various companies}) or nothing. Even local and US companies offer it with certification on the package but no certification on the cable jacket

You have a very comfortable setup. Unfortunately I can't achieve something like that. The TV is in the media room while the desktop PC is in office. The distance between the two directly through the wall is about 7-8 meters. As for the laptop, it doesn't work for me because with laptop I'll have to use external hard drives but they are not reliable. I bought 16TB Seagate, started copying movies on it. When I reached 9 TB, it stopped working. Pretty much the same happened to WD. I've lost time but the movies are safe. I was just copyimg from small external drives. After that I decided that a couple of internal hard drives would be much more better.

Do I understand right that a two-way cable is preferable over a directional one?

That one is very informative about HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 world: https://hackaday.com/tag/hdmi-2-1/

Thank you.

[usually_quiet]

Yes, I already read about fiber optic. The problem is it's virtually impossible to find a certified fiber optic cable. I browsed internet for a couple of hours to-day. Either fake from China (lots of it on Amazon and very cheap. I saw che same certification numbers on packmages from various companies}) or nothing. Even local and US companies offer it with certification on the package but no certification on the cable jacket

You have a very comfortable setup. Unfortunately I can't achieve something like that. The TV is in the media room while the desktop PC is in office. The distance between the two directly through the wall is about 7-8 meters. As for the laptop, it doesn't work for me because with laptop I'll have to use external hard drives but they are not reliable. I bought 16TB Seagate, started copying movies on it. When I reached 9 TB, it stopped working. Pretty much the same happened to WD. I've lost time but the movies are safe. I was just copyimg from small external drives. After that I decided that a couple of internal hard drives would be much more better.

Do I understand right that a two-way cable is preferable over a directional one?

That one is very informative about HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 world: https://hackaday.com/tag/hdmi-2-1/

Thank you.

My research indicated that if you are going to use an HDMI cable attached to a PC for ARC or eArc then the cable would need to be bidirectional for those features. Directional cables are OK otherwise. However, since one end must be attached to the HDMI source device (for example, a PC or Blu-ray player) and the other must be connected to the sink device (for example a TV), it is vital to make sure you have the correct end going to each device when running the cable through a wall. If the wrong end is connected to each device, the connection won't work.

[borzoff]

Spent anothet a couple of hours. This is the best I could find so far.

https://www.primecables.ca/p-407853-hdmi-v2-1-aoc-10m-hdmi-v21-ultra-8k-aoc-cable#sku454378

But no name indicated on the cable jacket/ And so far, I didn't see a single bydirectional. If it is going to directional, what disadvantages/problems can I face?