Random Dolby Vision files only display black screen

Help and Support Vero V
1

For several months I will randomly encounter a file that has Dolby Vision that will only play a black screen. I have read through the other threads that have covered this topic, but the solutions did not fix the issue for me. My TV is an older LG C9. I have included a sample file that causes this issue and a log file.

https://paste.osmc.tv/ofisufimin

2

Thanks for noticing Neal.

I also have recently observed an increasing number of 4K Dolby Vision (DV) titles exhibiting consistent playback issues. These complications appear to be independent of hardware age or manufacturer, as I have reproduced them on a fully updated Sony A95L and a Denon AVR.

To assist with the investigation, I have compiled a few more data points:

Timeline & Historical Context

  • Initial Discovery: This behavior was first identified in August 2025.
    Original Thread: Some DV files are Black in Vero V

  • Previous Critical Error: Historically, on my setup certain DV titles caused a full system reboot of my television within 10 seconds of playback. Following the November OSMC update, the rebooting issue was resolved; however, the black screen symptom persists.

  • Sample Data: A short video sample demonstrating the failure is available in provided thread, and I can provide it again upon request.

Observed Technical Behavior

When the issue occurs, the system exhibits the following symptoms:

  1. Video: The movie initializes with a black screen, though the file continues to play in the background.

  2. Audio: The AVR fails to handshake with the native high-bitrate format (e.g., Dolby Atmos) and reverts to a standard stereo output.

  3. Stability: The playback can be stopped without a TV reboot (thanks to the November update), and the UI remains responsive.

Workaround

Currently, there is a reliable method to bypass this issue:

  1. Exit the problematic title.

  2. Navigate to Settings > System > Player > Videos > Processing.

  3. Temporarily change the output setting from DV to Force HDR.

  4. Restart the movie.

Upon applying this change, the video renders correctly and the AVR successfully registers the original high-definition audio stream (Atmos, etc.). Just remember to revert this setting to “DV” after the session.

Impact

For me this has occurred across 9+ films and the series Fallout. And I’m watching a lot.

Therefore I assume the impact is currently very low.

Since we have a reliable workaround, there’s no urgent pressure, though a future fix would be appreciated. :wink:

3

Plays fine on my Vero V and LG C8.

And wow, a Burbs TV series… nothing is safe anymore.

4

Thank you all for the feedback you have given with your experiences. After reading the other threads on this issue, I logged into the command line and enabled dev builds. Now, movies/shows with DV that previously played without issue have washed out colors, but are extremely bright. They also cause a constant flickering/flashing. At this point I have forced HDR until this is resolved.

5

‘dev builds’ are not recommended. In staging, our dovi.ko is out of step with the kernel right now.

6

@tnowens Is there anything between your Vero V and the LG C9 (video processor, AVR, etc)?

Is your HDMI cable unusually long (more than 6ft)?

Do you know what firmware your C9 is on? There were people reporting a similar issue with Apple TV 4Ks as well.

7

@Kontrarian No, there is nothing between the Vero V and my LG.
Yes, it is a longer HDMI cable. Probably 10 feet.
My C9 firmware version is 05.50.00

8

@tnowens You can try this but no guarantee.

9

@sam_nazarko Any info from the devs on this issue?

10

Thanks for your patience

The staging repository is now up to date and provides the latest DV implementation.
If you could try it, this would be a useful data point.

To test this update:

  1. Login via the command line
  2. Run the following command to add the staging repository:
    echo 'deb http://apt.osmc.tv bullseye-devel main' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/osmc-devel.list
  3. Go to My OSMC → Updater → Manual Controls → and select Check for Updates now. When prompted to do so on screen, please choose to install the update.
  4. Your system should have have received the update.

Please see if the issue is resolved.

I also recommend you remove /etc/apt/sources.list.d/osmc-devel.list after updating.

This will deactivate the staging repository. You can do so with the following command:
sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/osmc-devel.list.

Please note that we will automatically disable this update channel after 14 days on your device in case you forget to do so to ensure that your system reverts to the stable update channel.

11

I ran this update and upon OSMC restarting it gave an error message about something failing to install. Sadly, I did not take note of what exactly it was. Now nothing will play. Well, a file will start to play but the video is way behind the audio and seems like it is in slow motion. One 1080p, non-hdr/dv, file I tried to play caused the screen to just flicker constantly without opening. Here’s a log file from after running the update: https://paste.osmc.tv/cuduniqamu

12

I did the update successfully and your Burbs sample plays fine, although it played fine for me before anyway, so it’s hard to say.

@sam_nazarko Most other DV content is broken with this update on my Vero V and C8. My daughters were going to Watch Despicable Me 4 and it just has a black screen. It’s probably worth noting that DM4 is FEL. I tried some various profiles in my test/demo folder and some files will play but with obviously bad colors and various other issues. My daughters just wanted to watch the movie so I just disabled DV for now in settings so they can just watch it with the HDR10 base layer. I’ll play around with it more tomorrow

13

Please upload a log so I can see what’s updated

Thanks

Sam

14

I’m aware of an issue and am investigating it

Sam

15

Hi

Can you please try updating again?

If you still experience issues please upload a log

Many thanks

Sam

16

About a week and a half ago I followed JimKnopf’s instructions to downgrade the vero5-userland-osmc package. That got my player functioning properly again. Since then I have had 2 separate updates install successfully. However, the original test video I posted here still only plays a black screen with audio.

17

I need to see a log to advise

Sam

18

Well, nevermind. I tried playing it again and it worked without problem. Strange. Here is a log file from after this last time when it played correctly: https://paste.osmc.tv/apijibufom

19

If it plays fine now I think we can consider this closed.

Sam