Dolby Vision MKVs, decoded natively on Apple TV 4K.

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Profile 5 and Profile 8 natively

Both common Dolby Vision profiles work: Profile 5 (single-layer, no HDR10 base) and Profile 8.1 / 8.4 (compatible with HDR10 base layer). OneTV detects the profile from the MKV stream metadata and configures the codec string accordingly.

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MKV → fMP4 HLS remux on the fly

AVPlayer on tvOS does not decode Dolby Vision inside MKV. OneTV remuxes the MKV elementary stream into fragmented MP4 segments inside a local HLS playlist — no transcoding, no quality loss. The video bitstream is preserved bit-for-bit.

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Local HTTP server inside the app

The fMP4 segments are served by a mini HTTP server (`LocalHLSServer`) running on localhost inside the OneTV process. AVPlayer points to a `http://127.0.0.1:PORT/master.m3u8` URL with the right `EXT-X-STREAM-INF` codecs declaration. The full pipeline lives in `/Shared/UI/Player/DolbyVision/`.

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Smart audio fallback

TrueHD and DTS don't pass through HLS on tvOS. OneTV's `DolbyFallbackPolicy` automatically transcodes them — TrueHD → E-AC-3 5.1 (Dolby Digital Plus), DTS → AAC stereo or 5.1 depending on your AVReceiver. The Dolby Vision video bitstream stays untouched.

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No transcoding latency

Because the video stream is remuxed, not transcoded, startup is fast: typically 1-2 seconds from tap to first frame. Seeking is keyframe-accurate via the HLS segment boundaries. Hardware decoding kicks in for HEVC HDR10 base layer.

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Works alongside Plex / Jellyfin / Emby

Dolby Vision MKV files served by Plex, Jellyfin or Emby are played through the same pipeline. The media server provides the file; OneTV does the remux. You get DV playback on Apple TV without configuring Plex transcoding rules.

Which Apple TV models are required?

Apple TV 4K (any generation) for Dolby Vision output. Apple TV HD doesn't support Dolby Vision regardless of the app. You also need an HDMI 2.0a TV with Dolby Vision support, connected via a high-speed HDMI cable.

Does it work for live IPTV streams?

Dolby Vision live broadcasts are extremely rare today. The pipeline is designed for VOD (Plex / Jellyfin / Emby movie libraries, local downloads). For HDR10 live streams, the standard pipeline handles them — no custom remux needed.

Will I see banding or artifacts compared to a direct file player?

No. The remux only changes the container format (MKV → fMP4); the HEVC bitstream is preserved bit-for-bit. The result is visually identical to direct playback through Infuse or VLC — except OneTV is the only app doing this natively in an IPTV / streaming context.

What about HDR10+ inside MKV?

HDR10+ inside MKV is detected and falls back to HDR10 (the static metadata is preserved). Native HDR10+ in MKV is technically possible but requires a different AVPlayer codec string that Apple hasn't exposed for arbitrary files. We'll add full HDR10+ support when Apple does.

Why is this not in other apps?

Because nobody else built the remux pipeline. The four files involved — `MKVRemuxer.swift`, `LocalHLSServer.swift`, `MasterPlaylistBuilder.swift`, `DolbyFallbackPolicy.swift` — represent several months of work specifically for this scenario. Infuse does it for VOD but isn't IPTV. We are.