[wrxtasy]

As already mentioned in previous posts, I've been testing a private Android TV OS ROM (v1.0) by Mr @ricardopvz on the Play2 the last few days and its already looking pretty polished.
Its running WeTek's Android Lollipop 5.1.1 DRM capable Firmware underneath the Android TV OS Leanback launcher, so you still keep most of WeTek's nice custom Apps like VNC server, FTP server, Network Mounter, User adjustable individual App refresh switching....

Some of the Live (TV) Channels features (eg Timeshift) has been backported from Android Marshmallow I believe.

What I've tested and works:

• HDCP Keys, Widevine Level1 and Microsoft Playready DRM remains intact
  
• ATV OS Play Store
  
• Play2's internal DVB Tuner
  
• WeTV App with no Lip Sync issues. Official regular - WeTek Android Lollipop & WeTV still has issues.
  
• Live (TV) Channels, with Grid Style EPG & working Timeshift - uses the WeTV App Tuner backend.
  
• Quicklaunch into Live Channels from a dedicated remote control button.
  
• Excellent hardware deinterlacing of all mpeg2 / H264 / 29.97 / 25 / 50fps TV streams.
  
• Full Automatic - Android (Level 2), system wide, dynamic Refresh Rate switching. Eg smooth 24p 1080p Netflix playback + other Apps
  
• 5.1 AC3 Audio Passthrough in Live Channels and WeTek Media Player (Jarvis) App (HD audio untested yet, should work fine)
  
• Smooth video playback for all 23.976 / 29.97 / 59.94fps video content in WMP.
  
• Handy Sideload / Launcher for regular Lollipop Apps added.
  
• Dual Boot Android TV OS / LibreELEC Kodi works
  
• Pretty much Idiot proof Reflashing and updating of the ROM to internal eMMC storage, very easy !

Limitations:

• No voice search available yet, testing with the WeTek Core's remote currently - hopefully a minor tweak. Fixed ! 14 Oct.
  
• Google Play Movies & TV shows will only be available in SD as the Play2 is NOT an Officially Licenced Google Android TV OS device.
  
• Likely a few more ATV OS subtleties I have not discovered or do not know about yet.

Changlog.... ATV ROM (v1.1) - updated 29th Oct

Additions I've noticed:

• Google Play Music Added
  
• Google Play Movies & TV now says "Watch in HD on this device" as does the majority of TV Shows (but newly released content may have restrictions)
  
• The Power Button icon at the bottom of the ATV Home screen.
  
• A new ROM Settings - to start an App automatically on bootup.
  
• Improved Voice search in Apps

Untested (yet):

• a TvHeadend server running in Android.
  
• this server can either be used with the normal Kodi TvHeadend Addon Client or the ATV - Live Channels TvHeadend Beta App

This really is an excellent, flexible ATV OS ROM now !

---

Be aware WeTek have nothing to do with this user compiled ROM, that is based on freely available Android Open Source Code.

Its simply that a talented Android developer, Mr @ricardopvz has gotten interested enough in this DVB capable Play2 to produce his own Android TV OS ROM to layer on top of WeTek's existing 1080p DRM capable Firmware.

This is a very healthy thing and I suspect was part of WeTek's planning all along when they decided to package a Serial cable and OS server tools, with easy remote Telnet access into the Play2 to help the developer community out.

Not sure when this ATV OS ROM will be out in the Wild. Pretty soon I would think.



Oh, and one more thing, 5.1 Audio passthrough now works for smooth 24p HD Netflix

[Vlaves]

As already mentioned in previous posts, I've been testing a private Android TV OS ROM by Mr @ricardopvz on the Play2 the last few days and its already looking pretty polished.
...
[*] Live (TV) Channels, with Grid Style EPG & working Timeshift - uses the WeTV App Tuner backend.
...

One question to this: Is it possible to use this WETV App Tuner backend on a second WeTek Play2? We have two TVs, but just the 1st one has the satelite dish cable. If tvheadend would run on this image with the internal tuners, that would be a "no brainer", but with the WETV App Tuner backend I just don't know. If you could provide some info here, that would be great

[wrxtasy]

At the moment the WeTV App interfaces through an API into the Android "Live Channels" App.
The only way I have seen to use the TV streaming output from WeTV App via a Home Network is via VLC, but its not at all elegant and user friendly.

A TvHeadend server would be possible in Android with some DIY, but I have yet to see one surface for the AML S905's like there was for the Core.
However with what I have seen anything may be possible.

I actually recommend using Dual tuners if serious about networked TV streaming and recording. And for Dual Tuner DVB-S Linux Kernel driver support its a Intel or RPi TvHeadend server platform you should be looking at.

[ricardopvz]

As already mentioned in previous posts, I've been testing a private Android TV OS ROM by Mr @ricardopvz on the Play2 the last few days and its already looking pretty polished.
...
[*] Live (TV) Channels, with Grid Style EPG & working Timeshift - uses the WeTV App Tuner backend.
...

One question to this: Is it possible to use this WETV App Tuner backend on a second WeTek Play2? We have two TVs, but just the 1st one has the satelite dish cable. If tvheadend would run on this image with the internal tuners, that would be a "no brainer", but with the WETV App Tuner backend I just don't know. If you could provide some info here, that would be great

Only using the existing stream on port 8001 and a client like VLC like wrxtasy said.

At the moment the WeTV App interfaces through an API into the Android "Live Channels" App.
The only way I have seen to use the TV streaming output from WeTV App via a Home Network is via VLC, but its not at all elegant and user friendly.

A TvHeadend server would be possible in Android with some DIY, but I have yet to see one surface for the AML S905's like there was for the Core.
However with what I have seen anything may be possible.

I actually recommend using Dual tuners if serious about networked TV streaming and recording. And for Dual Tuner DVB-S Linux Kernel driver support its a Intel or RPi TvHeadend server platform you should be looking at.

I got TvHeadend running on the Play2 and tuner was detected, the problem is that AmLogic uses a modified DVB API (why don't they follow any standards?) and TvHeadend gives an error while tunning.
The way to fix this is to modify the DVB API in the kernel so it follows the standard DVB API (should not be hard, as it is already good in LibreELEC), but then WeTv would stop working.
I would try and do it, but I don't have the Play2 Android kernel source.

[Sjharris]

Impressive, exactly what I prefer and was looking for in a setup. Now, 2 questions:

1. I currently run a Wetek Play 1. Any chance of this being ported?
2. I am waiting for the release of the Wetek Play 2s, will this be ported to use twin tuners so we can watch one channel whilst recording another?

Can we get some more screenshots of the tv side with epg etc (or a video of this running)?

Keep up the good work and I shall be following this with interest.

[tredman]

Impressive, exactly what I prefer and was looking for in a setup. Now, 2 questions:

1. I currently run a Wetek Play 1. Any chance of this being ported?
2. I am waiting for the release of the Wetek Play 2s, will this be ported to use twin tuners so we can watch one channel whilst recording another?

Can we get some more screenshots of the tv side with epg etc?

Keep up the good work and I shall be following this with interest.

There already was an Android TV version for the play 1 a year or 2 ago. The speed of the Play 1 CPU wasn't up to it and it was dreadful..

[hdmkv]

@wrxtasy, maybe I missed it, but do you have link and instructions for the Android TV ROM? Thanks.

On the HD audio front, DTS-HRA/MA/X just don't work for me. WeTek support replied here saying it worked for them. Not sure what the issue might be at my end. As soon as I connect my Zidoo X9S or Intel NUC into the same HDMI input on my AVR, and test, it works. Fixed, see updated review on p.40.

[zbigzbig20]

@hdmkv , For now android rom is not available for us . Work in progress :-)

[goujam]

@hdmkv I had some issues getting HD audio in android kodi I had to do somethings to get it to work. The weird one was the setting "Pause during refresh rate change" I have to set it to off anything else caused issues. Also I had to make sure that wetek refresh rate switcher was turned off for kodi

[wrxtasy]

@hdmkv,I have not control over release of this ATV ROM, and you still have to get your hands dirty to get some features running at the moment.

For Audio I would also fiddle around with "Keep Audio device Alive" Kodi option.

I disable WMP for any Android system level refresh switching by highlighting it Blue in the Display Refresh App.
Then select Kodi (in its settings) to do its own dynamic Refresh switching, it uses a slightly different part of the Kernel Code and is more reliable.

@ricardopvz, will pull the trigger when he is happy. He is a pretty fastidious fella.

[ortichi]

Hello

I have a problem when play back video which resolution is less than 1080p, not fullscreen i see in a "small Window".

My config:

WMP/Weplayer or Kodi under ANDROID wetek v1.3(also 1.2)

i put level 2 in display settings->refresh, highlight in blue weplayer in the app and in weplayer, settings->video->playback->adjust display refresh rate in always.

Resolution 1080p 50hz(change? or not)

I had looking for in the forums but didnt find anything.

Thank You.

[wrxtasy]

Firstly go to the Display Refresh App and "Long press" the middle remote button. And, Stop App & clear all the Caches. Then Highlight WMP in Blue again in that Display App.

Settings->video->playback->adjust display refresh rate in always.

I would use:
Settings->video->playback->adjust display refresh rate> Start / Stop

Also make sure Android Settings > Screen Resolution > is NOT set to > Auto Switch to best resolution.
Set 1080p60hz or 1080p50hz

[rocky3156]

I know you said "next year", but any chance the Play 2 will be available for the Xmas buying season 2016?

Particularly interested in the ability to run KODI and OTA and/or cable TV seemlessly through one box with one remote, with EPG and dual tuners. Live in college town with cable company that has terrible customer service dept.

[Sjharris]

I know you said "next year", but any chance the Play 2 will be available for the Xmas buying season 2016?

I think you mean the Play 2s as the Play 2 is already out. I'm eagerly awaiting the release as well to upgrade my Play 1 and also the hope that the ATV rom will be released for it.

[hdmkv]

Disabled and re-enabled all the necessary/recommended settings, and got HD audio mostly working fine now. Maybe it's my unit or the present f/w in Play2, but it's finicky. Occasionally, I get stutter and audio drop-outs w/TrueHD or ATMOS, then after rebooting, they play fine. With DTS:X, I have one clip for which I get no audio, but others are okay. Bottom line is actual full movies (MKV's and ISO's) w/HD audio seem to work fine, at least the handful I've checked out so far.

My review here updated, and video demo added: