'Check your equipment' urges Amazon after Fire TV bugs block top quality

Tech & Gadgets

DO NOT miss out on the best video quality if you have an Amazon Fire TV device.

Amazon has revealed several mistakes that can stop you from taking a stunning photo.

Make sure you get the best photo possibleCredit: Getty

You may have heard of HDR (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision.

It is an increasingly common TV show or movie format that displays darker blacks and brighter whites.

This improved contrast (and wider color gamut) gives you a much more cinematic experience.

But there are several reasons why you might be missing out on HDR with your Amazon Fire TV device.

How to get HDR on Amazon Fire TV devices

There are plenty of equipment reasons why you might not see an HDR photo.

Of course, the problem could be that the content you're trying to watch isn't in HDR.

If it's not HDR or Dolby Vision content, it won't play that way, even if you've set everything else just right.

Typically, apps like Amazon Video and Netflix indicate when content is available in HDR, so look for that symbol.

Once that's done, you can use Amazon's special tool to make sure nothing is wrong.

Amazon Fire Stick owners have discovered a neat trick to control their TVs

“Check if your equipment supports Dolby Vision or High Dynamic Range (HDR),” Amazon advised.

“Use the Audio and Video Diagnostics tool on your Fire TV device to view the supported audio settings.”

For example, you also need a TV that supports Dolby Vision or HDR, and a Fire TV Stick that does the same.

To check this, go to Settings > Picture & Sound > Audio/Video Diagnostics on your Fire TV device to see if your TV equipment can deliver HDR or Dolby Vision.

You can also play a test video at the bottom of this page to confirm if your TV supports it.

Once you've checked that the content is available in HDR and that your TV supports HDR, you need to perform a few more checks.

“Now go to the settings of your TV (not the Fire Stick) and check the resolution,” Amazon urged.

Once that's done, you should be good to go.

However, if you're still convinced you're not getting an HDR photo, there are a few other mistakes you might be making.

“If you connect your Fire TV device to an AV receiver or soundbar, make sure it can pass Dolby Vision or HDR formats,” Amazon explains.

“Sometimes your Fire TV device will stream at 1080p 60Hz for smoother playback if you have a 4K 30Hz Dolby Vision TV.

“To set your resolution to 4K 60 Hz, go to Settings on your Fire TV device, then go to Display & Sound.”