[Feedback] ATV2 - v6.2671 - Issues

[SesioNLive]

Hello guys,

i figured it would be nice to have a topic with feedback to the latest ATV2 update (v6.2671).

TV-Model:         KD-65XE9005

App:                  Youtube (com.google.android.youtube.tv)

Version:             2.01.04 (20104320) arm 
Testvideo:         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1La4QzGeaaQ
Video quality:    3840x2160@60 (4k 60 FPS) 

Result:              Stuttering and sound cracking, as well as lack of HDR

App:                  Amazon Video (com.amazon.aiv.eu)

Version:            4.1.121 
Testvideo:         The Tick (Amazon original, Season 1, Episode 1)
Video quality:    3840x2160 (Ultra HD) with HDR

Result:              Stuttering, eg. each x seconds a frame drops

App:                  Netflix (com.netflix.ninja)

Version:             4.2.1 build 1804 
Testvideo:         Jessica Jones (Season 1 Episode 5)
Video quality:    3840x2160 (Ultra HD) with HDR

Result:              Stuttering, lips out of sync

How are things look for you guys? Please tell me which app version you use and how well it works for you.

Also wierd in the youtube app is, that when you view the "geek stats" it doesn't show frame drops, yet the video is stuttering and sound cracking. 

[Jecht_Sin]

I have an KD-49XD8099 and fortunately YouTube doesn't have any sound cracking. Amazon is still a mess as usual. But I partially improved it deleting the Amazon Video app data.

Everything else that was broken before still looks broken: Audio passthrough, no YouTube HDR, Discovery Menu crashing, awfully slow volume bar, Android rebooting enabling VPN apps, and many others.

[Risc0n]

They fixed NOTHING! Youtube still stutters at 4k, Amazon stutters and the volume bar is useless. Additionally there ARC does not work reliably.

Sony, you need to fire your programmers.

[Jecht_Sin]

This is how I imagine the IT team at Mediatek/Sony for the development of Android TV for Sony Bravia! 

(From the TV Show: The IT Crowd).

[hvalentim]

"when you view the "geek stats" it doesn't show frame drops, yet the video is stuttering and sound cracking."

Sound has no problems here, but image does stutter at times, altough geek stats shows 0 frame drops.

Also, I am not sure if HDR is activated automatically. Clearly it was not in previous firmware version.

55kd8005 / Youtube 

[Kuschelmonschter]

Question is where you count frame drops, at the decoder or at the renderer. So the decoder might output all frames but the renderer fails to display them all.

Philips also acknowledged the YouTube 2.0 issue on their MediaTek based devices and reduced frame rate to max. 30fps, see here.

Keep in mind that no Sony supports YouTube HDR today. The TV only plays the VP9 SDR streams instead which is why the TV does not switch profile to HDR.

[Jecht_Sin]

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Kuschelmonschter wrote:

Question is where you count frame drops, at the decoder or at the renderer. So the decoder might output all frames but the renderer fails to display them all.

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Indeed. Youtube usually downloads all frames, if the bandwidth (and/or CPU?) isn't enough it should just reduce the resolution. Then the renderer/video player at 60fps visibly loses frames. Personally i didn;t use YouTube much lately, but in the few tests I did it went back to how it was before.

It would be intresting to have one of those devices to measure the frame rates, the ones Digital Foundry uses for the video games (although I am not sure if they can be used with an app running inside the TV itself. I believe they usually are HDMI devices connected between the consoles/PC and screen). And see if, even having some microstuttering, somehow it keeps the frame rate always above 30fps. They say that a constant 30 fps is better than a fluctuating 30-60fps.

Still I can't believe that two major things like vp9.2 (YouTube HDR) and audio passthrough support haven't been added/fixed. Also to play personal videos the best combination I have found is the following:

• Plex server with DLNA enabled
• Sony's Video app accessing the Plex DLNA server

That's the only way to get the audio passthrough working with DTS and other formats. As I mentioned in another post even AAC 5.1 gets converted to DD 5.1 (or was it DD+? I forgot). And it's the only player showing deep black bars instead of gray bars with HDR content. It also shows muxed subtitles. they are just a bit too large. Oh, it also has the best streaming capabilities in terms of capacity, it plays fluidly videos that stutter with other apps.

Too bad that the Video app is too basic. And bugged as usual. After going back from a video (streamed from a DLNA server) usually the content of the folder gets empty. But sure, Sony doesn't care. They'd rather sell overpriced SD content with the Playstation Video service.

[diodorus]

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@Jecht_Sin wrote:

Also to play personal videos the best combination I have found is the following:

• Plex server with DLNA enabled
• Sony's Video app accessing the Plex DLNA server

That's the only way to get the audio passthrough working with DTS and other formats. 

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I found the following combination:

• Plex server with DLNA enabled
• ARCHOS Video app accessing the Plex DLNA server

to work better: I get passthrough + better menus + (most importantly) you can adjust audio-sync

[Jecht_Sin]

@diodorus All right, thanks. I will give it a try!

[Jecht_Sin]

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diodorus wrote: 
I found the following combination:

• Plex server with DLNA enabled
• ARCHOS Video app accessing the Plex DLNA server

to work better: I get passthrough + better menus + (most importantly) you can adjust audio-sync

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So I have tried it, installing the Codecs as well. the app would be really cool, it indexes even the DLNA libraries and it does seems to support DTS passthrough, but it has been a nightmare. Skipping backward/forward it slowed down the TV to a crawl, also crashing frequently. I resolved it uninstalling the app and then rebooting the TV.

Still it doesn't matter. I have reached the conclusion that the only way to make full use of our surround amplifiers is to buy a TV set box (namely an Apple TV 4K or a Nvidia Shield). I have already put away a budget of €220 for an Apple TV 4K 64GB. I must admit that Nvidia Shield currently should have more functions (Amazon Video and I believe YouTube in 4K/HDR. Plus Kodi available without tricks), but I already have Android in the TV, so between tvOS and Android I should be fully covered in terms of apps.