4k picture quality horrible on DirecTV Stream

Something is wrong with your setup.

On DirecTV STream there are 3 dedicated 4k channels. It will switch you to the 4k channel if program available 4k. Very few programs available 4k. The DTVST App on my 4k Samsung TV (2021) didn’t support 4k ( I think computer hw inside not fast enough). So I use DTVST App on AppleTV 4k Ethernet box (version Dec 2024) with AVR and same Samsung. I can get 4k60 NBA Lakers in LA metro area on Spectrum Sportsnet, and UK football. 4k picture quality is decent but at only 15 Mbps average it’s not great, still is 3x bps rate of 2k. (Note: 4k24 BluRay is 100Mbps region). Samsung TV picture setup needs ‘Dynamic’ setting. It’s a good start for 4k DTVST.

Edit: I use Google Fiber 1 Gbps, Cat5e Ethernet 1 Gbps. Using FFWD have seen 500 Mbps from DTVST server.

Same, I have 1gbps.  Its just those 4k channles through the apple on the apple tv.  My guess is that the DTVS app specifically on the apple tv is unable to decode the 4k stream effectively.  I can watch 4k content on netflix, appletv app, disney+ and they all look great.   However 4k through the DTVS app on the apple tv looks as if its 20fps because it can't keep up. 

I really think its just a poorly designed app for the apple tv and they're trying to push people to their hardware for 4k, which is not great.

If you use a Gemini Air turn off the Gemini air's chroma setting but leave HDR on.  My projector also gets a washed out picture with the Gemini Air's  chroma and  the projector's menu shows that with the Air's Chroma on I'm getting SDR even though I have HDR on.  Seems like chroma is disabling HDR but the Air's menu still shows it's on.

The Air's chroma setting also does this the two QLED TVs we have.   Turing it off makes the picture pop again as long as you leave HDR on.

I would definitely make sure everyone has a Ethernet cord going straight into back of there tv, wifi isn't gonna cut it. Also most tvs or devices will switch automatically into hdr mode for 4k to give best picture but it might also be turning on judder reduction or real cinema, trumotion, auto backlight dimming or power saving etc and u don't want any of those settings on. Turn off every extra setting in your tv or device..They can cause soap opera look, stuttering, dimming and all sorts of things u don't want. Also in the directv stream app go to settings and preferences and go down to streaming quality and make sure its set to best. The quality option only shows up on certain devices, like my Samsung tv that the app is downloaded to doesn't have this option but the app on my Chromecast Google tv streamer device has this option. Its usually always going to be settings on your tv or device causing bad looking 4k. 4k on the 4k channels on my tv look excellent on my lg tv using the Chromecast Google tv streamer which the streamer has a hdmi port and Ethernet port. The Chromecast Google tv streamer has its own picture settings and I have the resolution set at 4k 60hz and format set to auto which will automatically enable hdr whenever I turn on something in 4k and then it reverts back to regular picture settings when not watching 4k. And I have the dynamic range set to match the contents range.

@Sne21154  Would you be willing to post a video of what it looks like?  For me, its not that the quality is bad, its the framerate.  Its SOOOOOOOO choppy.  Live sports are impossible to watch as it looks like its 15fps or something, and thats every single TV in my house with a different streamer connected to the TVs,  including a $6k OLED.

Its pathetic how bad it looks, at least on an Apple TV when all the other 4k content from Peacock and others looks awesome on the same device. 

@browncoat_28 Do your streamer device have there own picture settings? Like my Chromecast streamer 4k device does and it has a frame rate setting and it could be set really low. Also on my lg 4k tv there is also a setting hidden in the general menu of the tv under hdmi settings then hdmi deep color and 4k needs to be set. But most tvs will turn on other settings to with hdr on and will make it dark and you gotta turn off all those other settings that automatically flip on. Once uuncheck those settings they shouldn't come back on again.  there's not anything on the 4k channels right now to post video but I can try later.

@browncoat_28 also does your apple tv device have its own picture settings menu? You should look for frame rate setting in there and see what it's set at. Netflix and peacock arent being live broadcast like 4k tv channels and live 4k requires a high speed Internet through Ethernet port to get good quality continuous picture being streamed to them. Its different than watching a uploaded movie on Netflix or peacock. I would look into getting a Chromecast Google tv streamer 4k device. I got that for my lg tv for the dtvs app. It has a remote and has a 2.1 hdmi port and Ethernet port in the back of the little device box and I have Ethernet going from my router straight to the device and then hdmi cord going from the device to the back of my tv in my tvs 4k hdmi port (my tv only has 1 4k hdmi port so that's important also if using a hdmi). Its totally worth it. For any tvs, you want to try having an Ethernet cord going straight into it for that speed required for good 4k that needs more continuous speed.

@Sne21154 I guess thats my point:  if Peacock, Paramount, AppleTV, Netflix stream content great in 4k, can it really be a device or device setting issue?  I mean I've tried the settings that DTV suggests for Apple TVs but it does nothing.  I only ever see this with DTV Stream app and 4k, nothing else. 

Is everyone aware that none of the broadcasters are currently broadcasting in native 4K? They’re broadcasting in 1080i at its highest quality, upconverting it to 4K. So in reality, it’s really not 4K quality, just upconverted to that format. This is the case regardless of what provider you subscribe to.