Information Dolby Vision and Kodi, what's the deal?
#1
There's information scattered throughout this forum regarding Dolby Vision and Kodi.
... so I decided to create a discussion thread for it in a place where it's appropriate.

Instead of hijacked threads in support for various devices feel free to comment on dolby vision in general here, as long as it's in regards to Kodi I believe this should be acceptable.

A good article on Dolby Vision in general so that expectations can be managed - https://www.androidheadlines.com/dolby-vision

As I see it, it's using HDR10+ in a continuously variable way that it can optimize video per frame.

Samsung may or may not support it in the future as it's a competing technology but if you have an HDR10+ Samsung TV it can be utilized.

Other information regarding Samsung displays seems to indicate that Dolby Vision could be as close as a firmware update.

Personally, I can see the difference in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, there's a color tone quality in Dolby Vision not present otherwise - but this is my own eyes, you should do what looks good to yours.


More so on topic for Kodi, there's been an adjustment in master that allows Kodi to utilize a Dolby Vision hardware decoder if present despite the display's report of whether or not it supports it.

https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/22950

According to this post it has been merged into master and can be tested in the latest nightly builds.

...and I encourage you to test and give feedback.

In my own testing using a FireTV Cube Gen3 it looks amazing when using the dolby-vision decoder with my older Samsung TV QN82Q6FNA

I have been testing using my own content of 4K BluRay REMUX as well as content from Disney+, Hulu and Paramount+ thanks to addons from matthuisman

Best titles to test on those platforms

Disney+ - Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness
Hulu - Run.
Paramount+ - Criminal Minds Evolution

Here's a Dolby Vision video which can be used for irrefutable results, either it's colored pink or it's working properly no middle ground - https://www.demolandia.net/downloads.html?id=43254366

quietvoid has builds to improve Dolby Vision detection which can be seen here


Regarding coreelec, it is not supported yet because of the requirement for Dolby Vision licensing and you can read more about that in the Dolby Vision FAQs


Other devices offering Dolby Vision (which I have not tested personally and cannot endorse because of that)

Homatics Box R 4K Plus forum thread here

RockTek G2
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#2
I put together some additional research regarding Dolby Vision on a Windows PC, but I don't use windows so take it all with a grain of salt.

Given a device needs to license Dolby Vision this is largely going to apply to windows devices as well.

According to some sources there are licensed PCs that will do Dolby Vision but the only one I tracked down was the Surface Pro

Surface Pro on Microsoft's Blog

That device specs available displays as Dolby Vision IQ and there appear to be extensions for Dolby Vision for that on the Microsoft Store here


There is a how-to here for watching DV content on your PC.
... but given the typos and grammatical errors on that page as well as the unlikely status of DV on windows it's rather suspect.

I also tracked down the following 2 links which discuss this very thing in a little more detail involving people who have actually tried it.

https://linustechtips.com/topic/1145733-...windows-10
https://www.reddit.com/r/OLED_Gaming/com...ith_lgc1cx


With all that being said, I do not think there is any way for Kodi to play Dolby Vision on Windows presently but I'm hoping to be corrected on this.

If anyone would like to experiment with the methods proposed I would love to know the outcome.
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#3
@jepsizofye, does your Samsung display support DV? I thought Samsung was firmly in the HDR10+ only camp.

I'm getting a little confused by the various threads as well. What I want, and maybe it already exists, is to use a Kodi build that can pass DV and HDR10+ as is, but also with full HD audio passthrough supported. Is that @fritsch backports Cube build, is it the v21 nightly, or something else?
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#4
@hdmkv

i believe when fritsch offers a cube-master build its built from here - https://github.com/fritsch/xbmc/tree/cube-master
and then the cube-nexus is here https://github.com/fritsch/xbmc/tree/cube

the pr in question https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/22950/files that was merge into master affects 1 file

i checked fritsch's master and it has the PR applied, see DVDVideoCodecAndroidMediaCodec.cpp

so fritsch has brought over the PR, his likely work for DV

my TV does Not support Dolby Vision, only HDR10+ but DV is getting tone-mapped, the issue previously was that kodi did not detect a dolby vision display available

so it did not use the dolby-vision decoder in the firetv and used the generic hevc instead

what the PR did was to only require the video decoder to be present in order to use the dolby vision decoder, display is no longer considered

which in my case looks awesome, whatever tone-mapping is happening is working great

im using the build from the other thread, reuploaded it for you here https://www.mediafire.com/file/e5mezjv1n...a.apk/file

as far as audio, i have been busy so i havent messed around with it, im using whatever is working when i use PCM out and Android Raw, my soundbar doesnt display any codec so who knows whats happening

it sounds good - its in sync - passthrough is enabled but thats all im concerned with at the moment


-----
EDIT:

regarding audio passthrough on that build on my gen3
DTS-HD MA, DTS:X and Dolby Atmos are all working on passthrough using the Kodi (Recommended) IEC instead of Raw, cube set to Best Available
only partially tested - it outputs, the soundbar displays the correct codec, audio works and is in sync after seeking and playback of less than 1 minute

i think im going to have that build bronze plated and put it on display lol
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#5
I don't think Samsung will ever support DoVi unless HDR10+ gets ruled as dead.  But in any discussion of DoVi I think it is important to clarify the DoVi "profile" of the source.  The 3 profiles of interest are 5, 7, and 8.1.  They each have different processing requirements.  Likewise the sink can either support "display-led" and/or "player-led" aka "low latency" depending on where the DoVi metadata is processed.

scott s.
.
maintainer of skin  Aeon MQ5 mods for post-Gotham Kodi releases:
Matrix see: Aeon MQ5 Mod Matrix release thread
Nexus see: Aeon MQ5 Mod Nexus release thread
Aeon MQ 5 skin and addon repo 11.1.0
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#6
right on @scott967

for everyone like me that likes to read specs - Dolby Vision Profiles and Levels Specification

(yes, im a nerd)
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#7
(2023-03-12, 03:18)jepsizofye Wrote: If anyone would like to experiment with the methods proposed I would love to know the outcome.

Dolby Vision playback is very much possible on a Windows PC.  I've only been able to do it using the Movies & TV, Photos, and Explorer apps.  I haven't pursued MS Edge streaming yet and maybe others have some pointers.  Fwiw, I'm not using a Dolby Vision capable display.  I am using an HDR10+, HLG, etc. display somewhat similar to yours - Samsung QN82Q90RAFXZA.  https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/9ea4183c

Without the proper free apps from MS Store and no cost codec elsewhere, Dolby Vision video will appear sort of pink and all the colors are off.  Once the components are installed (no setup required), the video corrects and looks decent considering the player being used.  I've no idea what sort of tone mapping or anything else takes place but I do know my display isn't DV capable yet I'm playing DV video using Windows HDR.

Image
HOW TO - Kodi 2D - 3D - UHD (4k) HDR Guide Internal & External Players iso menus
DIY HOME THEATER WIND EFFECT

W11 Pro 24H2 MPC-BE\HC madVR KODI 22 GTX960-4GB/RGB 4:4:4/Desktop 60Hz 8bit Video Matched Refresh rates 23,24,50,60Hz 8/10/12bit/Samsung 82" Q90R Denon S720W
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#8
right on @brazen1 then i wonder how could kodi utilize the same mechanisms through directx

in the interim are these players able to be set via External Players for Kodi to be able to pass on the relevant content
perhaps using a rule filename=".*DoVi.*" or such depending on your own naming conventions

i also wonder if the windows branch of the kodi code uses the same limitation as android had and that when a dobly vision display is not detected it will simply not try to use any available decoders
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#9
(2023-03-12, 18:58)jepsizofye Wrote: in the interim are these players able to be set via External Players for Kodi to be able to pass on the relevant content

The app opens when selecting a video but doesn't start the video like other external players.

<filename>C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.ZuneVideo_10.22091.10031.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Video.UI.exe</filename>

In Explorer I can select a video using the 'open with Movies & TV' option (because I don't have it set as the default player) and the video plays directly.

Not sure about Kodi using available decoders but here's a log trying to play Dolby Vision using Windows v21 Kodi and knowing Windows 11 Movies & TV app plays Dolby Vision (on a non-compatible DV display as well).  Perhaps a developer can bring Dolby Vision to Windows Kodi eventually and this log may help.

http://paste.kodi.tv/ikucecalen
HOW TO - Kodi 2D - 3D - UHD (4k) HDR Guide Internal & External Players iso menus
DIY HOME THEATER WIND EFFECT

W11 Pro 24H2 MPC-BE\HC madVR KODI 22 GTX960-4GB/RGB 4:4:4/Desktop 60Hz 8bit Video Matched Refresh rates 23,24,50,60Hz 8/10/12bit/Samsung 82" Q90R Denon S720W
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#10
regarding external player doesnt automatically play

it likely needs some added command line parameters in the external player definition since windows explorer can open and start playback

open the file to play from windows explorer and let it auto start

without closing the player use Process Explorer to check what Video.UI.exe was started with as far as command line

duplicate the command line into playercorefactory.xml

example:

iImage

regarding the log it looks like whatever detection is used doesnt detect capability or capability is not there from directx, unfortunately

"HDR10 RGB limited range output is NOT supported"
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#11
Nope.  Doesn't even open the app anymore.  Do I need a double quote in here?

Code:
<filename>"C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.ZuneVideo_10.22091.10031.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Video.UI.exe" -ServerName:Microsoft.ZuneVideo.AppX758ya5sqdjd98rx6z7g95nw6jy7bqx9y.mca</filename>

Image
HOW TO - Kodi 2D - 3D - UHD (4k) HDR Guide Internal & External Players iso menus
DIY HOME THEATER WIND EFFECT

W11 Pro 24H2 MPC-BE\HC madVR KODI 22 GTX960-4GB/RGB 4:4:4/Desktop 60Hz 8bit Video Matched Refresh rates 23,24,50,60Hz 8/10/12bit/Samsung 82" Q90R Denon S720W
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#12
@jepsizofye, thanks for sharing that build, but sounds the latest nightly should also work. Will try out both.
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#13
@brazen1 this shows how long since ive worked on windows lol

being a windows store app it turns out its not callable as a standard executable, i tried a few variations with a fresh windows VM and the best i can get is getting the player itself to open but doesnt play anything
if you associate .mp4 files with zunehd then you could use explorer.exe as the executable and then the params would be {1} so explorer should open it with it's default application - Zune
i found this old thread but it doesnt work for me in the least, found it more informative than anything - https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=280535

right on @hdmkv
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#14
Sigh, I wish people would learn to search.
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#15
i didnt realize that jjd-uk, please elaborate

im very interested in finding out more about "I wish people would learn to search" its such an interesting take on the conversation at hand
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Dolby Vision and Kodi, what's the deal?0