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Android 2019 - Amazon Fire TV Cube - AMLogic S922Z
Been using Kodi on windows machines since when it was version Frodo, but completely new to android and just got a cube today.   Was wondering version of Fritsch's build of Kodi I should be using?  Want to maintain the functionality of the cube, but still be able to use the features of Kodi.    Also what's the easiest way to manually install an apk on the cube.   Been briefly using ES File explorer, but only the premium version let's you install an apk?

Thanks in advance.
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(2020-08-06, 12:31)Cangeoboy Wrote: Was wondering version of Fritsch's build of Kodi I should be using?
This one: https://mirrors.kodi.tv/test-builds/andr...bi-v7a.apk

Sideloading with Downloader app: https://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-sideload...ownloader/

Bit.ly Link for Kodi fritschfiretv (20200730): https://bit.ly/2PwP6SM

Install the Downloader app from the Amazon app store and then enter the above Bit.ly link into the Downloader app to download and install the lastest Kodi fritschfiretv build.
TV: Sony XBR-65X950G  A/V Receiver: Denon AVR-X3600H (Atmos 5.2.4)  UHD: Panasonic DP-UB820  BD: Sony BDP-S6200 (Region Free)
Media Players: 2019 Nvidia SHIELD TV Pro, 2015 Nvidia SHIELD TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, S905X3 CoreELEC Device
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(2020-08-05, 15:04)cconstantin1979 Wrote: Found this article (Prime Video apparently dropped Atmos support)

https://www.avforums.com/news/has-amazon...tmos.17848

They fixed it, now Atmos is there again ...
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Just wanted to check in as I'm a brand new Fire Cube convert as of yesterday. Been working great so far. Initially ran into some very strange problems where the Fire OS audio kept getting knocked out requiring a reboot in order to play anything. I've since installed Fritsch's build above and so far it looks like its fixed. Just wanted to thank the devs for their hard work, its much appreciated.
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Not sure if Amazon has updated the Fire TV Cube, since it's now available in Spain, not sure if it comes as a new version or it's just the same already available in USA and other places. I've a Vero4K, I've a Shield TV Pro 2019 and still looking for a set-top box able to do Atmos pass-through, Dolby Vision in MKV (as soon as Plex supports it) and Apple TV+ application, since it's not going to happen on my LG C7 (looks like it is soooo old) and there is nothing in the horizon also for the Shield. So, my main worry is about Atmos pass-through, Fire Stick doesn't make it but.. and the Cube?
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Also not doing Atmos+TrueHD (or any HD) audio passthrough, if you refer to that, via Kodi... Read the first page of the current thread.

But the Fire TV Cube 2019 doesn't have any issues with Atmos via DD+ Passthrough (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video = all work super)
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Just want to confirm -

- using Plex/Emby etc no lossless audio (TrueHd/Dts-hd/Atmos) will work? and no way to send it as LPCM?
- using Kodi fritsch build, above can be decoded (except Atmos) and output as LPCM 7.1 with no audio loss?

Is this correct? I connect to Onkyo receiver (that can do lossless audio) via HDMI, no ARC is used.
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@fritsch  I have found this after much searching - https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/17463

So this means that 2nd gen FireTv Cube now has same capabilities w.r.t audio as FireStick 4K at least, correct? Right now there is Prime deal so I consider buying one hence was asking.
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I don't get the question.

Disabling multi channel float was done cause of many broken FWs outside, most devices coped better with 16 bit int and multi-channel. I already have it reenabled in v19 (iirc) and the firtschfiretv builds, as it workarounds some "firetv automatisms" to reencode every format to DD+ if you like it or not ...
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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(2020-10-13, 09:04)MrCrispy Wrote: Just want to confirm -

- using Plex/Emby etc no lossless audio (TrueHd/Dts-hd/Atmos) will work? and no way to send it as LPCM?
- using Kodi fritsch build, above can be decoded (except Atmos) and output as LPCM 7.1 with no audio loss?

Is this correct? I connect to Onkyo receiver (that can do lossless audio) via HDMI, no ARC is used.

@fritsch I hope these questions are clear?
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Quote:- using Kodi fritsch build, above can be decoded (except Atmos) and output as LPCM 7.1 with no audio loss?

_all_ kodi versions decode all bitstream formats (besides the atmos bits) losslessly. Some sinks though cannot cope with 32 bit float format and output 16 bit integer by themselves. And this is - to be very direct here - always a hit or miss on Android, because the "lossless" sound samples end up in Audiotrack Soundserver. Here kodi has no influence.

Examples:
(Worst one): If you have a 16 bit LPCM flac file and want to output it with official Leia 18.8 on a FireTV 4K, kodi will losslessly decode into a 32 bit float format, will correctly open then a 16 bit format as officialy Leia uses 16 bit int for multi-channel, because _many_ android devices just don't output anything if you give them multi channel float. Now something funny (or not) will happen, that the FireTV firmware will make "DD+" out of it, means: transcodes it again and outputs some lossy DD+ instead of the lossless 16 bit audio.

If you decode the same file on a FireTV 4K with the fritschfiretv build it will be decode lossleslly to 32 bit float (as original Leia 18.8), but then open multi-channel Float format, which - on the firetv - works _and_ bypasses (we are lucky) the firetv internal DD+ encode, cause it seems that it cannot cope with multi-channel float.

When I remember right, the Cube is the reason why we degraded multi-channel float output to multi-channel 16 bit precission only, because _this_device_ was one of them that cannot output multi-channel float directly - at least not at the time of this PR above.

Therefore: Someone with the Cube, please take fritschfiretv build, play some TrueHD / DTS-HD / whatever with _disabled_ passthrough and post a log, please and inform this thread if you could hear something.

Plex Question: No idea, never used it.

I hope this answers the question and yes I know it's complicated: broken firmware, firmware DD+ encoding, Soundservers, etc.
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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Thanks. I might order a Fire Cube to test it out and if all works fine it will replace my FireStick4K.

I will put fritschfiretv build on both, and test with Dolby/Dts demos which have lossless audio. If you have any specific audio clips you'd like me to test, let me know.

few questions - if I disable passthru does that also decode DD/DTS/DD+ on device and pass it as LPCM? Is there any way to disable passthru for lossless codecs only but enable it for these?

Is this preferred method to get logs - https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=288153 ?
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For the answer of the last question:

Let's assume FireTV 4K can do AC3, DTS, DD+, DTS-HD-HR

You will therefore get all formats as passthrough, besides:

DTS-HD MA and TrueHD

TrueHD will be played as LPCM 7.1
For DTS-HD-MA the _core_ of DTS-HD-MA is played as it is right now. If you disable DTS-HD and DTS in kodi settings those two are played as LPCM as well.

So yeah, there is currently no "Settings" that makes you distinguish between DTS-HD, DTS-HD-HR and DTS-HD-MA. Patches welcome.
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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Just wanted to say thanks for the fritschfiretv-build.

Just started using
kodi-20201001-5c717b66-fritschfiretv-armeabi-v7a.apk
with my newly bought cube which replaces my 4k stick.
Working great so far! :-)
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What do you see the biggest advantage in comparison to the 4K? Anything that works better or something that got worse?
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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2019 - Amazon Fire TV Cube - AMLogic S922Z0