2017-10-12, 05:03
(2017-10-09, 20:47)JamesButlerHickok Wrote: As an aspiring cord cutter, I would like to know the cause and cure for the Kodi 17.4 / AFTV 2 juddering and audio sync issues? Late to the party, I've been only using the Kodi / AFTV 2 box combo to stream movies, network shows and sports, for the past 9 months, and it is the only combo that I've used to attempt to cut the cable.
When streaming tv shows it seems that there is a prevailing judder, which is worse with some some networks and certain types of movie scenes. However, the judder and out-of-sync-audio make watching the few paid live IPTV services that I subscribe to -particularly live sports- unwatchable.
If there is no Kodi 17.4 / AFTV 2 box fix, then is there a better non-juddering device for an aspiring cord-cutter with my viewing preferences?
It's hard to tell what you're talking about. Live sports? On KODI? Is that a plugin or do you mean the Amazon Apps for FireTV? I don't watch anything "live" on KODI save some plugins like the NASA one, just the prerecorded library off my server. I do use FireTV for Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. and other than the crappy Netflix player having some issues lately, I haven't noticed any real judder on THEIR material, but then I don't currently do "live" TV Apps on FireTV. I was thinking of ditching cable and getting Playstation VUE instead, however as I don't watch as much TV as I used to (save Netflix). I also found an Android app for Vudu that works with 1080p with FireTV 4K (at least I can play Ultraviolet titles on FireTV now).
One problem that did exist was the firmware release before this one broke 23.x/24 fps, but it appears to be now be fixed again in the current one as long as you select 'AUTO' Resolution for FireTV in its own preferences AND use the SURFACE Codec for hardware decoding (otherwise there's judder). This lets my Epson projector do frame interpolation smoothly (anything over 24 fps causes it to judder once in awhile). I have noticed, however since the last firmware update Netflix, in particular, is very unstable now (used to be rock solid). KODI also crashes more often than it used to, IMO, often while doing such basic tasks as watching picture slideshows. Whether that's 17.4, the new firmware or some other issue, I don't know, but it all seemed more stable a few months back, but then 24fps was broken so....
The "shitty" version of Kodi 17.4 does DTS (at least up to 6.1) fine on my home theater FireTV (never any noise as the newer receivers don't allow it). The regular ("fixed") version DOES make noise on my older Technics decoder that can't sync instantly, but apparently despite all the screaming on here about how awful the "shitty" version is, they don't care that the IEC compliant one still makes horrible noises if you're using an older decoder since it cannot lock to a signal instantly and having the "audio device is always on" option on allows the Dolby Digital undecoded noise to come through for a second or two before it can lock the signal and detect Dolby Digital. If you turn the audio device OFF all the time, it won't do it, but then you lose the first second or two of music every single time it starts instead. So it kind of sucks either way.
Ironically, it could be easily fixed if the leave audio device on setting had an "except before starting a movie turn off/on" setting since that's the ONLY time it should ever need to turn the audio device off is right before starting something with an encoded format that could make the noise such as a movie (i.e. If DD is going to be output, then turn off audio device just before starting the same as "always off" when not in use option and it would stay active for music but reset for Dolby Digital sources and avoid ALL chances of undecoded noise. But there's no interest in that since most newer decoders are fast enough to avoid that issue entirely and what the devs don't notice, they don't care about, particularly if it means adding preference options as one size is apparently supposed to fit all setups. I've brought this up a few times and I'm either ignored or one dev told me flat out he wouldn't look into anything since I insulted him once years ago. Well, there you go. Personal agendas before product. Thus, I gave up on trying to suggest improvements or fixes to known issues. No one gives a crap. I only try to help other users now.
I don't know if the new FireTV 4K Mark II will be any better for outputting Master Audio or whatever (it adds HDR support), but it's not like all the other devices are better somehow. I was willing to buy another device for JUST KODI that could do "everything" (i.e. that means full 3D decoding in hardware as well, which requires a custom version of KODI due to modifications of the FFMPEG library being required to make it work) and I'm sorry, but EVERY SINGLE DEVICE out there had at least one problem, if not more. NONE were "perfect" at everything no matter how much money you threw at it and the Intel/Windows devices have to put up with endless Windows 10 updates wrecking things on top of that (already screwed up some drivers at one point from what I read) and the Linux/Android based boxes have endless bugs as well no matter what version you get (the Shield isn't perfect either, notably not having 3D support enabled in terms of KODI and the last I heard still no Amazon Prime player on the Apps side). Sure, if the only thing the world that matters to you is 23.97 fps output and/or Master audio output, you can probably find a device that works more consistently (or at all in the latter case versus FireTV), but they will lack something else (apps for example) and so you'll need ANOTHER device as well in all likelihood.
As it stands, with the firmware update, I can at least watch 24fps in KODI now and with my older receiver, it only does regular DTS/DD anyway so I don't need master output, etc. for now. I doubt the new AppleTV will do much better either since they still have zero support for DTS (and no Dolby Atmos extensions either, at least from Apple despite Dolby Vision support). Apple doesn't and never did care about quality audio outside professional applications. They think 99.9% of all people just listen to TV speakers so why bother. Gotta love a tech company that doesn't actually like tech. Baby tech maybe. But I can't say I like anything Windows based now because it's endless FORCED updates and I know from having a Windows phone before that they break as many things as they fix all the freaking time. It's awful if you like stability. Windows used to be more stable than the Mac operating system, but now it's a grab bag. They're both updating every other week for WORTHLESS updates. At least Apple doesn't typically force you to update (on the Mac at least). Android/Linux? It hasn't been real stable or is missing features. I've been pretty disappointed in the lack of selection of a device that can do everything reliably long-term (including hardware 3D decoding so I don't have to use my Blu-Rays all the time for 3D and play them off a local hard drive instead).
I don't even need 4K (new projector is 1080P 3D, but no 4K as it's still to expensive and most 4K titles are disc only (can't rip so WTF difference does it make with KODI?) and many of them are 2K upconverts. HDR gives some improvement, but it's not always rated "better" (see Ghost in the Shell where only the 3D 1080p version was rated acceptable quality by many). I prefer 3D over 4K so until there's an affordable projector that can do both, I'll stick with 1080p on my 93" screen (at 10 feet viewing couch). My living room has a smaller TV which I couldn't see even 1080p resolution at 48 inches at 12 feet so IMO 4K is overrated and most people will never see anywhere near that resolution in practice. I always think it's funny watching people stand 2 feet from a 60" set at Best Buy and 'oohing and aahing' when no one watches TV from 2-5 feet at home. It's a largely a gimmick except for extremely large sets or projectors. That is why they added HDR/WCG so there is something you can see 15 feet from a 60 inch 4K set because it sure as hell isn't the 4K resolution at that distance due to the eye's limited resolving distances.
