[hdmkv]

If we get ISO on Pi, then it'll be like 90% there as a cheap yet solid Kodi + full 3D + half HD audio player. TrueHD to PCM7.1 yes, DTS-MA no (core yes).

[Stereodude]

DTS-HD could probably be added. There is now a open source DTS-HD decoder.

[popcornmix]

DTS-HD could probably be added. There is now a open source DTS-HD decoder.

Interesting. I wonder what performance is like, and how easily it will integrate with ffmpeg.

[movie78]

3D ISO
HD Audio

Or else no GO For Me!!

[drhill]

I have no idea why people stick with ISO's instead of MKV.

Does menu support (crappy or otherwise) make that much a difference?

[Stereodude]

Interesting. I wonder what performance is like, and how easily it will integrate with ffmpeg.

I'm not sure. I know several other projects are looking at it too (LAVfilters & eac3to). That was how I found out about it.

[movie78]

I have no idea why people stick with ISO's instead of MKV.

Does menu support (crappy or otherwise) make that much a difference?

YES!
Once you go ISO,you can't go back...

[nickr]

@deborah_c - is there a tool that can tell me whether an mkv file holds an mvc 3d stream? I downloaded some samples (pointed to in the rpi oe test builds thread) and I can't seem to get mediainfo to shed any light on the fact that they are stereoscopic. Example:

http://pastebin.com/VGRbuXss

EDIT to add, thanks for your efforts. We all appreciate it.

Code:

Format profile                           : Stereo [email protected] / [email protected]
MultiView_Count                          : 2

Those lines are the magic that show it's MVC.

Thank you, I am embarrassed to find I missed that. I was searching for MVC. D'oh.

[nickr]

I have no idea why people stick with ISO's instead of MKV.

Does menu support (crappy or otherwise) make that much a difference?

YES!
Once you go ISO,you can't go back...

I have to say that if Bluray menus are anything like DVD menus they would drive me crazy.

[drhill]

They are slightly better when the support during playback usage, but that's about it.

[Milhouse]

Funny thing about HD Audio, even a Senior Vice President of Dolby Labs reckons it requires a skilled listener to tell the difference between 5.1 AC-3 and 5.1 TrueHD, according to a recent interview in Home Cinema Choice, a UK magazine:

HCC: What do you think of the results and performance of TrueHD technology?
Ioan Allen: My answer is that it's superior because it's lossless compression. Whether the consumer is aware of it or not, it probably requires someone with really good ears and training to hear the difference. Compare 5.1 TrueHD and 5.1 AC-3 and it requires a pretty skilled listener to say that's one or that's the other.

[poofyhairguy]

I like this chart. A quick reference guide is important seeing as how quickly this market has grown. If it is ok I will link to this thread in my stickied thread.

Two pieces of feedback:

I would specify if these features are something you can get from normal Kodi, or if you need an external player or some special forked version of Kodi. Just looking at this chart some people might be convinced a certain box is the perfect Kodi appliance, only to get locked in with an external player that won't ever be updated by the developer once the next generation of devices hit. You specify this for 3D playback, but to me if an external player is the only way a device can do proper 24p or bitstream HD audio it deserves an asterisk.

Also I would have the Pi 2 as a solid A and not A-. I don't have one, but it is clearly the most supported Kodi box at that size/price right now, and the only one that gives every single benefit it can give with the main branch of Kodi. That means it will be supported the longest almost as a guarantee. This long-term future plus the fact that it is the only ARM box that has played my worst VC1 test clip makes it a clear A in my eyes.

Heck the only real knock on the Pi 2 it is can't properly handle DTS HD audio, but only like 1% of people have the $3000 speakers you need to tell the difference between DTS HD and that massive core DTS track. The real gap is between Dolby True HD audio and plain AC3, and it can decode Dolby True HD. The Pi 2 is the A device right now, maybe even A+.

[nickr]

I am after a HD audio setup primarily because I have bought 7.1 speakers for my new media room.

[movie78]

I think the Pi 2 should be C+
Pi 2 vs VidOn box
Pi 2 cost $72
VidOn cost $49 + $15

For the this specific chart = 3D ISO support and Bit-stream Audio support

Pi 2 can't handle those yet but the VidOn box can

So VidOn box should get B+

[poofyhairguy]

Funny thing about HD Audio, even a Senior Vice President of Dolby Labs reckons it requires a skilled listener to tell the difference between 5.1 AC-3 and 5.1 TrueHD, according to a recent interview in Home Cinema Choice, a UK magazine:

The difference between True HD and AC3 is massive. Plain AC3 has a max bitrate of 640 kbit/s, compared to True HD which technically can go to 18 Mbit/s but I commonly see at around 2-4 Mbit/s.

Meanwhile the core DTS track of a Blu Ray can go to 1.5Mb/s! That is almost three times what basic AC3 offers. Heck most DTS HD tracks top out around the same 2-4 Mbit/s so you can see there isn't much the core track misses.

Seeing as how True HD can be decoding in Kodi, at a practical level we only need PCM bitstreaming for everyone who doesn't have like a $3000 speaker system.

Honestly for me the gap between a Pi 2 and A Chromebox isn't the HD audio, it is the extra per-core power being thrown at GUI performance with a large library. Or the better 1080i interlacing. HD Audio bitstreaming is down the list. 24p is MUCH more important for example in a box than HD audio bitstreaming.