START HERE - Pick the Right Kodi Box (updated Dec 2020)
(2018-09-22, 12:22)noggin Wrote: If you want to use SPDIF audio - it's always worth considering using an HDMI audio extractor downstream. Some of them (but not all) will extract DD/DTS (others will be PCM 3.0 only). These devices have HDMI video pass-through but extract audio to SPDIF Toslink and/or Coax outputs (and usually analogue 2.0 for PCM stereo sources)

They can be a useful stop-gap approach to allow legacy amps to work with newer platforms which don't have SPDIF connectivity.

Example here https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XFZXTYW/r...il_0?psc=1  (NB this isn't 4K 60 compatible, and I'm not endorsing that model)  You can also get models with integrated DD/DTS decoders with 5.1 analogue outputs.

Hm, didn't think in that direction. Not the ideal solution, using an additional piece of eqipment, but still a solution. Thanks noggin, that's good to know.

I would also like to go a bit deeper into this:
(2018-09-21, 18:28)wrxtasy Wrote: [...]

That then opens up your choices of Media player for easy to use Apps - with the best two being the NVIDIA Shield and the Apple TV 4K.
The ATV 4K edges out the Shield for Apps support and picture quality, especially once you venture outside the USA because of tvOS Frame Rate & Dynamic Range Matching a bunch of Apps use.
That is needed for 25/50fps Broadcast TV viewing usage in numerous Overseas territories along with 24p Netflix, Prime Video, MrMC etc.

For me personally that is the primary reason none of the Android (TV) boxes can do the job. 50Hz output for 25i TV sync, then followed by trying to watch 24p content from say Netflix turns streaming viewing into a stuttering, inconvenient mess. I do not want to continually go into device settings and fcuk around with them all the time guessing about video Frame Rates and picture output Hz. That is the job of the OS and properly coded Apps.

So far I've always thought, that the Auto Framerate Switching support has been always mentioned in relation to Android Kodi or LibreELEC (or some other Kodi fork). By the sound of the quote above it appears to affect streaming / playback in general. I.e. that the Auto Framerate Switching does play a role everywhere (Kodi, Netflix, ...) and that it's a matter of the SoC / OS and the playback / streaming software (Kodi, Netflix, ...) to support it or not, correct?

MINIX U9-H is listed as one of the devices, that are capable of Auto frame rate switching & dynamic range matching, although in the thread "Auto frame rate switching & dynamic range matching - 4K (HDR10) capable Hardware" it's listed with the addition "(Kodi, & possibly Plex or Emby only)", which would mean, that Android Kodi and LE would be fine and supporting this feature, while Netflix probably wouldn't, while it would do so on AppleTV 4 (as it's stated in that thread as well)?

For better understanding I would also like to clarify this question I've posted in my summary for MINIX U9-H:
Quote:Some are reporting issues with deinterlacing of live tv content - especially football etc. Is it only related to LE or a general issue? I wouldn't be using the device / LE for live tv, as I said, but DAZN is a sports streaming app, so I would be streaming football etc. via it.
Would I be affected by the deinterlacing issues in that case?

Also this one, to make it complete:
Quote:[...]you cannot select a system resolution for the Kodi GUI of 720p with S912 LE Kodi Krypton.
Would that be a problem for my HDReady TV? I run it on 1080i.
(2018-09-21, 18:28)wrxtasy Wrote: BIG WARNING

Android TV - Netflix on those DIY devices running Android TV ROM's is broken at the moment. (Looks like a Netflix crackdown)
That includes the MINIX U9, and WeTek Hub and Play2.
I suspect they need a Widevine L1 DRM update just like the MECOOL series of devices recently received. Don't assume that will happen.

My point is do NOT rely on DIY Android TV ROM's devices if you need long term bullet proof support for copy protected, paid for streaming Apps.
(Post #1 amended as a consequence)
Thanks for the warning! My impression was, that custom AndroidTV ROMs (at least the one by Ricardo for Wetek Play2) have been working fine, but now I remember Netflix issues from time to time, which Ricardo had to fix. Would be good to use AndroidTV on devices with official mobile version of Android, but not a must-have in the end... Unless I underestimate it...


Messages In This Thread
The right box for me - by tyem - 2016-01-13, 15:29
Jesus Box - by kellyvb - 2016-03-04, 20:18
Thanks for the Help! - by jmc15john - 2016-11-09, 16:44
Jarvis crashes and wipes - by gotthis2000 - 2017-01-10, 22:14
RE: Jarvis crashes and wipes - by nickr - 2017-01-10, 22:58
T95Z Plus Android TV Box - by gooner1971 - 2017-03-17, 13:04
RE: START HERE - Pick the Right Kodi Box (updated Sep. 2018) - by shad - 2018-09-24, 13:47
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