[Soli]

EDIT: SOLVED, Kodi does not downscale video output when using VAAPI as of version 15.1. (Only the GUI itself)

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I thought I'd not spam the EGL thread..

Key info:
HSW Celeron HP Chromebox with Kodibuntu with Generic Ubuntu Kernel 4.1.6. Stock Kodi 15.1.

Scenario 1)
Startup Xrandr script that sets full range on the GPU output. Kodi full range. TV fullrange. Works as expected.

Scenario 2)
Startup Xrandr script that sets full range on the GPU output. Kodi limited range. TV limited range. Colors are a little darker and too saturated. (note that turning off Kodi limited range gives an awful picture as expected)

I've used 1) in the past because of Netflixbmc and needing to use Chrome, but thought I'd change to 2) since Netflixbmc no longer works. Ideally the colors should be more or less the same between 1 and 2 , but theyr're not.

I've ruled out my TV as the culprit. It works fine with limited range input from external cable receiver, ps4 and with Chromebox when I'm not using the Xrandr startup script. I can manually set my TV input YCrCb 4:2:2/4:4:4 and RGB limited/full and it does *not* f around regarding autosensing the input or any weird other weird things.

I can't say for sure, but it sure looks like a bug with Kodi to me. However I'm not a developer, so I would like confirmation or experiences from users with similar hardware. Please do not post speculations in this thread if you clearly don't know what you're talking about

[Sunflux]

Using a HP Chromebox running the OpenElec EGL version, as you may have seen in the EGL thread I've tested literally every combination of settings possible, and I definitely saw no difference between any proper combination on a Sony X850B LCD. I'm using a greyscale test where I can literally tell if the darkest shade of grey is visible or not, and it was always there.

Some random speculation anyways:

* Bug in the specific version you're using
* TV is not processing Limited RGB color space properly. Note that cable boxes typically output component and not RGB, so the fact that the cable box is fine does not rule out an RGB-specific issue.
* Bug with TV settings when manually setting a color space when it has detected an alternate space (ie. gamma curve applied before expension)

Have you played around with the brightness/contrast/gamma to see if you can get it looking right or recover those missing shades?

I think the most interesting thing is you say it works right without Xrandr startup script. What is it setting when you don't force it? Full or limited, and what mode is the TV in?

Incidentally what IS your TV? I have a Pioneer Kuro with those exact same color space options (very annoying because I want to force a range, not entire incompatible color formats), however I have not done any of this testing on it.

[Soli]

Thanks for your answer and speculation. I have not tried the EGL builds. And I didn't plan to yet. I am perfectly happy with the generic builds on a stable distro for now. (A little amount of banding now and then @ full range does not irritate me as much as other things)

My cable box outputs limited rgb. I think we can rule out my TV doing anything funny too. It's an ISF-calibrated Kuro KRP with night/day modes which are always spot on and manual controls of brightness etc can't be accessed when using these modes (I'd have to connect a serial cable). Yes I have briefly tried other modes, and I could maybe adjust some settings, but the point is that it shouldn't neccesary.

Without xrandr script, the gpu output is limited, kodi is then "full" (and gets downscaled by the gpu driver), tv limited. Works fine.

If you could try all 3 modes on your kuro, with the normal build and with the egl build, then we compare results. I'll try to find time to try out the EGL build too, of course.

[FernetMenta]

Thanks for your answer and speculation. I have not tried the EGL builds. And I didn't plan to yet.

Then don't complain about color range. Limited range does not work with vaapi on stock Kodi.

[Soli]

Please, I wasn't complaining. How the hell should I know that when using VAAPI, and enabling limited range in Kodi only affects the GUI?

In fact that's why I didn't to try the EGL builds yet (although I was going to) because the logical thing would be to think that Kodi does the downscaling to limited and there wouldn't be any difference. It's not like it's written anywhere, or that the option is marked out when vaapi is enabled.

But you're right, with software decoding everything looks fine and dandy again.

[fritsch]

Yeah - you could not know. Nobody besides 10 people knows how color processing in Kodi / kernel / xrandr / VAAPI / TV whatever works ...

It's fully counter intuitive and not working for average joe out of the box :-)

I hope we can change this with OpenELEC 2017 ... when all the work is finally in ...

Edit: This was not ironic, btw. - when I see all the talks about "color" in my EGL thread - I am really sure - even if everything is written down correctly - it's just too hard for average joe. Btw. you write you don't want to "spam the EGL thread" <- the very first post in this thread explains everything color related to VAAPI.

[Soli]

Yeah I wrote that since the VAAPI thread was meant for experiences with the EGL builds, but has turned a place where people ask the same questions about colorrange over and over again that really are unrelated to EGL experiences

The firstpost in that thread does contain som information, albeit technical. Since I am not using EGL, I have only previously skimmed that thread. I do understand what the fuzz of EGL builds are, and I look forward to when everything is working well and in Kodi mainline.

The point I'm trying to make is that your first post in that thread doesn't say anywhere (at least not clearly) that Kodi wont downscale a full scale signal to limited output when using VAAPI (although that would mean a double scaling occuring), only in the GUI itself, rendering (hah) that function useless for VAAPI users in it's current state. (In Kodi stable)

[FernetMenta]

@fritsch, maybe you should rename the thread from Vaapi EGL to new VideoPlayer or something like this. In the meantime it is much more than only the EGL change

[fritsch]

@FernetMenta: Can do this ... though I am overrun by beginners and mostly by people that absolutely refuse to read and to think :-(

[Koying]

Hehe, welcome to my world

[wrxtasy]

I think Koying's world is worse and leads to far more Beer consumption