[vmstek]

How to Stream Your Locally Stored Content (SD, HD, UHD4K) From Kodi to Vizio P-Series (Smartcast)

This thread provides a solution only for streaming video files stored on your personal Kodi server directly to a Vizio P-Series display, using the display's built-in player, and the Vizio tablet remote (or any Android tablet or mobile). Internet streaming is not included in this MOP.

Background
- Recently replaced my 15 year old Sharp Aquos 1080p panel with a Vizio P-Series, now that DolbyVision, HDR10, FALD and expanded colour gamut are supported.
- The Vizio P-Series also has a builtin ChromeCast Ultra, which supports 4K.
- Also figured I would no longer require the 2K MyGica Android box, which ran Kodi and played movies stored on my Kodi Ubuntu media server downstairs.
- However, like many others I quickly found out that Vizio SmartCast (like all GoogleCast devices) did not support DTS passthrough over TOSLINK or SPDIF, and only ARC....which my receiver did not support.
- Also found out that the Vizio Smartcast app had no support for playing (Casting) locally stored content, VLC and ES File Explorer Casting did not work either.
- I did not want to replace my AVR or purchase a 4K Android box, as this seemed reduntant.

Solutions
- Casting - I solved the Casting issue by installing 'Yatse" from the Google Play Store on the Vizio Android remote. (or any Android phone) Yatse is a free Kodi front-end remote app with casting support.
Initiate casting from Yatse, then select your movie. See http://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/308342b for all the supported video format specs)
Important: If you initiate Casting from Yatse, you must stop the Casting from Yatse. If you turn off the Vizio,without stopping the Casting, Yatse will turn it back on in a few minutes.

- DTS - To solve the DTS audio issue, you will have to convert the audio tracks to AC3 or AAC.
Popcorn MKV Audio Converter works well for converting just the audio tracks and will replace the DTS track or add an additional AC3/AAC track so both are supported. Be sure to set the AC3/AAC audio track as the default/primary track, as there is no function to switch it when streaming. (note: I am not sure about DTS-MA 7:1 tracks yet)
If you need to convert the video and the audio, "Handbrake" application works well, and is easy to learn.

- 4K Videos - Once I had Casting from Kodi working I noticed none of my 4K videos would play. These were all using H.264 video encoding, just like most of my 2K (1080p) videos.
The solution here was to use Handbrake and convert the video to X.265 format. Seems the Vizio requires X.265 encoding to play 4k content.
I tried MP4 and MKV containers with AC3 or AAC audio,and they both worked.

So, now I do not have to use my old Android Box, or purchase a 4K Android box, or a new AVR, and I have perfect 4K movies playing on the Vizio P-Series.

Next up is to get my Off-Air TV that uses HDHomerun and TVheadend working on Vizio

Update Nov.26 2016: Vizio updated their VizioCast App a couple times this week and I was able to cast LiveTV/PVR using HDHomerun tuner and TVHeadend backend from Kodi to the display.

Update Dec.5 2016: Successfully tested with Yatse 7.1.0 and Kodi17beta6 and Kodi18_Aplha

[nickr]

Why not plug the machine running Kodi into the TV's HDMI port like everyone else?

[vmstek]

Because the Vizio P-Series has a built-in player and I do not want to buy another Kodi box for 4K or a new AVR for DTS support, and I would require a switch for another Ethernet connection.
None of which are necessary.
The Vizio P Series is a different kind of Smart TV. While it has FALD, Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10 and expanded colour gamut, it does not have any Apps or a tuner. All the Apps are run from the supplied Android tablet and streamed to the set. It has it's own version of GoogleCast built-in called SmartCast All the processing power goes into just the player. So there is no need for an external player.

[nickr]

sounds like quite an interesting TV, shame their codec support is so poor. Nothing a $40 odroid wouldn't fix.

Vizios aren't marketed in NZ.

[vmstek]

It is not Vizio's codec support that is at fault...see the spec link above...but Google's ( chromecast , GoogleCast etc) Same issue with Samsung's. But the picture quality is amazing.
Looks like they fixed the streaming in their VizioCast app, as LiveTV/PVR (HDHomerun/TVHeadend/Kodi) is now working.

[nickr]

Yatse doesn't use chromecast.

And you were the one who said that the T doesn't support h264 in 4k. And doesn't support DTS apparently.

[vmstek]

It would not play 4K h.264 encoded demo files when casting. I reencoded them to x.265 and they played perfectly. I did this with 3 demo files.

I said it does not support DTS pass-through over SPDIF and TOSLINK when casting, only ARC.

As others have posted, this is characteristic of all GoogleCast type devices like Vizio's SmartCast and Chromecast. Someone posted on AVSforum that Samsung's have the same issue.

Activating Vizio's SmartCast then playing a movie from Kodi did not display a picture, but utilizing Yates's casting feature did.

I also mentioned that the Vizio SmartCast App was updated since the 1st post and now somethings are working that were not before.

[Cpiznee]

Is it possible to cast kodi streaming content from the vizio remote? I researched and found some settings to configure. At that point it instructs me to long press and I should see an option to cast. Key word is "should". Have you been able to perform this successfully?

Thanks

[nickr]

So how are you getting this kodi streaming media on your remote?

[Cpiznee]

I downloaded kodi from the app store and I'm streaming from the Internet. Im using prime wire and exodus.

[bcarm83]

anything new as far as using the tablet remote as a stand alone kodi device?

[HowardNYC]

Joined specifically to post this.

Picked up an M70-D3 today. Loaded Kodi, followed the direction on the link below and boom, crystal clear streaming. You can still use the tablet while it streams; its damn near perfect!


http://kodiforandroid.com/how-to-stream-...hromecast/

Edit: It's Dolby sound too. My sub normally doesn't kick on unless I'm playing a bluray and it's firing!

[HowardNYC]

Ok. So Kodi via the tablet is great Until..... you try 4k. I can get 4k to play(through kodi) with YouTube but not through any other kodi app. I believe it's the built in Googlecast but I get the error for unsupported files. Can anyone else confirm? Perhaps a workaround?