Info banner randomly appearing with the PS4

[Jecht_Sin]

When playing with the PS4 usually once per session the banner with the HDMI port and resolution appears randomly. I have a 49XD8099 and it happened with both 6.0.1 and 7.0. Other people reports that it happens with the PS4 Pro as well.

I am not sure if this has been reported in here (I'm in both UK and Italian forums and I mix them sometimes), but in case did anyone find a way to fix it? Also, does it happen with the Xbox One as well, for people who have it? Because I have a feeling it's mostly a PS4 issue.

Actually I have done now a quick search and it seems I am not able to find a post with a similar issue. Doesn't it happen at all? My PS4 is usually set in English, the only difference is that I have the tv in Italian. I dunno, just wondering.

[Peter_S.]

Hi Jecht,

Usually the infobar is displayed when the signal format changes.

When playing games this might happen when you change from Intro screen to game play or vice versa.

If it really disturbs better turn off the info display in the menu of your TV.

Cheers

Peter

[Jecht_Sin]

Hi Peter,

thanks but it really happens randomly. Like in the middle of a fight, or sitting at a bonfire in Dark Souls 3. Or in other situations doing nothing (because I am checking something in internet with the computer). Without any logic at all. I am not sure but I think it may have happened even in the PS4 Home. I think the audio glitches for few ms as well. Also it never happened wiith my old Samsung television. From what I know this really is a Bravia issue with the PS4(s). 

In any case how would I turn off the display info? Because I have seen an option only for the full/minimum banner on the digital television settings (which I don't use anyway).

Still, if you have a PS4, did it ever happen to you? Because I'll try switching the tv to the English language. It shouldn't really matter, but having no aerial I don't know what else could be different. The PS4 is set in English already.

[Peter_S.]

Hi Jecht,

I've turned of my Infobar in the channels setting menu.

Options are "On" and "Off".

Unfortunately I don't own a PS4 - only a PS3 but I never experinced these issues with this console.

One additional idea that came to my mind - have you tried to change the HDMI cables?

If the cable shielding isn't very good there could be some cross talk between the single wires which can cause issues.

Cheers

Peter

[Jecht_Sin]

As I wrote previously this is a recurring issue in the Italian forum. So yeah, there have been people changing cables and everything, and the issue is still there. One even claimed that it happens 2 or 3 times per hour. After changing cables as well.

I posted it in here because it occurred to me that I didn't remember any post in the UK forum about this issue. While in the Italian forum there are plenty of threads. Once every one or two weeks there is a new one. So I am trying to investigate if it has anything to do with the localisation settings or the geography. Then sure, if people from UK confirm that it happens regularly to them as well, I'll discard the option that it can be something with the Italian settings.

I mean, I am really grasping at straws, it doesn't make much sense to me. For example my nephew confirms that with their 5 or 6 years old 1080p Bravia tv they never have the issue. So it has to do with the 4K televisions (with Android TV).

BTW, I've checked now and my info banner was OFF already. I think that turns on/off info like the plot of movies in the banner.

[Kuschelmonschter]

I have also read about this issue one or the other time in German and British forums before...

I only connect my notebook from time to time, so I can't comment myself.

[Peter_S.]

Hi Jecht,

Yes, I read about this issue as well in German community from time to time.

Anyway, Infoscreen only will be displayed when something changes in signal type.

I'll ask my technical colleagues to do some investiagtions on this to find the cause for this issue.

Cheers

Peter

[Jecht_Sin]

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@Peter_S. wrote:

Anyway, Infoscreen only will be displayed when something changes in signal type.

---

I'd say it should be displayed only when the signal changes. Or at least there are no reasons for it to change during a fight in a game. Or doing nothing.

Anyway, just out of curiosity I tried to switch the tv language to English. And I played a session. Never seen the issue. Switched the tv back to Italian and played all weekend it never happened once. I know, it's crazy and it doesn't make any sense. Probably it's just a coincidence. But I'll try to suggest it in the Italian forum and see if it changes anything for them.

[Jecht_Sin]

Some updates.. The issue disappeared for 10 days or so and then, after resetting the tv to factory setting (with me reconfiguring everything by hand, audio included) it's back again. Once it happend when the audio in the game disappeared for a couple of seconds, thus some audio fluctuations can be the cause of it.

WIth this in mind I investigated a bit and maybe I discovered something: the PS4 has set by default the "Audio Format (Priority)" to Linear PCM. WIth the PS4 on if I go to the tv's audio settings and I change ClearAudio+ that same banner always appears. Switching in the PS4 "Audio Format (Priority)" to either Bitstream Dolby or Bitstream DTS, changing in the tv's setting ClearAudio+ that banner doesn't show up anymore. But it always shows if one changes the "Night mode".

Now, since I don't see any reason to show that banner when changing either the tv's ClearAudio+ or the audio Night mode (and indeed with the PS4 not using Linear PCM it doesn't show at all changing ClearAudio+) I strongly suspect that the issue really is related to the audio settings.

For completeness of information, changing in the PS4 the "Audio Format (Priority)" it always shows the banner for a couple of seconds. But that is correct because the banner also shows the audio format for the HDMI input (nothing for Linear PCM/Dolby Surround/DTS Surround). In that moment the banner's info is actually useful.

@Anonymous if there is any chance this can be escalated to Sony, because this behaviour is at least surely inconsistent (changing ClearAudio+ the banner should either always or never appear - I'd say never. Not depending on the audio format in input). And I strongly suspect it is related to what is driving crazy many PS4 players (for sure in Italy. We get spammed by these threads). That banner appearing randomly is distracting the least while playing.

[Jecht_Sin]

I need to add that it isn't always reproducible as I wrote. Sometime switching the ClearAudio+ the banner appears even with the PS4 in Bitstream Dolby or DTS. But then, playing a bit with it, it goes back to appearing only in Linear PCM. In any case it's even less consistent.