[Uoppi]

I just installed the Jarvis Alpha 1. I noticed the automatic refresh rate adjustment is working better now and I was wondering what exactly was changed?

In all previous XBMC/Kodi versions, refresh rate adjustments always resulted in an annoying flash of black screen, even when choosing not to pause with the change. However, in Jarvis it's snappier - the picture does stall momentarily but the screen doesn't flash visibly in black.

This has been a huge problem for me with variable frame rate videos and I'm glad it's apparently become a bit less distracting. Nothing would beat an "Adjust refresh rate only at the start of playback" option, though...

[wsnipex]

Nothing would beat an "Adjust refresh rate only at the start of playback" option, though...

tried "on start/stop" already?

[Memphiz]

That black screen is nothing we could prevent via kodi code. Its a feature of the used screen. So if you only see a stalled picture instead it either doesn't really switch refreshrates or you have updated the firmware of the screen so it handles it faster/better.

[Uoppi]

tried "on start/stop" already?

Yes, and for quite a while I thought it was supposed to do exactly what I need. But I learned "On start/stop" only prevents the refresh rate from switching to desktop refresh rate when accessing the menus.

That black screen is nothing we could prevent via kodi code. Its a feature of the used screen. So if you only see a stalled picture instead it either doesn't really switch refreshrates or you have updated the firmware of the screen so it handles it faster/better.

Trying different Kodi versions back to back on the same screen (2014 Samsung TV, connected via HDMI), Gotham and Isengard (would assume Helix too) flash a black screen. Jarvis Alpha 1 simply freezes the picture very briefly, which is much less distracting and was a welcome surprise. Exactly the same scenario happens using my Acer PC monitor.

And Kodi actually does attempt to adjust the refresh rate - it can be verified from the log and also simply by setting the screen to pause during refresh rate adjustments (and furthermore, setting the adjustment to off results in no freezes whatsoever in the same material).

One very strange thing I've noticed btw: sometimes after switching between different view modes in Kodi during playback, the freezes (i.e. unwanted adjustments) won't happen but after stopping and restarting the clip, they always occur at the same given points (frame rate apparently drops too low).

I certainly hope it won't revert back to previous behavior on subsequent Jarvis builds, whatever is causing the adjustments to perform better. That's partially why I thought I'd post about it, to see what the devs have to say and kind of to assure myself this wasn't just some "happy accident".

[Uoppi]

I just realized Jarvis is Dx11, whereas my previous installations have all been Dx9. Hence "snappier"?

Too bad using DXVA2 and Dx11 on Intel HD Grpahics messes up black levels: Kodi menu is uncomfortably dark in comparison to Dx9 and serious brightness tweaking is required to get limited range displaying properly. But I trust it will get fixed, so I guess I can live with the brightness tweak for now.