[mrmojo666]

Hello everybody, nice to meet you all !

I want to share my experience with my 55pus 6501 tv

netflix is working perfectly, 4k video and audio DD 5.1 passthrough to AVR

Internal player i can't get video but DTS and DD 5.1 are correctly sent to AVR (as video i get just a bunch of pixels)

Kodi from play store (same on SPMC) , video is working but passthough not working, just noise from AVR

Youtube is working but it doesn't have dd or dts

Mxplayer doesn't play video (just some using SW) , no passthrough to AVR

just saying.... if netflix is working perfectly in sending DD to AVR (and also internal player is able to send DTS) , maybe Kodi requires some specific code to work with TVs...just saying.....

[Etzi]

...maybe Kodi requires some specific code to work with TVs...just saying.....

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=289735

I revisted the Audiotrack-Sink for Android the last days and made it API conform. That means, everyone gets what the official Android API supports: https://developer.android.com/reference/...CODING_AC3
Concerning passthrough that means:

< v21 API: nothing
v21, v22 API: AC3, EAC3 (broken on most firmware, please bug your vendor)
v23: AC3, EAC3, DTS, DTS-HD (if supported, not on the Nexus 5)
v24 (Android N): AC3, EAC3, DTS with the new IEC API, we miss hardware / software to implement dts-hd, truehd
On Nvidia Shield: AC3, EAC3, DTS, DTS-HD, TrueHD

For AMLogic devices that means most likely no passthrough at all, cause of kodi is built without AML specifics, so that the vendors start to use the default API. As we are not inhuman or something, if you rebuild yourself with AML enabled, you will get dependend on device: AC3, EAC3, DTS, DTS-HD, TrueHD which I implemented last March with a core device by wetek.

The old PCM PT way was removed. Why? Starting with newer API there is a FLOAT mixer internally, which might harm your ears, as mixing is going on and that might produce a significant noise. We were warned by Android Audio staff to not use these hacks.

Whenever the first of you has Android N device (not on Nexus) available, please ping me - happy to fully implement DTS-HD, TrueHD for these.

Vendor firmware bugs
- Some Android TVs only support 384 kb/s AC3 and error out on 640 kb/s
- EAC3 7.1 is broken on all FireTV firmware. I suggest disabling EAC3 and use Dolby Transcoding _and_ speakers set to 2.0. It makes no sense to passthrough if you can output 6 or more PCM channels

Philips TV runs android 5.1, which means API v22, also it does not like AC3 640kb/s streams via Kodi.
It is pure firmware issue and should be actually fixed by vendor.

Everything works with built-in player, but it is apparently somekind of special way, as Android 5.1 does not support DTS officially at all.

[CiNcH]

And the reason why it works with pre-installed apps is that they have access to private APIs... Vendors should push standard APIs though.

[mrmojo666]

thank you guys for the explanation but you missed the most important quote

Sorry guys but the Team with limited manpower no longer has the will to build in workarounds for vendors not following the proper API's, we believe that while we continue to do this the vendors will continue to release buggy firmware that doesn't properly adhere to the API's. While we regret users getting caught up in the politics, with Kodi having such a big user base on Android, we think we are now in a position to flex some muscle by no longer supporting the hacks of the past, and by only sticking to the API's do think there's any hope of creating a change in attitude from the box/SoC vendors.

If users also only support boxes that do adhere to standards and boycott products which don't, then the box/Soc vendors will be further incentivise if they start getting hit where it hurts, by decreased sales and revenue. If you buy a product which doesn't support the formats it should for passthrough (see list from fritsch) then return the box clearly stating why.

so it's the kodi team that choose to not support workaround or other coding to fix those issues... I understand their point of view, but I agree 50%.
Ok to flex muscles aganist small cinese box companies, but i don't think kodi community can change mind of big tv companies like philips, sony and others.... they are not interested in support 3rd party players and never will be.

[kinggo]

No, you missed the important part. It is very difficult to build workarounds when you don't have documentation/source code.
Kodi team did try (v16, SPMC) but it just does not work reliably as it should like with default players.
And considering how many chip makers and box vendors with their own "ideas" are out there even if thy do have access to source they would still need a team of 6836589 people to support every crappy box out there that even the vendors don't support once it is boxed and shipped.

[Etzi]

so it's the kodi team that choose to not support workaround or other coding to fix those issues... I understand their point of view, but I agree 50%.
Ok to flex muscles aganist small cinese box companies, but i don't think kodi community can change mind of big tv companies like philips, sony and others.... they are not interested in support 3rd party players and never will be.

Actually we should fill somekind of reasonable bug report and send it to Philips (TP Vision), maybe they can and will to fix it.
At least fully working AC3/EAC3 via standard API would be a nice start...

Can you produce an adb log - this we can send to your vendor, so that they can fix it, please.

Maybe they have done it already?

[mrmojo666]

No, you missed the important part. It is very difficult to build workarounds when you don't have documentation/source code.
Kodi team did try (v16, SPMC) but it just does not work reliably as it should like with default players.
And considering how many chip makers and box vendors with their own "ideas" are out there even if thy do have access to source they would still need a team of 6836589 people to support every crappy box out there that even the vendors don't support once it is boxed and shipped.

I didn't miss this thing, probably you haven't read my post (or my english is too crappy) I totally agree with this...... but i don't think crappy chinese box could be put at the same level of big vendors TVs. That's why i think kodi group should try to collaborate with big vendors and forget about crappy chinese boxes.

I'm triyng to share this discussion with philips forum guys, just to know if they are aware there is a big community claims for their support.

Thank you guys

[Gracus]

maybe Kodi requires some specific code to work with TVs...just saying.....

Or maybe it's the other way!
TV maker should stop trying to make their own recipe and just stick to what is given to them by android

they are not interested in support 3rd party players and never will be.

So if your goal is to use Kodi on your smartTV, you should stop being interested by crappy TV full of hacky code

Best and cheapest option for you may be to buy a cheap android box based on Amlogic S905 and run LibreElec on it

And next time you change your TV, try to gather some information before making your final choice

[CiNcH]

The problems will probably get sorted with Android Marshmallow, depending on how good the MediaTek drivers are. Suppose Philips will update to Marshmallow?

[Gracus]

The problems will probably get sorted with Android Marshmallow, depending on how good the MediaTek drivers are. Suppose Philips will update to Marshmallow?

I would not bet on that one...

[Etzi]

The problems will probably get sorted with Android Marshmallow, depending on how good the MediaTek drivers are. Suppose Philips will update to Marshmallow?

They promised to Update their 2015 & 2016 models, but there has been no dates mentioned.
Also year 2016 is almost over, Android N is out, so I would not hold your breath.
After all they would not be the first vendor on the planet who could break their promises.

Also it is not guaranteed, that it willa ctually fix it, if they decide to go with their own methods and API`s, it would be still broken in Kodi.

[kinggo]

I think that some beta MM was mentioned over at XDA. Also, some guy from Norway or Sweden mentioned that it has 2016 bravia with MM. Not the ZD9.

[mrmojo666]

[

So if your goal is to use Kodi on your smartTV, you should stop being interested by crappy TV full of hacky code

Best and cheapest option for you may be to buy a cheap android box based on Amlogic S905 and run LibreElec on it

And next time you change your TV, try to gather some information before making your final choice

no it's not

I bought this tv just for 4k and intergrated netflix (well ... ambilight was my primary interest ) , i'm an happy htpc user from many years windows + mediaportal .

Just in the last years each time I get a new android device i give a possibility to kodi to replace my Htpc the results is each time i find a blocker..... also this time kodi is not perfectly working because of crappy philips software (as say kodi team and users).

thank you guys for the discussion and clarifications , but i don't think a war against big vendors could be win by kodi

[Etzi]

I think that some beta MM was mentioned over at XDA. Also, some guy from Norway or Sweden mentioned that it has 2016 bravia with MM. Not the ZD9.

Yes, when I asked about the source, he dissapeared...

[mrmojo666]

Hey guys captain obvious is back

after further tests with spmc i managed to passthough ac3 via ARC from my philips android tv.

It is working for all supported formats AC3 max 448 kbs ....

As soon i could re-install kodi on tv i'll let you know if it with supported ac3 bitrate files it is working too.