Kaleidescape Strato V
Audio and Video settings live in the Browser Interface — not the onscreen remote menu.
The Strato V onscreen menu (navigated with the remote) handles network, software updates, and Other Settings only. All audio and video settings (Bitstream vs PCM, HDR mode, resolution) are in the Browser Interface — open a web browser to the player's IP address. To find the IP: onscreen Settings → Other Settings → that screen displays the Browser Interface URL. Then: browser → player IP → click the Settings button below the MAC address. If you open the onscreen menu looking for Audio settings, you will not find them there.
| Setting | Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Audio output | Bitstream (HDMI only) — Browser Interface → Settings → Audio tab → select "Bitstream pass-through" → OK | Denon decodes natively; PCM workaround no longer needed with VRROOM in chain |
| HDR output | HDR10 (or HDR10+ if available) | S95F is HDR10/HDR10+ only — no DV. VRROOM maps any DV signal to HDR10 dynamic. |
| Network | Ethernet to nearest Deco LAN port | 1 GbE NIC, sustains 4K download stream |
| HDMI output | Single port → VRROOM input | Strato V has one HDMI port (unlike Strato C which has a dedicated audio HDMI 1.4) |
Apple TV 4K 3rd gen
| Setting | Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 4K SDR — let Match Content do the HDR work. | Setting Format to 4K HDR locks menus in HDR mode (elevated black floors on OLED, breaks per-app HDR negotiation). 4K SDR base + Match Dynamic Range ON is the correct combination. (Source: apple_tv_deep_menu.md §1.1) |
| Match Frame Rate | On | Apple TV switches refresh per content; Sync Box passes through |
| Match Dynamic Range | On | Apple TV switches HDR mode per content |
| Audio Format | Auto, with Dolby Atmos toggle On | Content-correct: stereo stays stereo, Atmos titles get Atmos |
| Sleep After | Never | Path B — keeps CEC volume working without sleep cascade |
| Control TVs and Receivers | On | Required for Siri Remote volume via CEC chain |
| Volume Control (Remotes and Devices) | HDMI (explicitly — not Auto) for multi-hop CEC chain reliability.
| Auto can route to TV speakers instead of Denon through multi-hop chain (ATV → VRROOM → Hue Sync → S95F) |
| Continuous Audio Connection | On (tvOS 26+) — Settings → Video and Audio → Audio Format → HDMI Output → Continuous Audio Connection (nested inside Audio Format submenu) | Prevents format-switch audio dropouts when switching between apps with different audio formats |
| Enhance Dialogue | Off — Settings → Video and Audio → Enhance Dialogue. Calibrated Denon handles dialogue; computational processing degrades original mix. | Confirm Off day 1; easy to miss |
| Chroma | 4:4:4 — Settings → Video and Audio → Chroma. VRROOM HDMI 2.1 chain has no bandwidth constraint. | Full chroma, no subsampling; default may be 4:2:0 |
VRROOM EDID → Apple TV audio sink check (day-1 verification required).
VRROOM must advertise the Denon's audio EDID toward the Apple TV input port — not the S95F's EDID. If VRROOM passes the S95F EDID as the audio sink, Apple TV silently downgrades Atmos to stereo PCM. Verify in VRROOM web UI under the EDID tab → select the Apple TV input port → confirm audio capabilities show Atmos/TrueHD (Denon profile), not S95F stereo.
Bank 10 LLDV re-test — required when Bank 10 EDID is first assigned to ATV input on VRROOM.
The first time VRROOM's Bank 10 EDID is assigned to the Apple TV input, Apple TV will prompt a Dolby Vision compatibility test. This test must pass before Apple TV outputs LLDV. If you skip or dismiss it, Apple TV will never output LLDV on this chain — re-assign Bank 10 to trigger the prompt again.
Best practice: use Apple TV for ALL streaming (Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime). Don't use S95F's smart TV apps. Apple TV has better HDR negotiation, better Atmos handling, and keeps audio on the VRROOM-extracted path — making the eARC cable vestigial for audio.
PS5 Pro
Video Output
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 2160p |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| HDR | Auto (On When Supported — not Always On; "Always On" causes dim-menu bug on Samsung OLED) |
| Deep Color Output | Automatic |
| RGB Range | Automatic |
| VRR | Automatic + Apply to Unsupported Games: On — forces VRR signaling for games that don't declare support; stabilizes frame pacing. |
| 4K Video Transfer Rate | Automatic — starting point. Step to −1 only if black screens occur through VRROOM; do not use −2 (unnecessarily degrades color to YUV420 10-bit). |
Audio + Pro features
| Setting | Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI Device Type | AV Amplifier | — |
| Audio Format Priority | Bitstream (Dolby) | Preserves Atmos metadata; Linear PCM caps at 5.1 |
| Enhance PSSR Image Quality | On — Settings → Screen and Video → Video Output → Enhance PSSR Image Quality. (PSSR 2 shipped March 2026; forces PSSR 2 on all PSSR-enabled games) | Forces Pro upscaling on non-Pro-enhanced games using new neural network |
| Per-game HDR cal | Path: Settings → Screen and Video → Adjust HDR → launches 3-image wizard. S95F target: Images 1+2 → click 19–20 (nit range per hdrgamer.com table). Image 3 → 0 clicks (OLED true black). | Adjusts game-side HDR mapping for OLED display's actual peak brightness and true-black floor |
| Game Presets | Settings → Saved Data and Game/App Settings → Game Presets → Performance Mode or Resolution Mode. Sets system-wide default for all games (per-game overrides still apply). | Sets default behavior for every game; worth choosing day 1 |
| HDMI Information (verify step) | Settings → Screen and Video → Video Output → HDMI Information. Confirm 4K + VRR active through VRROOM before proceeding. | Catch VRROOM configuration failures before they become audio/video symptoms |
| HDMI Device Link | Off — Settings → System → HDMI → HDMI Device Link → Off. Prevents PS5 CEC One-Touch Play from spuriously switching VRROOM inputs. | Required for stable VRROOM CEC operation with PS5 in chain |
Nintendo Switch 2
| Setting | Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| TV Settings → Match TV Power State | Off — Full path: HOME Menu → System Settings → System → TV Settings → Match TV Power State → Off | Stops random power-off (Sync Box EDID renegotiation cascade) |
| Sleep Mode → Auto-Sleep (Connected to TV) | Never | Avoids sleep coupling with CEC |
| Audio → TV Sound | Linear PCM 5.1 Surround — Full path: HOME Menu → System Settings → Sound → TV Sound → Linear PCM 5.1 Surround | Switch 2's max output; Denon upmix to 3.1 |
| ALLM | On — HOME Menu → System Settings → Display → ALLM → On. S95F responds to ALLM flag by enabling Game Mode automatically. VRROOM and Sync Box 8K both pass ALLM. | Enables Game Mode auto-switch on S95F without manual input |
| RGB Range | Limited Range (16–235) — HOME Menu → System Settings → Display → RGB Range → Limited Range. Verify with 0,0,0 black test pattern (should be fully black, not elevated grey). | Mismatch causes crushed blacks or elevated white floor on S95F |
| HDR | Compatible Software Only (not "On Always") — HOME Menu → System Settings → Display → HDR → Compatible Software Only. "On Always" forces HDR even for SDR games — looks worse on OLED. | Avoids forcing HDR on SDR-only games |
| Adjust HDR slider | HOME Menu → System Settings → Display → HDR → Adjust HDR. Two overlapping sun icons — move slider until both suns are barely distinguishable. S95F may need slightly above center. | HDR peak brightness mapping for OLED panel |
| TV Output Resolution | 4K @ 60Hz cap confirmed. Switch 2 dock hardware ceiling (Realtek RTD2175N-CG) prevents 4K@120Hz regardless of firmware. For 120Hz: drop to 1440p. | Cap to 4K@60Hz to stabilize VRROOM auto-switch on dock |
| VRR | NOT supported in TV/docked mode. Nintendo retracted docked VRR claim. VRR is handheld-display only as of firmware 22.1.0. (Source: Digital Foundry, April 2025) | VRROOM and Hue Sync Box are VRR-ready; Switch 2 dock is the limitation |
| HDR + 120Hz | Mutually exclusive — pick one per game. 4K@60Hz = HDR10 available. 1440p@120Hz = SDR only. | Bandwidth ceiling prevents simultaneous HDR and 120Hz in docked mode |
| Firmware target | ≥ 22.0.0 (CEC loop patched, 1440p@120Hz added, 5.1 LPCM added) | 22.1.0 current as of April 2026; stability-only update |
PC RTX 5090 + Ryzen 9800X3D
PC plugs directly into S95F HDMI 3 (labeled "Game Console"), bypassing both Sync Box and AVR. No audio path to the AVR for PC content.
NVIDIA Control Panel
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Output Color Format | RGB |
| Output Color Depth | 10 bpc |
| Output Dynamic Range | Full |
| G-Sync Compatible | Enable for S95F (Samsung firmware Sept 2025 added cert) |
| VSYNC in-game | Off — G-Sync Compatible handles tear prevention |
Windows 11 + DLSS
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Windows HDR | On (auto-toggle per app) |
| HAGS (Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling) | On (required for DLSS 4 Frame Gen) |
| DLSS 4 Frame Gen | Quality (cinematic) / Performance (competitive) |
| NVIDIA Reflex | On for competitive titles |
Sources
kaleidescape_strato_v_pcm.md strato_v_hdmi_outputs_verify.md apple_tv_4k_3rd_gen.md apple_tv_per_app_denon_dsp.md ps5_pro_pc_chain.md ps5_pro_pc_advanced_settings.md switch2_settings.md switch2_power_off.md