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**popcornmix** · (This post was last modified: 2014-11-25, 23:20 by popcornmix.)

I have a suspicion that the Fire TV Stick subsamples when converting from hardware video format to GLES texture format when the video is above a certain size (e.g. above SD).
This would explain the resolution loss.

Software video decode won't go through this code path, so is unaffected. Also the internal [edit: I mean stock Android] player most likely avoids the conversion to texture format so wouldn't be affected.

dastick · 2014-11-25, 21:30

(2014-11-25, 17:03)hdmkv Wrote: Try disabling 'mediacodec' under Acceleration in Settings and see if video playback improves.

Just had a chance to try this, no change with mediacodec disabled.

Changing to software decode the image is sharp again, but lots of lost frames and jerkiness.

epoxe · 2014-11-25, 21:32

(2014-11-25, 20:57)popcornmix Wrote: I have a suspicion that the Fire TV Stick subsamples when converting from hardware video format to GLES texture format when the video is above a certain size (e.g. above SD).
This would explain the resolution loss.

Software video decode won't go through this code path, so is unaffected. Also the internal player most likely avoids the conversion to texture format so wouldn't be affected.

Great! What does this mean for us non-developer types? Is this fixable through XBMC development or a hardware limitation? Thanks so much for the response.

Chimera2345 · 2014-11-25, 22:45

(2014-11-25, 20:57)popcornmix Wrote: Also the internal player most likely avoids the conversion to texture format so wouldn't be affected.

So wait, are most of the people on this thread not using the internal player? What are you using instead?

epoxe · 2014-11-25, 23:00

We are all talking about XBMC's video playback, not external players. I think he's referencing the firetv sticks video player not having these problems. Just guessing here.

I sideloaded gotham 13.2 and enabled digital audio pass through, thats it.

**popcornmix** · 2014-11-25, 23:19

(2014-11-25, 23:00)epoxe Wrote: We are all talking about XBMC's video playback, not external players. I think he's referencing the firetv sticks video player not having these problems. Just guessing here.

Correct, my sentence was ambiguous.
The default Android media player won't have this issue,
but kodi and any players that render using GL ES will do.

I suspect a fix would have to come from a firmware update.

It should be possible to prove the subsampling with a testcard style video that has alternate black and white lines.
If displayed with "actual size" scaling you should see the stripes.
If subsampled you will see solid white, black or gray.

epoxe · 2014-11-26, 02:27

For the record just got a regular fire tv and followed same process.... looks perfect. I.e. just the stick.

lowridin_guy · 2014-11-26, 15:51

I can also confirm that HD video quality is a bit "blurry" or washed out with my FireTV stick using SPMC. Definitely not as sharp or crisp of an image as it should be.

Hopefully this can be fixed somehow since besides the video quality issue, this stick is quite impressive.

essential · 2014-11-26, 16:16

My only other issue with the stick was scrolling right in a large movie collection. I have over 200 movies linked, and if I scroll right quickly XBMC just crashes (in multiple skins). I have to go slowly if I want to get to older movies. I can handle that, the video quality issue is more serious.

whitebelly · (This post was last modified: 2014-11-26, 16:29 by whitebelly.)

(2014-11-26, 15:51)lowridin_guy Wrote: I can also confirm that HD video quality is a bit "blurry" or washed out with my FireTV stick using SPMC. Definitely not as sharp or crisp of an image as it should be.

This could be due to your display settings, particularly color range. I assume the FTV is RGB limited range, not full.

epoxe · (This post was last modified: 2014-11-26, 16:33 by epoxe.)

It's definitely more than just color range, there is a lot of terrible "aliasing" i guess you would call it, if you get close enough to look at. It looks like a 720p video played at half resolution blown up to 1080. (Horrible on a good 55" tv). If I get the time ill hook it back up and take some screenshots. I bought a regular FireTV and it has none of these problems.

baruchin · 2014-11-26, 16:34

Five pages of this thread and not a single debug log. How are Kodi devs are going to go deep into this when there's not a debug log?

whitebelly · (This post was last modified: 2014-11-26, 17:01 by whitebelly.)

(2014-11-26, 16:32)epoxe Wrote: It's definitely more than just color range,

I was referring to the "washed out" item mentioned by the other member's post to which I responded. Not the other issues some are seeing. Probably best, for those with other issues, to specify which XBMC version they are using and the video settings they are using, in order to help narrow down the issues. A debug log check might not hurt either.

lowridin_guy · 2014-11-26, 17:09

Just read on XDA that by disabling all HW accelleration seems to fix the "blurry" image. Of course this comes with the price of performance loss.

epoxe · (This post was last modified: 2014-11-26, 19:09 by epoxe.)

(2014-11-26, 16:34)baruchin Wrote: Five pages of this thread and not a single debug log. How are Kodi devs are going to go deep into this when there's not a debug log?

Would love to but when i have free time to post i dont have access to my device. Hopefully this weekend I'll find some time. Also, one has to imagine that with a development team this size someone already has their hands on this device.