Login at Kodi Home

mwake · (This post was last modified: 2015-05-23, 04:36 by mwake.)

I have two 'identical' MXIII android TV boxes. I am trying to passthrough Dolby Digital to the AV amp using HDMI and have the respective settings in android and kodi correctly configured in both boxes.

One android box plays Dolby Digital audio flawlessly and perfectly from genesis addon but the other twin box doesn't.

I checked the log file but in my 'limited' understanding didn't see anything wrong...

Both boxes have been granted superuser permissions and are using same version of kodi. Advance thanks for any ideas [THUMBS UP SIGN]

mwake · (This post was last modified: 2015-05-25, 17:47 by mwake.)

(2014-07-22, 10:27)Memphiz Wrote: Android has no common API for passthrough capable HDMI - it is up to the hardware vendor / firmware provider to make it work. Some boxes can do it - some others don't. But there is no official API from google for it so its all hacks over hacks.

This is just a lack in android and google needs to address it to allow hardware vendors to easily support this kind of audio modes.

(2014-01-21, 16:48)davilla Wrote: Selection is not the issue Only a very few Android devices support passthrough.

Ok after some serious Google investigative work I found out why one android box I have works great with playing DD5.1 and the other 'twin' box doesn't. I never realised that android didnt yet fully have support for pass through of audio....I was lucky to buy one android box that does support it and as I said in first post it works every time... But the second similar box that I bought from another vendor (which I thought was the same) doesn't pass through audio to my avr... Hopefully this feature will become standard in future... Hope this helps others with the same issues...

mwake · (This post was last modified: 2015-05-25, 17:51 by mwake.)

Hghhjjjk

technisol · 2015-05-25, 23:55

So what was the difference? Different firmwares or totally different hardware version?

mwake · 2015-05-29, 23:01

Yes they have different firmware....also one was branded meson8 and other one m82...

technisol · 2015-05-30, 00:41

Ok, keep us all in suspense why don't you? Which one actually works with DD5.1? I'm sure other inquiring minds want to know! ;-) I'm guessing the MXIII (M82) works because it has an S802 like my CX-S806... and because Meson 8 doesn't seem to yield any specs in Google.

nickr · 2015-05-30, 01:16

It kinda makes me wonder why people keep buying this type of hardware, cheap arm/android boxes simply don't cut high end audio or video.

technisol · 2015-05-30, 05:13

Gee, nickr, mine seems to be doing just fine... Maybe I'm not as discerning or demanding as you are, or maybe I'm just not enough of a prat to (un)intentionally insult everyone near me? ;-) Then again, I've done it once, or twice, too in my day.

We're not gazing at the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel here... And now 1080P or 720P content(99% of what we still view) is high end? For anything I've played, up to 1920x1080, the CX-S806 has kept up just fine. In fact, it even plays the 3840x2160 Big Buck Bunny just fine with full audio sync. I'm really quite impressed by this little box that cost a whopping $66 shipped! Granted, there has been a little niggling involved.

By the way, for the sake of comparison, I have KODI running on a 2560x1600 resolution Samsung tablet, a 1280x720 Samsung phone(I'm in no hurry to upgrade), and a Samsung 900X1A Netbook/Notebook with HDMI output. Granted, I haven't jumped to a 4K set yet, but then I'd prefer others bleed on the edge before I commit unless there really is a need to at any reasonable viewing distance. I've bled on the edge enough over the years -it's hardly ever worth it unless it puts you in a position to increase your wealth by doing so -and then only when it works out. The first mouse gets it in the neck, the second mouse gets the cheese.

nickr · 2015-05-30, 06:10

Yeah I hear you but are you getting HD audio? Are you getting correct frame rate switching. I'd rather watch 1080p with the correct audio and frame rate than 4k with pulldown in stereo.

technisol · (This post was last modified: 2015-05-31, 01:43 by technisol.)

Hey, if the relatively minor bit of judder present in most movies pushes your buttons especially hard I'll give you that, android is not perfect. But I've noticed very little -most likely in panning shots with repeating elements at fixed spacing. I consider this infrequent relatively minor inconvenience a fair trade off that'll likely get tended to soon enough. Maybe it helps that my HDTV is actually a 120Hz unit so pulldown isn't really as obvious with a 5x multiplier vs. 2.5. I'm not sure -I'd have to see what peaks your level of annoyance to contrast it to my own.

Just for giggles, and because I wanted to, I watched Guardians of the Galaxy last night at 1920x1080 through KODI. I noticed a total of less than 10 seconds during only two separate panning shots that exhibited any evidence of judder -repeating elements with high contrast panned at I suspect just the right speed to make it show up. Not bad for nearly two hours of movie -about 1/720 ratio. Thankfully, I somehow, just how we'll never know, survived the experience.

Or maybe I'm just not that sensitive to the effects. I find it occurring so very infrequently that I'm watching off the android box rather than the notebook and actively seeking it. For the most part there is very very little in the movies I've watched and I've never seen a problem in regular TV episodes -as you'd expect for they are generally ~30 or ~60 FPS.