2019-01-19, 00:45
To Moderator: I have posted this to this sub-forum since it was suggested that I post in Android Forum. I have also posted same in the Picture sub-forum https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=305053 with heading Video Stumbles. Sorry for long post. I thought detailed description would be helpful along with logfile.
I use Kodi to view photos and home videos on our large screen TV. I like to use slideshow mode because it offers Ken Burns style pan and zoom on images. Also, you can sort files by file date or date taken, a feature which I have not seen on other android photo/video viewer apps. This feature displays the videos in a timeline with photos in consecutive order, as opposed to watching all photos and then all videos as you would have if sorted in filename order.
In Kodi 16.1 Jarvis, the Picture slideshow viewer works flawlessly, but with 17.6 Krypton it no longer worked and every version since has had the same problem (see symptoms below). This issue has been around since January, 2017 and it would be great to have a solution. I believe there would be many Kodi users who would appreciate being able to properly use the built-in picture slideshow feature, as it was implemented in Kodi Jarvis.
Hardware and Software:
Nvidia Shield TV 16 GB and kodi-20190116-6733f379-master-arm64-v8a.apk nightly build. From Debug file, is Kodi (18.0-RC5 Git:20190116-6733f37). Platform: Android ARM 64-bit. I installed the latest nightly build hoping this issue might have been resolved and wanted to use latest build for logfile. But same issue appears in this latest build as in 17.6 Krypton.
Symptoms:
Before initiate slideshow:
If just click on video file in Widelist, it plays fine. However, if view an image file first and then, with image still on screen, press right arrow on keyboard (or click Right button on controller it tries to play the next file (a video) but Video does not display, just a black screen, but audio is working. File plays to end and then repeats in endless loop. You can actually view video if click Options on left and click the “Expand” button (to right of “Next File” button) but then have exited play function and at end of video it goes back to Widelist to display the file list.
After initiate slideshow:
Images display fine and advance to next file automatically, but if next file is a video, get audio only. When video finishes, it advances to next file. If image, displays fine. If video, get audio only.
Notes about logfile: HTTPS://paste.kodi.tv/foyakirafi
The first video attempted to play at Line 178 16:28:30.835 T:13793 and is file name MVI_2409.MP4. There was one image displayed in slideshow before it advanced to that video. Previous image displayed fine, but next file, a video – first a play symbol in square box and then gear icon, then black screen and audio only. That video is from a Canon M50 .mp4 1920X1080P 59.94 fps. All videos displayed the Play symbol and gear icon briefly before either playing or black screen.
It then attempted to play the next file in the slideshow, a video at line 219 16:28:38.332 T:13793 MVI_2414.MP4. This had the same problem of black screen and audio only.
There were always images displayed between each of the following videos. There is no mention of the images in the logfile perhaps because they displayed error free.
Other videos mentioned in the logfile:
Line 264 16:28:53.091 T:13793 MVI_4190.MP4 Canon M50 1080 29.97 fps. Black screen, audio only.
Line 307 16:29:22.377 T:13793 MVI_1358.AVI Canon S410 320X240 15 fps. 0.5 second lag while displays first frame, then video displays fine.
Line 351 6:29:41.010 T:13793 MVI_2778.AVI Canon SD950 640X480 30 fps Short lag, shows play symbol and gear icon then displays video fine.
Summary:
Strange behavior. With older .avi, low fps files, videos playing fine in slideshow, might think is codec or processor issue with 1080P 29 and 59 fps not working. But, those higher res and higher fps videos play just fine if click them one at a time and they are not preceded by an image file. So clearly the processor is up to the job and the Kodi video player has the correct codec available. This problem is not just on Nvidia Shield. I have used a less expensive Android 5 volt box and encountered the same problem… works in 16.1 and not in 17.6 and later.
Finally:
Out of curiosity, I uninstalled the above Kodi 18 nightly build and re-installed Kodi 16.1 Jarvis. It ran the slideshow perfectly in all respects. I uploaded a second logfile for it using the exact same video and .jpg files (except that it cycled around before I could stop the slideshow. So, it has a few more videos and .jpg files). Here is that second logfile: HTTPS://paste.kodi.tv/usujinasat in case anyone wants to do a comparison.
I note also this problem was posted on GitHub https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/issues/14643 Oct 18, 2018 but no apparent solution there yet.
I use Kodi to view photos and home videos on our large screen TV. I like to use slideshow mode because it offers Ken Burns style pan and zoom on images. Also, you can sort files by file date or date taken, a feature which I have not seen on other android photo/video viewer apps. This feature displays the videos in a timeline with photos in consecutive order, as opposed to watching all photos and then all videos as you would have if sorted in filename order.
In Kodi 16.1 Jarvis, the Picture slideshow viewer works flawlessly, but with 17.6 Krypton it no longer worked and every version since has had the same problem (see symptoms below). This issue has been around since January, 2017 and it would be great to have a solution. I believe there would be many Kodi users who would appreciate being able to properly use the built-in picture slideshow feature, as it was implemented in Kodi Jarvis.
Hardware and Software:
Nvidia Shield TV 16 GB and kodi-20190116-6733f379-master-arm64-v8a.apk nightly build. From Debug file, is Kodi (18.0-RC5 Git:20190116-6733f37). Platform: Android ARM 64-bit. I installed the latest nightly build hoping this issue might have been resolved and wanted to use latest build for logfile. But same issue appears in this latest build as in 17.6 Krypton.
Symptoms:
Before initiate slideshow:
If just click on video file in Widelist, it plays fine. However, if view an image file first and then, with image still on screen, press right arrow on keyboard (or click Right button on controller it tries to play the next file (a video) but Video does not display, just a black screen, but audio is working. File plays to end and then repeats in endless loop. You can actually view video if click Options on left and click the “Expand” button (to right of “Next File” button) but then have exited play function and at end of video it goes back to Widelist to display the file list.
After initiate slideshow:
Images display fine and advance to next file automatically, but if next file is a video, get audio only. When video finishes, it advances to next file. If image, displays fine. If video, get audio only.
Notes about logfile: HTTPS://paste.kodi.tv/foyakirafi
The first video attempted to play at Line 178 16:28:30.835 T:13793 and is file name MVI_2409.MP4. There was one image displayed in slideshow before it advanced to that video. Previous image displayed fine, but next file, a video – first a play symbol in square box and then gear icon, then black screen and audio only. That video is from a Canon M50 .mp4 1920X1080P 59.94 fps. All videos displayed the Play symbol and gear icon briefly before either playing or black screen.
It then attempted to play the next file in the slideshow, a video at line 219 16:28:38.332 T:13793 MVI_2414.MP4. This had the same problem of black screen and audio only.
There were always images displayed between each of the following videos. There is no mention of the images in the logfile perhaps because they displayed error free.
Other videos mentioned in the logfile:
Line 264 16:28:53.091 T:13793 MVI_4190.MP4 Canon M50 1080 29.97 fps. Black screen, audio only.
Line 307 16:29:22.377 T:13793 MVI_1358.AVI Canon S410 320X240 15 fps. 0.5 second lag while displays first frame, then video displays fine.
Line 351 6:29:41.010 T:13793 MVI_2778.AVI Canon SD950 640X480 30 fps Short lag, shows play symbol and gear icon then displays video fine.
Summary:
Strange behavior. With older .avi, low fps files, videos playing fine in slideshow, might think is codec or processor issue with 1080P 29 and 59 fps not working. But, those higher res and higher fps videos play just fine if click them one at a time and they are not preceded by an image file. So clearly the processor is up to the job and the Kodi video player has the correct codec available. This problem is not just on Nvidia Shield. I have used a less expensive Android 5 volt box and encountered the same problem… works in 16.1 and not in 17.6 and later.
Finally:
Out of curiosity, I uninstalled the above Kodi 18 nightly build and re-installed Kodi 16.1 Jarvis. It ran the slideshow perfectly in all respects. I uploaded a second logfile for it using the exact same video and .jpg files (except that it cycled around before I could stop the slideshow. So, it has a few more videos and .jpg files). Here is that second logfile: HTTPS://paste.kodi.tv/usujinasat in case anyone wants to do a comparison.
I note also this problem was posted on GitHub https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/issues/14643 Oct 18, 2018 but no apparent solution there yet.