2017 Sony Android TVs
#16
(2017-09-21, 09:32)CiNcH Wrote: 4K YouTube works "fine" here with my 25mbps connection. But it depends. I can obviously not play 4K clips with 30mbps, like The World in HDR. The YouTube player however goes up to 2160p60 for lower bitrate content like this one (~15mbps). However the new player consumes lots of CPU time, introducing lots of judder when playing high frame rate video. Old YouTube 1.X app used to consume a fraction and 60p was perfectly smooth. So YouTube 2.X on Android TV is for sure not where it should be.
The 4K issue you are experiencing might not be due to Sony but limited bandwidth on Google servers. Sometimes network bandwdith on the TV is dramatically reduced too. It might help to reboot your TV (long power button press or power cycling).

As for YouTube HDR, Sony promised support at CES2016. Sony/MediaTek are always 1 year behind. So I am confident that an update will arrive eventually, only for TVs based on the ATV2 platform though.

I basically bought this TV on that promise at CES 2016, its been almost 2 years since they announced that.. LG, Samsung all have had support for months, Even when the Android TV youtube app supports HDR, we still need a TV firmware update to enable playback, vp9.2 HDR files currently play without HDR and white washed looking in Kodi and native "Video" player .
Main System - HTPC - Intel I3 6300 - Asrock z170 - 16 GB DDR4 - 128gb SSD - 65" UHD HDR Sony Android TV - Pioneer VSX 1130-K - 7.2.2 speakers
Other devices currently in use - 55" 3D UHD LG TV - 2 Fire TV's - Nexus Player - MiniMX s905 - Voyo Vmac Mini
Ubuntu Server - 12 TB NAS - MYSQL - Torrent Box
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#17
So which TV model do you have then? Those based on ATV1 BRAVIA 2015 platform will never get it, as the SoC's video decoder lacks VP9.2 support, see my review. Newer models based on ATV2 are supposed to get a respective update.
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#18
(2017-09-21, 16:49)CiNcH Wrote: So which TV model do you have then? Those based on ATV1 BRAVIA 2015 platform will never get it, as the SoC's video decoder lacks VP9.2 support, see my review. Newer models based on ATV2 are supposed to get a respective update.

i have a new set with new ATV2 SoC, im patiently waiting for now i guess, hopefully a new android TV device is announced soon with HDR support out of the box.
Main System - HTPC - Intel I3 6300 - Asrock z170 - 16 GB DDR4 - 128gb SSD - 65" UHD HDR Sony Android TV - Pioneer VSX 1130-K - 7.2.2 speakers
Other devices currently in use - 55" 3D UHD LG TV - 2 Fire TV's - Nexus Player - MiniMX s905 - Voyo Vmac Mini
Ubuntu Server - 12 TB NAS - MYSQL - Torrent Box
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#19
Doesn't the VP9 profile support HDR? The world in HDR has way better popping colours vs when I play the same video off my S905 LE box.

I also downloaded the file in HEVC HDR10 and it looks exactly the same as when played on YouTube, I also have a vp9.2 version and you can clearly see less colour.

Also see the below thread, maybe VP9.2 just has dynamic metadata like DV and HDR10+.
https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/android-...-p/2251169

I'm also having a real hard time keeping a HDD functional as internal, keeps corrupting. Tried a few drives and usb keys
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#20
Quote:Doesn't the VP9 profile support HDR? The world in HDR has way better popping colours vs when I play the same video off my S905 LE box.
VP9 streams are 8-Bit SDR, so without any HDR metadata. You might have different color settings on the HDMI input. Stream is also a different one, as the box does not support VP9. It probably only goes up to 1080p30 AVC with totally different processing/tuning.

Quote:Also see the below thread, maybe VP9.2 just has dynamic metadata like DV and HDR10+.
https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/android-...-p/2251169
Yes, my thread Wink . VP9.2 either uses HDR10 or HLG, no dynamic metadata right now.

Quote:I'm also having a real hard time keeping a HDD functional as internal, keeps corrupting. Tried a few drives and usb keys
Seems you haven't fully read my review. It is probably too lengthy Wink . The bug is known and can be found here and here. You have been warned Wink . Buggy MediaTek shit.
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#21
I have a old 60GB SSD that I wanted to use as adopted storage mainly for Kodi as my installs tend to increase in size, one install is 4GB and another is 2GB, so it made sense not to use up the limited internal storage space.

It may be the cause of my reboots too, TV was pretty stable before I added adoptive storage to the mix. The SSD has yet to disappear on me unlike the 32gb usb key, but then again the TV is rebooting on its own daily.

My only TV requirement was Google Cast support which at least works well right now. Either I return the TV or just may need to stop using other features and stick to Google Cast.
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#22
I have pretty bad Google Cast issues too. At least everything 60p stutters. There is not much 60p cast content though. But if you for example cast YouTube video like "The World in HDR", the VP9 2160p60 stream is played back, if you have enough bandwidth.
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#23
Yup playback of The World in HDR in VP9 @60fps with full 4k has been flawless for me. It may jitter ever so slightly but not bad at all.
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#24
TV started to reboot after an hour in stand by, this happened every time I finished watching and pressed the power button on the remote.

What I have discovered is that it's reboots only if I have a USB key plugged into the TV. I still have a HDD plugged in as internal and that seems to be working just fine and has not disappeared on me yet.

I have to confirm if the TV is going into deep sleep, which I think it isn't as the HDD light continues to blink non stop and logs show the TV continues to phone home all night.
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#25
Hello.

I'm thinking to buy a 49XE9005 model, but i have some questions regarding Android TV based system:
- It is possible to play mkv 4k HDR from USB with autorefresh rate at 24hz?
- It is possible to install additional apk outside from playstore?
- It is possible output DTS/Dolby Digital trought hdmi in any apk available? (Kodi/SPMC/MX Player)

Thanks
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#26
Quote:- It is possible to play mkv 4k HDR from USB with autorefresh rate at 24hz?

No, only 60Hz with frame rate conversion/motion interpolation.

Quote:- It is possible to install additional apk outside from playstore?

Yes. Most sideloaded mobile apps are hardly usable on a 10-foot UI with common TV controllers though.

Quote:- It is possible output DTS/Dolby Digital trought hdmi in any apk available? (Kodi/SPMC/MX Player)

There are the Kodi shitty builds which use the PCM hack to output Dolby/DTS. This might work or give you some high pitched noise only. Sony/MediaTek miss to implement the standard API for DTS passthrough.

As for other apps, most of them don't work for DTS, unless they use the PCM hack.


Just don't buy Sony unless you just want to do some Netflix.
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#27
(2017-10-16, 06:44)CiNcH Wrote:
Quote:- It is possible to play mkv 4k HDR from USB with autorefresh rate at 24hz?

No, only 60Hz with frame rate conversion/motion interpolation.

Quote:- It is possible to install additional apk outside from playstore?

Yes. Most sideloaded mobile apps are hardly usable on a 10-foot UI with common TV controllers though.

Quote:- It is possible output DTS/Dolby Digital trought hdmi in any apk available? (Kodi/SPMC/MX Player)

There are the Kodi shitty builds which use the PCM hack to output Dolby/DTS. This might work or give you some high pitched noise only. Sony/MediaTek miss to implement the standard API for DTS passthrough.

As for other apps, most of them don't work for DTS, unless they use the PCM hack.


Just don't buy Sony unless you just want to do some Netflix.

Thanks CiNcH for your answer.

You recommend not to buy a Sony device, but que quality of this model by range of price is better than others, isn't it? I suppose is due the Android TV Smart TV, but others Smart TV are more limited (like Samsung or LG).

Are there any TV that can support all characteristics that i looking for?
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#28
(2017-10-16, 06:44)CiNcH Wrote:
Quote:- It is possible to play mkv 4k HDR from USB with autorefresh rate at 24hz?

No, only 60Hz with frame rate conversion/motion interpolation.
Quote:- It is possible to install additional apk outside from playstore?

Yes. Most sideloaded mobile apps are hardly usable on a 10-foot UI with common TV controllers though.
Quote:- It is possible output DTS/Dolby Digital trought hdmi in any apk available? (Kodi/SPMC/MX Player)

There are the Kodi shitty builds which use the PCM hack to output Dolby/DTS. This might work or give you some high pitched noise only. Sony/MediaTek miss to implement the standard API for DTS passthrough.

As for other apps, most of them don't work for DTS, unless they use the PCM hack.


Just don't buy Sony unless you just want to do some Netflix. 
Hi CiNcH, in your review you mentioned Sony android TV can do hardware decoding of HEVC (H265) videos. I tried one 4K HEVC video today in Kodi but couldn't get it play. Is HEVC support only limited to 1080P content?
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#29
(2017-10-15, 18:03)atomizasser Wrote: Hello.

I'm thinking to buy a 49XE9005 model, but i have some questions regarding Android TV based system:
- It is possible to play mkv 4k HDR from USB with autorefresh rate at 24hz?
- It is possible to install additional apk outside from playstore?
- It is possible output DTS/Dolby Digital trought hdmi in any apk available? (Kodi/SPMC/MX Player)

Thanks
XE9005 series - like my 49XE9005 - has a current issue with 50/59.94Hz native content.  It is frame dropping and frame repeating pairs of 50/59.94Hz frames - which gives it nasty motion judder.  All HDMI inputs are impacted.

Sony are aware.  Only current solution is to put it in Game Mode...
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#30
Quote:Hi CiNcH, in your review you mentioned Sony android TV can do hardware decoding of HEVC (H265) videos. I tried one 4K HEVC video today in Kodi but couldn't get it play. Is HEVC support only limited to 1080P content?
4K HEVC is supported. Even HDR10 files play properly. Did you switch HW acceleration in Kodi to MediaCodec Surface? Probably your file is not compatible with HEVC Level 5.1? You can for example try the jellyfish samples. I went up to the 140mbps one which plays fine from a USB3 drive. Network speed is capped at ~100mbps even for 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

Assume your TV is a 4K one? For 1080p sets, I don't know whether they play 4K files with subsequent downscaling.
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