I get blackouts on LG OLED55B33LA, when I connect PC (Asus TUF RTX 3080) to HDMI 2.1 port on TV. When connecting to HDMI 2.0 port everything is ok.

1. This seems to happen at any 4K resolution, RGB or YUV, 8 or 10 bit, full or limited range, and from >30 to 120 fps.
2. Using different cables and testing with iGPU gives similar results.
3. Chromecast works perfectly on HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1 ports with all the way up to maximum 4K 8-bit RGB 60 fps.
4. When connected to 3080 card, sometimes TV displays connection as Nvidia GSYNC, sometimes Generic VRR.
5. However, disabling GSYNC/VRR has no effect on this.
6. Sometimes instead of blackouts, I get flashes of corrupted images.

So far it seems that this problem emerges ONLY when connecting a PC computer to HDMI 2.1 port on TV, and trying to use any HDMI 2.xish picture format.

SOLVED:

Following is speculative. The TV probably isn't fully HDMI 2.1 compatible. Even though product information states HDMI 2.1, nothing in the physical TV itself confirms this. Physical inputs are only marked as HDMI and HDMI (120hz). All hardware devices connected any HDMI ports default to HDMI 2.0 picture formats.

TV still is capable of displaying 4K full level 10-bit RBG at 120hz (~33 Gbps), but it probably can't handle full HDMI 2.1 signal (48 Gbps) well.

Devices such as Chromecast, PS5 and Xbox probably limit their data rate to maximum required instead of full 2.1, so they work in the "120hz" HDMI connector too.

PC computer identifies the "120hz" ports as HDMI 2.1, and probably tries to use the full bandwith of 48 Gbps and maybe 'overflows' the TV input frame buffer 'or something'.

So the problem arises from 2 separate issues: 1) TV probably isn't fully HDMI 2.1 compatible, or is extremely sensitive to errors/noise in signal, and 2) the PC probably outputs 120hz 4k at full HDMI 2.1 data rate of 48 Gbps, even though lower data rate would be enough.

Using the CRU tool to manually limit the HDMI data rate to lowest possible which can still carry 4K 10bit full RGB at 120hz seems to solve this even at normal quality cables, to achieve maximum supported picture quality of TV. Note, this doesn't exclude the possiblity of high quality cables also being one viable solution.

Thanks to original author, the details to CRU solution are here: https://www.reddit.com/r/htpc/comments/1eeq00k/how_to_resolve_hdmi_21_flickering_and_signal_loss/

I want to listen radio sometimes, I have radio jack on my wall so I need somekind of USB adapter for my HTPC setup.

I've recently noticed that audio delay in MPC-HC doesn't work when in full screen mode for some reason. I have it set to match the resolution of the file when switched to full screen. It used to work is the thing, but I must have changed some setting recently which caused the issue. When it's not in full screen mode, audio delay works fine, so its puzzling.

PC ...7800x3d with rtx 3090

Tv... Sony 85" X90L

Audio... Denon s760h with 5.1.2

I have my avr and ub820 4k br player all hooked up right.

eARC from avr to hdmi3 eARC input on tv. Hdmi set to enhanced with dolby vision for my ub820 support.

Tv and ub820 work fine through the avr.

I wanted to connect my PC to the setup for casual gaming and to eventually run REW.

At first I connected hdmi from the rtx 3090 to game input on the avr but could only get stereo sound from L,R,and my sub. I tried changing audio output to "atmos for home theater" but then got no sound at all.

Then i tried connecting the pc hdmi directlly to the tv hdmi4 port set as enhanced with vrr. Now im only getting sound from my tv and when i set windows audio output to " atmos for home theater" I get no sound again.

What am i doing wrong?

I have been using a k400r keyboard for my htpc, but I realized that all the plastic became extremely brittle over the years of sitting around and accidentally broke two of the keys in a way that they cannot be put back in properly again. Because of this, I am now looking for an alternative keyboard for my HTPC and I found this keyboard that claims to both be a 2.4ghz keyboard for your PC and an IR remote for your TV/Receiver/STB (The blue keys are supposedly for when the remote is in IR mode).

Does anyone know anything about this company and these keyboards? Have you used them? Do they work well? Thanks in advance.

https://preview.redd.it/28sbunk0xwyd1.jpg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac6f1178b0941175b062f748f7935715af9332a4

I'm buying a Samsung S90D soon, and for some reason it's really hard to get up-to-date and detailed information on HDR support. So here I go:

1. I've read some posts claiming to be able to play Dobly Vision content on Windows 11 PCs. Is this true, or do I still need something like an NVidia Shield for DV? If it's true, how?
2. As I understand, most HDR content is DV. My primary source for media is Blu-Ray RIPs, and Samsung TVs only support HDR10+ for dynamic metadata HDR. On native playback (for example, from a USB drive), which of the following is true/the best:
   1. The TV will play the file and it will look bad because of the incompatible HDR.
   2. The TV will play the file in SDR, recognizing that it cannot display the HDR metadata properly.
   3. The TV will tonemap SDR to HDR10 or HDR10+, and look decent, but inferior to native DV.
   4. The TV will tonemap SDR to HDR10 or HDR10+ and look virtually identical to native DV.
   5. The TV will convert the DV metadata into HDR10+ medatada, giving better results than an SDR->HDR tonemap.
3. If I play back content from a PC through HDMI, I understand that the best option for both general and HDR quality is skipping the TV processing:
   1. Is MPV at feature parity with MPC + MadVR? I really like MPV's scalers, so this question really only applies to HDR quality and dynamic tonemapping
   2. For whatever player has the best implementation, what are the best HDR settings for HDR playback on a Samsung TV? This includes (in the case of a Dobly Vision RIP) tonemapping to HDR10+, allowing the TV to tonemap on its own, or whatever other option there is.
   3. Are there any TV settings that I should be aware of, in addition the player settings on the TV.
   4. Are NVidia's current AI features (RTX HDR, scaling, artifact removal, etc.) significantly better than the best algorithms in MPV or MadVR? If yes, do I need a Shield to use them, or are their GPUs inheriting the Shield's functionality? Are these features applicable to MPV/MadVR playback, or do I need a special interface?
   5. Can an NVidia Shield play local files through a network, internal, or USB drive?
4. Besides an HTPC or an NVidia Shield, are there any other devices (A/V receivers or devices like the Shield) that would to the things I'm looking for (basically a good HDR experience regardless of source media encoding on a Samsung TV, with decent scaling algorithms) and that won't destroy my wallet?

That's pretty much it. Naturally, I could be wrong even on the assumptions that create these questions (for example, some posts say that it's better to passthrough HDR to the TV and let it handle everything), so any clarifications or extra advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I recently bought a Klipsch Flexus CORE 210 home theater bundle with Dolby Atmos support to replace my old setup. I want to use my PC to listen to music and other content, but the PC doesn’t detect the Atmos-enabled device and offer Dolby Home Theater quality in the settings. I think this is because the PC passes through the TV and is rerouted to the soundbar through the ARC connection. Can someone provide any guidance? Thanks!

Hello,

I am in the process of planning some additions to my home theatre set-up and I would like to get your advice. I won't be making all of these purchases at once, but I want to make sure I roughly understand what is going on so that I make purchases that make sense for my overall plan and I'm not wasting my money. I've made my way through the wiki, but I figure I would describe my use-case and put things in my own words to make sure I'm not way off base.

Currently, I have a 1080p projector which I connect via HDMI to my laptop to watch movies/TV. I then connect my laptop to an amplifier/speakers.

Going forward, I would like to purchase:

- an AV Receiver;

- a NAS; and

- an HTPC.

My thinking is:

- I want a NAS so that (1) I can do regular, easy backups of devices around the house, (2) I can store my media (i.e. music and movies) and (3) I can conveniently play that media through an AV receiver

- I want an AV receiver as a central hub with my projector and speakers plugged into it -- so I won't have to plug/unplug my laptop every time I want to watch a movie

- I will need some kind of HTPC as an in-between to play the files from the NAS and send them to the AV receiver.

Some other relevant details about my situation and desired set-up:

- as I have a 1080p projector, I only play 1080p content and am not primarily concerned with 4k. I am curious, however, how much more I would need to invest to make the NAS/HTPC support 4k so that I could upgrade in the future.

- I would also like to play Netflix. I do not anticipate using any other streaming services or doing any gaming via the HTPC.

- If possible, I want to avoid using a keyboard/mouse. Presumably I would use a smartphone as a remote? I would be open to a physical remote if that hardware made more sense (e.g. with an NVidia Shield).

- One of the reasons I am interested in an HTPC vs. other simple options is that I prefer not to use Amazon/Google/Microsoft whenever possible. I am moderately comfortable using Ubuntu but am by no means an expert. I have done very basic things with a raspberry pi. I have never built my own PC.

- I do not anticipate streaming outside the house, and the maximum number of devices accessing media (via the NAS? via the HTPC? I don't really know how that works) would be 2.

Given all that, my rough plan is to purchase the following or something similar in the coming year or two:

- AV Receiver: Denon S760H (I know this is overkill for my use-case, but I feel it would future-proof things, and I like that it has a phono-stage)

- NAS: either a QNAP TS-233 or a Terramaster F2-212 + WD Red 4tb x2 (I know this sub generally recommends Terramaster, but professional reviews seem to recommend the QNAP for entry level NASes. If someone could explain a clear reason to prefer one over the other, I would appreciate it!)

- HTPC: Beelink S12

So in summary:

- Would the NAS and the HTPC accomplish what I want them to in this case?

- Would transcoding be an issue here? I am not entirely sure when transcoding is necessary or where it would happen. (Does the NAS need to be capable of transcoding or the HTPC?)

- What OS/software would I install on the HTPC? I understand Kodi and Jellyfin are popular options. Anything I should be aware of if I plan on using one of those?

As you can tell, I am quite new and don't really have a only a vague understanding of what's going on. If I have left out any important details, please let me know and I would be happy to provide them. As I said, at this point I just want to make sure I make purchases that make sense for my overall plan and I am not wasting my money as a slowly build the set-up. I don't need hugely detailed responses/advice at this point, just confirmation that I am heading in the right direction and/or red flags that I should be aware of.

Thanks for your time and any advice you may have to offer! I quite appreciate it.

Whether or not I have this feature clicked on, pasting urls from my clipboard is exactly the same. Nothing is preloaded, and I can paste the same urls even with this feature off. I’m wondering why.

I’m also wondering if there’s any feature on MPC-BE or any other media player that allows you to make a playlist from all the URLS in your current clipboard at once. Would be GAME CHANGING. Thanks!

I've had to retire my old DAW that was used as an htpc due to hardware issues and age. I've transferred my jellyfin library to a new laptop and got it up and running with the TV and remote. Boy is a new machine nice!!! BUT...I've got no audio. I ran my old system with no AVR. Had a PCI audio interface with ¼" balanced XLR out direct into a power amplifier and 2 subs. It never had proper bass management but worked well enough for me.
What options are out there for a similar setup? My whole system is in another room and I don't need input switching as the PC is the only source. I do need volume control. I previously used the wireless keyboard volume buttons to control the physical outputs of the audio interface; it worked perfect and I'd like a similar setup if possible. I suppose USB is the only option with a laptop but I'm not opposed to building a PC if necessary.

Thanks in advance for any advise.

Currently I use an Odroid C4 with Kodi installed as my media player, but i'm thinking about diving into MadVR. MadVR is WIndows only and requires an x86 cpu from what i've read, so I can't use my Odroid c4 with arm and linux. Could I have both MadVR and Kodi installed on the same htpc or do i need a separate pc and media player for it to work?

The reason I want to use it is because I have an anamorphic lens in my home theatre projector setup, which has pincushion distortion. I watched this video on youtube and saw that you can fix that with something called gemoetry correction. Does it also work in the free version or do I need a super expensive envy box for that?

I also read about dynamic aspect ratio, so the madvr video processor can adjust the aspect ratio automatically when i watch a movie with variable ascpet like The Dark Knight

Newbie here and confused on which is better for picture quality.

Hello!

So hopefully within the next year I plan on building a PC to put under the TV, aiming for a console-like experience. It's going in a very cramped bedroom, just a bed and a TV and some space to get to my clothes, so there's not really anywhere I can put a mouse and keyboard. Whilst I'd absolutely need a Rii, I feel it'd undermine the point of what I'm going for if I need to have it on me at all times. Because of that I was leaning towards a linux distro based on SteamOS, just because so much of it, including the desktop, is navigable with a controller.

That being said I should ask what Windows 11 is like these days in this admittedly niche situation because I've heard they're making improvements due to the pressure on handhelds, and there's still some things that make linux/steamos not 100% viable; very rough compatibility with nvidia hardware, mod managers, games made incompatible with anti-cheat (streaming isn't a reliable option for my wi-fi), buggy launchers, RT performance on AMD compared to Nvidia (apparently no longer an issue for RDNA4, but we won't know for sure until next year).

I know you can make Steam load into Big Picture when it boots, or skip directly into it through the Emudeck beta, but I'm more curious about desktop navigation and such. How much can you do with that? (And I'm guessing only with an Xbox controller, right? :/)

I currently use a MBP + Apple Display for work/personal use and currently have movies on my MBP that get streamed via Plex to the living room TV. I'm outgrowing my internal storage AND I don't want to rely on my MBP as the HTPC, so I'm looking for the most simple solution to have a dedicated HTPC that will always be on at home.

Would a Mac mini or Beelink + external HDD do the trick?

Since NVIDIA introduced RTX HDR on all RTX GPUs, it’s been a game changer. Upconverting SDR content to HDR may not be flawless, but it adds an amazing level of depth and vibrance to older content. I know some purists dislike the idea of digital SDR-to-HDR conversion or digital upscaling, but I personally love it for breathing new life into old media.

With that in mind, I’m looking for a way to integrate this into my home theater setup. My goal is to have both an accessible setup for everyday users (non-tech savvy folks) and the option to utilize my PC for advanced features, including RTX HDR and upscaling. Ideally, I want both direct PC streaming and any content streaming through the PC (from devices like an NVIDIA Shield or Roku) to benefit from RTX-HDR and/or upscaling.

My Proposed Setup:

1. PC/Laptop with an RTX 4050, equipped with HDMI 2.1 and USB-C (10Gbps+).

2. AVerMedia HDMI 2.1 Capture Card (GC553G2).

3. Streaming Devices: Currently, I have a Roku and an NVIDIA Shield.

Idea:

Connect the laptop to my receiver using HDMI 2.1. I’d then connect the capture card to the laptop via USB-C, and hook up the streaming devices (Roku, Shield) to the capture card. The goal is to have the RTX HDR and/or upscaling apply not only to content running directly from the PC but also to any input from streaming devices via the capture card.

Questions/Concerns:

Feasibility: Is it possible to apply RTX HDR and upscaling to both PC-originating content and content captured through the capture card?

DRM Compatibility: Would native apps on streaming devices allow their video signals to be captured and passed through the PC without issues?

My concern here is any potential DRM blocking the upscaling process for content streamed through platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, etc.

Thanks in advance for any insights on the feasibility or alternative suggestions to make this setup work smoothly!

I am wondering if I can use macOS Sequoia, connected to my TV via HDMI, as HTPC? Or if it's really not intended for this, I should buy an Apple TV or use my nVidia Shield?

The apps and features I am hoping to be able to use:

Plex Media Server

Plex app

IPTV

YouTube

Netflix

A physical remote control from the couch to macOS. (I currently own a FLIRC usb receiver, so maybe this would be more reliable than Bluetooth?)

The idea here is not to use mouse or keyboard, just the remote control to do everything.

Would something like this be possible? I really like the GUI of Plex, but maybe it's not intended for all of these things? Would I be forced to use something like Kodi instead?

Thanks

Hello all, I am about to set up a miniPC mainly for SkyGO on a TV.
The TV is an android TV but Sky Go does not want to make friends with it and I am not really willing to root it.

So I will install W11 on this Beelink BT7 and then install Sky Go.
I can make Sky GO start on boot, what setup would you recommend for this single use case as software and remote?

Hello,

Recently I've been thinking about using my Raspberry Pi as a simple htpc connected to a Samsung smart tv. But I realize I need to upgrade to a newer one and I have some ideas I would want to see if I can actually do it.

First up, my idea would be to connect a nas harddrive of some sort with it's own power supply to easily share photos, videos and just files in general across a local network.

Second, I would like to be able to use this as a seed box as well, I'm familiar with deluge and setting up a daemon and I would send files to a watch folder to make it easy to manage.

Third, I wouldn't mind some simple gui as I'm not that familiar with coding (last time I used plex my pi was installed with retropi) but that's it. I never really got into it that much, I used it a couple of times but that's it.

Fourth, Plex would be my preferred app to get a nice interface for easy navigation.

Would these wishes be possible with a Pi4/5 or would it require a more expensive solution and run windows as OS?

The whole idea is that the raspberry and a hdd can be hidden on a wallshelf behind the tv, I don't want to have a big box standing out in the open. (mainly due to kids at home but also for the aesthetical look).

Feel free to come with ideas, I'm just in the planning and brainstorming phase

Looking to buy a mini pc to replace my android TV box.

I will be using it for a few streaming apps and gaming. My wife isn't keen on having to use windows every time she wants to watch TV, so is there a skin out something for windows where we can just flick through the apps we want to use?

Thanks

I have my PC connected via HDMI to a Samsung Q70T. The TV is passing through audio via eARC to a Samsung Q990c soundbar. This works great while watching other media, I am able to get all the surround sound formats that I need.

But when I try to use my PC, it thinks that it can only output 2 channels to the TV. I followed the guide in the wiki, which has 3 methods. I had no success at all with method 1 because it is a Samsung soundbar and I could not find the settings mentioned.

Then I followed Way #2, did everything exactly as described, and I was able to select 5.1 and 7.1 in the control panel sound manager. But the 5.1 doesn't actually work at all (cannot play test sounds). 7.1 lets me play all the test sounds, but they all come out of the front of the soundbar and do not use either of the satellite speakers (rear/surrounds).

Way #3 didn't work for me tiher. It still sees only 2 channels, but lets me select Dolby Atmos instead of stereo. I guess this is a simulated Atmos? When used in game, it only offers me a stereo option. I get sounds from my rear/surround satellites, but it's not directionally accurate and there is a MASSIVE delay from the processing.

Any ideas? Am I doing something wrong, or is there another way to get this working?

Alternatively, how can I remove all the changes I have made? Would be great to have working stereo again because currently I have basically nothing.

Would like to move my media server off my gaming PC (14700K, 4080S) and onto a dedicated system.

I've been researching the latest Intel ARC iGPU tech that's in the likes of the 125H and 245K as well as dGPUs like the A310. A variety of sources offer conflicting information; some saying that a 125H iGPU alone can handle half a dozen simultaneous AV1 transcoded 4k HDR Plex streams and others saying that it can struggle with a single stream; advocating for a dGPU.

I was originally considering mini PCs like the [Acemagic F2A](https://acemagic.com/products/acemagic-f2a-intel-core-ultra-5-7-125h-155h-ai-mini-pc https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8VNBgB), but heard a lot of sketchy things about bloatware and poor support.

From there I started considering the more reputable Asus NUC 14 Pro and reliable ASUS ExpertCenter PN65; but I'm worried about the aforementioned performance concerns that could not be remedied since a dGPU can't be installed installed. Drive space is limited, but I could probably get by and expand later with a NAS/DAS.

This brought me to the 245K and just doing a custom build; something like this: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8VNBgB (Note: The decision to go with SATA SSDs over HDDs was to keep the form factor small, attractive, and quiet, since it'll probably reside in plain view; otherwise I'd get a couple WD Reds or similar).

I'm posting to get second opinions, since my research on the latest tech has left me wondering if stuff like AV1 encoding/decoding is even needed for a Plex media server or if older tech is plenty good to stand up over the next decade or so (with a little due diligence, such as ensuring hosted media can be direct streamed by any client). Any advice you can offer on the merits of the latest tech compared to what's already out there is appreciated.

So essentially I am looking to know the biggest differences between audio coming from USB or Aux into my PC.

My audio setup is a little complicated but currently I have my PC outputting audio to my Fosi Audio K5 Pro DAC. The DAC has RCA sports that then go into my Denon S950H receiver.

I am looking to use the USB audio port on my DAC to connect to a PS5 as the console doesn’t contain an optical audio port. The HDMI pass through on my receiver supports HDMI 2.0, but I am connecting it to a 1440p Monitor (AlienWare AW2725DF) which isn’t a supported resolution from my Denon.

The core of my question is if I am using a stereo setup (Klipsch r51M bookshelves) and sometimes headphone (Sennheiser HD560S) output on my Denon would changing my PC to an aux audio be that great if a difference? I would use a 3.5mm to RCA cable to plug into my motherboard Gigabyte Z690 UD and it will terminate into the RCA ports on my Denon.

Otherwise I’m looking at getting a USB source switcher which is a bit more than I want to spent to fix this issue.

Edit: I do not use the DACs headphone jack due to a damaged port :(

Sorry if over explained certain aspects, my original post was removed to lack of info so I wanted to include as much as I could.

I am planning to build a Windows gaming PC (connected to a TV) that will primarily be controlled with a Xbox controller.

I want to have multiple Windows accounts (local with no passwords) so my children and I can each have our own games/saves/etc.

One thing that I cannot figure out is how to easily switch between accounts using only the Xbox controller. I was hoping to create a shortcut (that I could launch from within Steam Big Picture) that would switch to a different account. I can't find any way to do this via the command line.

Any ideas?

Hi there, i want to cast youtube from my phone to my pc the way you can with a tv but for some reason the 2 turtorials i found on this matter don t seem to work for me.

Hi,

My VCR (top shelf) has died and I'm looking to fill the space with something that matches the other AV equipment.

So... Black, 43cm wide, clean sides and feet on the bottom.

I'm considering a HTPC that can handle 4k 60 gaming but all of the pc suppliers seem to use tower type cases.

Any suggestions?

Unlike most folks who want a movie remote, I want one that can control my music or audio-books while I play other games without having to shift+tab between programs every time I need to pause. For example, I like to play StarCraft while listening to an audio book during the actual game play, but need to pause in a hurry when the cut scenes come on. My current laptop keyboard doesn't have dedicated media keys, instead having dual function F keys with a hard to reach function changer. I want a cheap device that will let me pause my books instantly at the touch of one button. Blue tooth would be preferable, though a USB radio receiver would work too. I can't use infrared because the USB port is on the back of the laptop, plus I don't want to take the time to aim. Please, no amazon links. I refuse to give my money to Bezos The Clown.

So my Jellyfin server already has a GTX1070 and it's working just fine. However, due to the relatively high TDP of the card (150W) I have been considering switching to one of a couple of other cards I have kicking around, but I'm not sure about their transcoding capabilities. I can't seem to find very reliable or succinct information on the subject via simply googling.

The two cards I have kicking around and have been considering switching to, are a GTX750TI (75W IIRC) and an RX550 (50W?). I know the 750Ti vastly outperforms the RX550 in gaming applications, but which is better for transcoding? And will either one transcode as well as the 1070? Which codex or transcoding methods would I be sacrificing switching to the older card? Am I better off sticking to the 1070?

Alternatively, I have also considered spending a bit of money and maybe picking up a 1050 or something cheap on Ebay, but I'm really not sure about going that route and might look into that a bit more further down the road.

Any suggestions?

I have an i7-7700K with 16GB of RAM, RX6600, 1TB M.2, and Mini-ITX case and motherboard. I will probably be switching to a baseline M4 Mac Mini (assuming Apple releases it next month) for personal and work usage, so now I need to ways to use this PC, or try to sell it for parts.

I am using an nVidia Shield TV Pro 2019 for living room. It's been fine with SmartTube (ad free YouTube with Google Sign In and sponsorblock), IPTV player, Netflix, and the Plex App. I have a Raspberry Pi 4B with 4GB of RAM that is being used as the Plex Media Server. It does the job but sometimes it can struggle with really huge files/codecs.

So anyways, would you recommend swapping the Shield for the PC? Can I achieve the same things, with better performance? Or will it always be a pain switching between all the apps? I am hoping to achieve full access to everything via remote control on the couch, or XBOX Series X controller, if at all possible!

I was thinking that a fresh Windows 11 install with Steam Big Picture Mode on boot up could perhaps handle everything via custom shortcuts to the things I need? Windows is not my favourite OS but if I want to do any gaming it's probably going to be ideal. Not sure when it comes to YouTube, IPTV and Netflix though?

All in the form of "easy to use, living room apps", as I'm not running Android TV anymore. Regardless, whatever I go with will end up staying powered on 24/7. For gaming I tend to stick with "max performance" on Windows power management, which may not always be ideal if just sitting there idle every night. Not sure if that can kick in only whenever gaming, and have power management when not gaming? Intel 7700K is not likely going to be anywhere close to Intel N100 in terms of power consumption though.

Any help or guidance is greatly appreciated!

Note: I'm referring to GDDR5 version MSI GT1030 2G LP OC

What people are saying

Everywhere I've read about this card says mostly the same thing - 4K Display Output, Playback, HDR playback, 60fps YouTube, works fine - and this is true

But they all say that 4K playback while tonemapping HDR content to SDR is really stuttery and laggy with GPU pinned at max usage.

Setup in VLC

This hasn't been the case for me with VLC. I just set Tools > Preferences > Video > Output > OpenGL Video Output for Windows.

This automatically does tonemapping so my HDR 4K movies dont look washed out on my SDR TV.

My experience

Theres only a slight stutter when starting the playback, and the very very occasional stutter during playback.

However these stutters are incredibly rare and you have to squint to see them. When you're fully immersed in a movie, you're just not going to notice.

I only had about 0.01% frames of dropped across 10 minutes of playback.

GPU Usage hovers around 60-70% with the occasional 90% spike.

More info

So I'm just making this post to inform that it is possible to get it smooth on a GT1030 (albeit maybe only this MSI OC one).

Because when you google this card, all you find 2 year old reddit posts that say 4k tonemapping lags in general on the GT1030, when its actually possible to get 4k tonemapping smoothly at this card's price point.

It's a big thing because:

1. I got this GPU for £30 off eBay, whereas GTX 1050(Ti) LP / GTX 1650(Ti) LP both hover around £70-£100 on eBay... and that's on a good day.

2. Almost all 4K Movie torrents are in HDR, so the card is rendered useless for 4K HTPC duties if it can't do tonemapping and you don't have an HDR TV (our Sony BRAVIA is just 1 year too old from 2014...)

Note about youtube: currently, the GT1030 will be pinned at 100% on 4K 60fps YouTube, even tho it doesnt drop any frames.