[ashlar]

My PC is having problems switching from 60Hz to 23.976Hz. The PC is connected to an AVR via DP-HDMI cable for the audio and to the TV via HDMI.

The video starts, it's displayed for a couple of frames... then video signal is lost and all I get is the audio.

Log here: https://paste.kodi.tv/qacufomazo.kodi

Edit: furthermore, don't know if it matters, I've noticed that, under Settings/System/Audio, output devices are not saved. Every time I exit and restart Kodi it goes back to DirectSound Default and WASAPI Default. More annoying, it defaults to all bitstreaming formats activated, while I want Dolby Digital and EAC3 deactivated. But every time I exit and restart... they're both active once again.

Edit 2: tested further, madVR in DirectShow players has no problems switching refresh rate on the same machine.

[ashlar]

Nobody having a look at my log? It's nice and well formatted, I swear! =D

[PatK]

Nobody having a look at my log?

I fell asleep with 63 errors in that log... Zzz.. I'll bet dollar to donuts the issue is the Display Port HDMI conversion, but let's not get ahead of myself here. Let's put aside the advancedsettings.xml file and see if there's some of your additions that spoils the soup. 

The video starts, it's displayed for a couple of frames... then video signal is lost and all I get is the audio.

Would you believe handshaking is lost via DP-HDMI? This thread might be something to look at https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=251833 Bit curious here, you have many posts, demonstrated you're not new to Kodi so my expectations are that you are well versed in it's functions & operations which tells me you are not a newbie and previously enjoyed the program, so what's changed?

[ashlar]

Nobody having a look at my log?

I fell asleep with 63 errors in that log... Zzz.. I'll bet dollar to donuts the issue is the Display Port HDMI conversion, but let's not get ahead of myself here. Let's put aside the advancedsettings.xml file and see if there's some of your additions that spoils the soup. 

The video starts, it's displayed for a couple of frames... then video signal is lost and all I get is the audio.

Would you believe handshaking is lost via DP-HDMI? This thread might be something to look at https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=251833 Bit curious here, you have many posts, demonstrated you're not new to Kodi so my expectations are that you are well versed in it's functions & operations which tells me you are not a newbie and previously enjoyed the program, so what's changed?

Ok, I will try without advancedsettings.xml and report back.

I can believe handshaking is lost via DP-HDMI, sure. But it doesn't happen with madVR (Direct Show renderer, probably you know about it) and it doesn't happen with Kodi 17.6 VideoPlayer.

Also... why do you ask about me previously enjoying the program and something having changed? I enourmously enjoy the program, I supported it with donations in the past and I plan on keep doing that in the future. Why do you ask me this? :-D

[brazen1]

I agree.  First thing to try is ditching all the custom refresh rates you've added to the advancedsettings.xml.  I add nothing like that in mine and have zero problems with matching any and all refresh rates but I'm also not running a DP cable to an AVR and an HDMI to a display.  I whitelist all 2160p modes in Kodi settings.  Nothing more except using match refresh rate on start/stop.  Also, you have 62 errors and 9 warnings in your log.  Can't find where you started video and it didn't match refresh rate in the log?

[ashlar]

I agree.  First thing to try is ditching all the custom refresh rates you've added to the advancedsettings.xml.  I add nothing like that in mine and have zero problems with matching any and all refresh rates

If you read the log closely, you'll notice that all those lines have been commented out, they are inactive. Specifically to avoid conflicting in any way with what Kodi is supposed to do.

[brazen1]

I agree.  First thing to try is ditching all the custom refresh rates you've added to the advancedsettings.xml.  I add nothing like that in mine and have zero problems with matching any and all refresh rates

If you read the log closely, you'll notice that all those lines have been commented out, they are inactive. Specifically to avoid conflicting in any way with what Kodi is supposed to do.

Yes, I saw that but... just sayin'.
That's where I'd start to diagnose the problems if they were mine.
Using many Kodi versions up to v21 currently, I also do not experience any of the audio settings not sticking so, at least for myself, this isn't a Kodi issue either afaik.

You make it a point that using 17.6 with madVR doing the refresh rate switching, you don't have any of these issues.  As if you're pointing out flaws in Kodi, especially the newest release - subliminally suggesting 17.6 with madVR is a better setup because of these supposed flaws in Kodi.  Which leads me to believe your posts here are associated with posts made in your 17.7 thread recently.  Again, just sayin' but I'm probably reading too much into it and I'm completely off-base.

I do hope you get your problems figured out.  I have nothing else to offer you.  Maybe someone else will.  Good luck.

[PatK]

Why do you ask me this? :-D

Now that you have articulated that it doesn't happen with Kodi 17.6, explains the 'what's changed?' query. Didn't want to offend, but knew there must a reason for the post. Of course taking over handshaking with an external player would be some of the explanation, Kodi can be fussy with archives that are slightly non-standard, but doesn't appear to indicate in the log. I note : video memory available is 16187 MB (dedicated = 8031 MB, shared = 8156 MB) dedicated selected NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 adapter but at one point defaults to wasapi default device with rendering issues then IsFormatSupported failed (AUDCLNT_E_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT), something strange when the desktop is set for Desktop Resolution: 3840x2160 32Bit at 60Hz and yet it's reporting @ 23.98Hz  (perhaps it's the video). Given ADDONS: repository.xbmc.org - 951 addon(s) loaded makes the investigation something of hit & miss.

Let's try baby steps; I like the idea of Portable mode (wiki) plain vanilla installation, no extras/addons etc.. just a minimal installation with just enough to test out a video.

[ashlar]

Using many Kodi versions up to v21 currently, I also do not experience any of the audio settings not sticking so, at least for myself, this isn't a Kodi issue either afaik.

You make it a point that using 17.6 with madVR doing the refresh rate switching, you don't have any of these issues.  As if you're pointing out flaws in Kodi, especially the newest release - subliminally suggesting 17.6 with madVR is a better setup because of these supposed flaws in Kodi.  Which leads me to believe your posts here are associated with posts made in your 17.7 thread recently.  Again, just sayin' but I'm probably reading too much into it and I'm completely off-base.

I assure you, yes, you are completely off-base. I am not suggesting anything. I am reporting on a Kodi 20 issue I'm having, I point out that 17.6 with Video Player does not exhibit the same problem. And that's because Kodi 17.6 is the other version I have installed, in portable mode. It's the DSPlayer build, yes. But I tried using VideoPlayer with it just to check and I reported on that.

As I've stated in the DSPlayer thread, I support Kodi, its development and its developers. I try to be helpful on the forums with everybody, in all these years I've helped many people, every time I knew how. I have the utmost respect for all the guides you have written here and I am saddened that you think me so petty as to subliminally suggest something.

Here's an olive branch from me, I really don't want to quarrel on this peaceful island among the warring seas of the internet. Peace.

[ashlar]

Why do you ask me this? :-D

Now that you have articulated that it doesn't happen with Kodi 17.6, explains the 'what's changed?' query. Didn't want to offend, but knew there must a reason for the post. Of course taking over handshaking with an external player would be some of the explanation, Kodi can be fussy with archives that are slightly non-standard, but doesn't appear to indicate in the log. I note : video memory available is 16187 MB (dedicated = 8031 MB, shared = 8156 MB) dedicated selected NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 adapter but at one point defaults to wasapi default device with rendering issues then IsFormatSupported failed (AUDCLNT_E_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT), something strange when the desktop is set for Desktop Resolution: 3840x2160 32Bit at 60Hz and yet it's reporting @ 23.98Hz  (perhaps it's the video). Given ADDONS: repository.xbmc.org - 951 addon(s) loaded makes the investigation something of hit & miss.

Let's try baby steps; I like the idea of Portable mode (wiki) plain vanilla installation, no extras/addons etc.. just a minimal installation with just enough to test out a video.

EDIT: all that follows was done on portable mode with nothing installed, as suggested.

Ok, I think I've isolated the problem. Contrary to what I stated, it happens with 17.6 as well. I'm gonna describe what happens and understand that when I tried 17.6 I had "fixed" the thing temporarily (you'll understand why I say temporarily).

Ok, so... as stated I have the HDMI out going to the TV and a DP port, with a DP-HDMI cable, going to the AVR for sound. This because I cannot do custom resolutions on the AVR (due to a Nvidia bug that doesn't let CRU write an EDID if a block has less than two bites free available) but I can on the TV (and that gives me pretty much perfect playback, with no repeated or dropped frames for hours).

Now... on the Nvidia control panel you can deactivate audio from one or more ports. In my case the HDMI audio to the TV is off and the DP->HDMI is on (control panel has it always on, I cannot turn it off).


This corresponds to the following situation in the Windows sound control panel:



Note everything except the AVR connection is disabled AND unplugged.

When I first play a file, everything goes ok.

Log: https://paste.kodi.tv/uforavoyak.kodi

The second time I play a file, the sound connection through HDMI-->TV is reactivated. The Nvidia control panel doesn't show that but if I look at the Windows control panel:



One of the disabled "sound cards" is no longer unplugged.

This is the result in Kodi:

Log: https://paste.kodi.tv/evacuwiruy.kodi

TV tries changing the refresh... it goes for a few frames and then... no signal. With audio still playing.

To get out of this mess I thought about setting both devices as on and specifying in Kodi to use the Denon AVR. Unfortunately it's not enough:

Log: https://paste.kodi.tv/emagilewij.kodi

The above trick (keeping both devices on and explicitly selecting the Denon AVR in the audio renderer) appears to be working for DirectShow based players but, having come to this point, I can't be sure I'm not missing something else.

[ashlar]

As an added data point, a later finding.

If I set Kodi's resolution to 1080p, all media resolutions play fine, switching refresh rate fine, with the exception of 2160p which exhibits the problem with DTS-X content (but not Atmos). All material is output to 1080p to the TV (according to whitelist) and UHD material is output at 2160p (with HDR if present). Except for DTS-X material that gives the same problem (I don't have logs for this but it appears to make the exact same thing happen, with Kodi trying several times to switch, switch back, switch... to then end up with no signal to the TV).

If I set Kodi's resolution to 2160p, native resolution for the TV, the previous situation happens, as described in the other post.

I have ordered a different DP-->HDMI cable/adapter to check whether I can get better results.

[PatK]

I have ordered a different DP-->HDMI cable/adapter to check whether I can get better results.

Worth a try, I did notice that at the start out with the Nvidia driver, then there';s a switch to default #2 wasapi without the Nvidia driver, so I've lost my confidence if this is just a handshake issue. The first Kodi log indicates 2 wasapi devices, while the second one shows 4 available wasapi devices. Given that 1080p seems to function, leads me to suspect that somehow the nvidia driver isn't in operation at failure point. (update or beta drivers?) This may come down to a windows & hardware incongruity (you can see I'm a bit biased) but at this point I'm a bit stymied.

You're deeper into this than remote moderators of the forum can handle and without your hardware & config in front of my eyes, this is just a brain fodder, nap time, maybe when I'm fresh something will tick. There's always hope that some of the developer guru's will wade in with concrete observations.

[ashlar]

leads me to suspect that somehow the nvidia driver isn't in operation at failure point. (update or beta drivers?)

It's latest drivers (as of today still) and they've been installed completely from scratch (went through DDU to be sure).

I'll keep on testing and report any new findings (tomorrow the new DP-HDMI adapter will arrive and I will test that as well).

[ashlar]

The new adapter was useless (it wasn't outputting HDR, 'nuff said). I sort of "solved" things by redoing the whole custom resolutions thing from scratch, going to the AVR and from there to the TV, by taking care of limiting the HDMI as 2.0b (on the AVR you have the choice). I lose the 120Hz thing but the machine is primarily an HTPC and secondarily a gaming machine, not the opposite). With HDMI 2.1 everything was working but Kodi 20, for whatever reason, activated 120Hz on the display when playing back DTS-X material (not Atmos). But Kodi was convinced of outputting to a 23.976 refresh rate (ALT+O for tech stats), while the TV HDMI menu clearly showed a 120Hz signal. Result was a... "smeared" movement in the picture (for lack of better words).

At the end of the day, I can only say I hate HDMI, CEC, ARC and everything that the consumer electronic industry devised to facilitate the life of users, just to end up making it miserable for some. And before somebody chimes in in defending those technologies: it's all great, as long as it works. When it doesn't you end up having no control on something you bought that malfunctions with almost no way for you to correct it.

I don't know if devs could be interested in having a look at logs for that DTS-X/120Hz thing. I did not save them but I am almost sure I could replicate the behavior if there is interest.