ROG Notebooks/Laptops with Dolby Vision HDR Support - Issues and possible solutions

[H0N0R]

Hello everyone, 

I've been an owner of ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634JZ) since it came out last year, and faced some issues regarding Dolby Vision HDR. It seems I have successfully fixed them with days of research and would like to share my experiences with everyone. 

Now for some prerequisites:

-First of all, I'd like to point out that Dolby Vision HDR will only work if the image comes from the CPU. This means it won't work if you are using the dGPU. If you are using NVIDIA Advanced Optimus (aka. MUX Switch, Ultimate mode in Armoury Crate) or try to connect to an external display (most of these laptops HDMI or USB-C ports connect to the dGPU), it probably won't work. Here are some articles stating this: https://kb.dolby.com/access?kid=ka64u000000TPAdAAO&articletype=FAQ , https://rog.asus.com/support/faq/1045944/ . So if you want it to work you MUST use the laptops screen and use the iGPU.

-Another thing is, the laptop MUST have Dolby Vision certification. This means not every ROG laptop supports Dolby Vision. Make sure that your exact model number has Dolby Vision branding either on the product packaging or website.

-You can currently use Dolby Vision HDR only if the streaming service supports it. In Windows 11, I think the Netflix app from the Microsoft Store is the only streaming app that supports it. Make sure the content you want to watch also MUST be in Dolby Vision HDR (eg. Stranger Things, The Witcher). MP4 video files with Dolby Vision can also be watched with the native Movies&TV app.

-Not sure about this one but make sure to be on Windows 11 with the latest updates. I'd wager that Microsoft will straight up block some features on older builds.

-Install anything related to HDR and Dolby from the ASUS driver page for your product. Make sure Armoury Crate is installed and all updates are installed from the Update Center. If you have trouble with the devices or updates in Armoury Crate, let me know, I have a fix for that, too.

-Install Dolby Access from the Microsoft Store if it isn't installed already. Update it if necessary.

-Install HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft store. It costs 0,99 $ which is fine but weird, I think it should be built into Windows.

After you make sure you meet all the criteria above, you may have 2 issues;

1) In the Dolby Access app, under the 'PRODUCTS' section, there is nothing related to Dolby Vision and only stuff about Dolby Atmos. This means you don't have the correct ICM/color profile files installed. This is generally the case if you bought a FreeDOS unit, didn't backup after a reinstall or Amoury Crate failed to install them. Whatever the cause is, I suggest that you install Armoury Crate and do the updates and it should install the files. You can check under C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color if you have a file named 'PQConfig.dv'. If you have it, great.

If you don't, https://rog.asus.com/support/faq/1045944/ this article suggests you get in touch with ASUS support and they will provide help. If you don't want to wait, you can use someone elses files (this is how I did it). Here are the necessary files for my laptop model (G634JZ) :  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1g1zp6YMJlgPgSX3wfR_CZlyIG07vHTxV?usp=sharing . First backup your color folder, download the folder from the link and copy its contents to your own color folder. Not sure but I think you should only use files from someone with the EXACT same model. But you can also try on other models if you backed your own files up. I highly encourage users with different models to share their color folders on this thread so everyone can benefit.

After this, your Dolby Access app should have a Dolby Vision setting under Products. If not feel free to post here and we can hopefully find a solution. If the Dolby Vision setting says that it is 'Ready to use', great! You can use it. If it tells you to install an extension, read further.

2) In the Dolby Access app, under the 'PRODUCTS' section, there is Dolby Vision but it asks you to install 'Dolby Vision Extensions' app from the store. You click the button and for no real reason the store will not let you download it and gives an error. In this case you will have to download the extension another way and install it yourself. Here is how I did it: I found the direct download link from Microsoft for this extension: http://tlu.dl.delivery.mp.microsoft.com/filestreamingservice/files/7ca95323-0c43-4ad4-9757-290e2c854... . For some reason Chrome did not download this link but Microsoft Edge did download it. If you have trouble downloading from the Microsoft link, here is the package I downloaded from there and uploaded in Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-XrQgL3VRnyvxSl9RubsZKtFsSJZ7Nnh/view?usp=sharing .  Just run the downloaded package and install it. After installing, restart your PC and check Dolby Access if Dolby Vision is ready to use.If yes, great! If not, feel free to post here and we can brainstorm. I'm not sure why the extension cannot be downloaded from the store and if it is Microsoft's or Dolby's fault. Maybe it will be fixed later but for now, this is a possible fix.

Again, I highly encourage users with different model numbers to upload their own color folder to help everyone out. If you have other problems regarding ROG laptops like G-SYNC, Armoury Crate start a thread and maybe we can find solutions. Thanks for reading.

[vickygameboy]

Hey thank you so much.. the appx download from your gdrive brought back the dolby vision.. even i was confused why ms store was not letting users install the extension.. anyways will try to upload my icm asap.. and once again thank you so much..