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shomari · 2014-09-19, 14:22

(2014-09-19, 12:55)nero12 Wrote: I will test the non-compliant XBMC tonight and see if there is any noticeable improvements.

I don't bother with it except to test the hardware decoded hevc playback capability which has already been fleshed out.

Apart from that one feature everything seems as it was with the alpha used as base. Please post if you notice any other hidden attributes we may have missed.

RockerC · 2014-09-19, 15:10

(2014-09-18, 17:39)jjd-uk Wrote: Doesn't surprise me, all the dev's over on freaktab do nothing but take from the open source community and never offer anything back, I'm thinking mainly finless and oman here, but they are all at it over there changing the XBMC source and not respecting GPL licenses, we've not seen a single PR or contribution back from any of them.

(2014-09-18, 18:10)jjd-uk Wrote: It's frustrating because we get users coming here saying a modified XBMC included in a ROM from freaktab runs so much better than the official download, then they ask why none of those freaktab dev's are on the Team because they are doing such a good job in improving XBMC, yet we never see any of these changes being contributed back to us for the benefit all.

Stane1983 is probably an exception? https://github.com/Stane1983

He's a freaktab dev that might be good enough to be on team kodi?

(2014-09-17, 11:32)RockerC Wrote: Stane1983 submitted patches to XBMC before and is a member of this community too so maybe have a chat with? him http://forum.xbmc.org/member.php?action=...uid=158756

RockerC · (This post was last modified: 2014-09-19, 15:41 by RockerC.)

(2014-09-18, 23:33)nickr Wrote:
(2014-09-18, 22:21)Roby77 Wrote:
(2014-09-18, 21:50)nickr Wrote:
(2014-09-18, 19:56)nero12 Wrote: Does anyone know if this RK3288 chip support DTS-HD and true HD ?
Similarly, does anyone know if it works at 24/25/50 Hz frame rates.
do you mean autoframerate ?
Yes, android is infamous for working only at 30/60.

Auto refresh rate / automatic framerate switching feature is not a hardware limitation on any modern SoCs.

Instead this limitation is actually at the operating-system / firmware level in Android 4.4 (KitKat) and older.

If you would run pure Linux instead of Android on these SoC then auto refresh rate switching would work.

That feature and many more are suppose to come with the upcoming Android 5.0 (codename L for Lollipop?)

Checkout this thread
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=204551

Many here already know that 3-months ago Google announced the new "Android TV" platform based on upcoming release of Android L, which will finally replace the old Google TV and bring a more user-friendly user-experience to Android televisions and set-top boxes. While this platform could be very tough competition for Kodi, it could also give Kodi developers more Android frameworks and APIs to possible be able to make Kodi much better on Android.

Some new official facts about Google's new Android TV platform have finally been posted as of yesterday when Mark Gregotski, the head of the Linaro Digital Home Group (LHG), provided a technical overview of Android TV during the on-going Linaro Connect US 2014 (LCU14) conference.

Highlights
● One Android SDK for all form factors
● >5000 new APIs
● Fully 64-bit compatible
● Feature’s Google’s latest home entertainment play with Android TV
● Android L Features Android TV related: + H.265 + NDK Media APIs + TV Input Framework + improved AV sync + Cast receiver + 64-bit trusted execution environment + OpenGL ES 3.1 & Android Extension Pack + Closed caption enhancements
● Giving TV the same level of attention as phones/tablets; just a new form factor
● Reduce fragmentation: create a standard for an OS, developer APIs
● Built into TVs, set-tops, streaming consoles, gaming consoles
● Support for gaming and Google Cast (receivers)
● Introduce the “Leanback Experience” with new UI framework classes for the 10-foot viewing perspective
● aggressive hardware specs targeting CPU/GPU performance of gaming stations + stringent security requirements, minimum configuration: 1 GB RAM + 8GB Flash
● Google is actively working with silicon vendors and TV manufacturers
● Established partnerships with pay TV operators: SFR, Bouygues Telecom, LG Uplus
● Performance: raise the bar for big screen glitch-free audio/video sync, 4k video playback, gaming capable, responsive rich UI
● Security: secure boot, protected video path, 64-bit TEE, W3C EME
● Pay TV: gain studio approval to protect HD (1080p) and 4k content, establish Android TV with operators: cable/satellite, telco, IPTV
● Enhanced streaming support
● ExoPlayer: MPEG DASH, Smooth Streaming, open source player with features not provided by MediaPlayer: built on top of the MediaExtractor and MediaCodec APIs
● Subtitles / CC: TTML / CEA-608 in addition to WebVTT: pushing Android media framework to enhance AV pipeline
● TV Quality playback
● Concurrent multiple audio output (PIP)
● Tunneled video/audio support and HW-based AV Sync
● VP9/HEVC codec support for 4k video
● Android TV Multimedia Improvements: TV Input Framework (TIF): reduce fragmentation on your coffee table
● One standard remote control to unify all Live TV input content sources
● Chrome Webview (based on Chromium 36) support for HTML5 Video w/ DRM (EME/MSE)
● OpenGL ES 3.1 + Android Extension Pack (vendor extensions)
● TV Input Framework: Unifying all Live TV sources OVER THE AIR TV TUNER - IP + IP NETWORK UNIFIED CHANNEL + CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CABLE / SATELLITE CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL CHANNEL
● TV Input Framework: Designed to provide access to a variety of Live TV input sources and bring them together through a single user interface
● Three use cases: Virtual input with external set-top box (Virtual TV Input application communicates w/ STB), IP Input with place-shift device (converts content to IP), Pure IP input (Multicast IP / managed; Adaptive Streaming / unmanaged)
● Android TV -Security: Android TV will provide support for Security Level 1 Widevine and Playready DRM
● Studio approval paves the way for Android TV deployment in cable set-top boxes

noggin · 2014-09-19, 16:35

(2014-09-19, 15:41)RockerC Wrote: Auto refresh rate / automatic framerate switching feature is not a hardware limitation on any modern SoCs.

Instead this limitation is actually at the operating-system / firmware level in Android 4.4 (KitKat) and older.

If you would run pure Linux instead of Android on these SoC then auto refresh rate switching would work.

Yep - that was one of the benefits of the Linux AMLogic builds over the Android ones. Fingers crossed that the Android 5.0 includes proper support of frame rate switching at last (including 24p). And let us also hope that apps like Netflix utilise it (I'm not currently a Netflix subscriber as I can't find a decent 24p solution for it - and cannot watch 3:2ed 24p at 60p)

Suspect HD Audio bitstreaming will be too much to hope for. (Does Android properly support multichannel PCM and >16 bit >48kHz audio already?)

**jjd-uk** · 2014-09-19, 16:49

(2014-09-19, 16:35)noggin Wrote: Suspect HD Audio bitstreaming will be too much to hope for. (Does Android properly support multichannel PCM and >16 bit >48kHz audio already?)

Not at the moment, Android L will bring improved audio support via PCM however still no official passthrough audio API, see http://liliputing.com/2014/06/google-bri...oid-l.html

**Roby77** · 2014-09-19, 20:35

no passtrough ?

so i can't use my avr ?

**jjd-uk** · 2014-09-19, 20:51

Read Post#164

**Roby77** · 2014-09-19, 22:18

(2014-09-19, 20:51)jjd-uk Wrote: Read Post#164

Yes and i quote for me the most important part

However if you're someone for who video & audio quality is important then simply avoid any Android based box as none of them will work as well as a Linux device.

let's hope in open elec

User 231261 · (This post was last modified: 2014-09-20, 08:23 by User 231261.)

So Android Lollipop is supposed to solve a lot of mediaplayer quality issues... keeping HDvideo and HDaudio quality unscaled.
I hope Rockchip is now busy with the Android L SDK to get their firmware ready for it..... preferably by October..
Hacked xbmc on hacked Android is not a promising future...
If all fails Linux might be an option for the purists...

Am I right to think Android Lollipop will make all these xbmc hacks for hevc obsolete?
When will we see xbmc/Kodi run on Android 5 with full hardware support for Video and Audio? anyone care to guestimate?

Milhouse · (This post was last modified: 2014-09-20, 09:29 by Milhouse.)

(2014-09-20, 08:22)Willem55 Wrote: Am I right to think Android Lollipop will make all these xbmc hacks for hevc obsolete?
When will we see xbmc/Kodi run on Android 5 with full hardware support for Video and Audio? anyone care to guestimate?

My guess would be late this year in a development (Helix) build/branch, but not until next year for a stable release (maybe Helix+1). Though these Chinese manufacturers clearly have no problem releasing development builds to the general public, so as soon as something compiles you might see it shipping on new hardware...

In the meantime, buy a Pi - sure, no HEVC, but at least you'll have good quality video/audio at all the common sync rates - and then wait before giving your cash to a company that may just rip off the Foundation.

Personally, I'd prefer plain Linux+Kodi on the Rockchip, Android holds very little interest for me and just seems to cause as many problems as it solves.

Stimmenhotel · 2014-09-20, 10:03

(2014-09-20, 09:27)Milhouse Wrote:
(2014-09-20, 08:22)Willem55 Wrote: Am I right to think Android Lollipop will make all these xbmc hacks for hevc obsolete?
When will we see xbmc/Kodi run on Android 5 with full hardware support for Video and Audio? anyone care to guestimate?

My guess would be late this year in a development (Helix) build/branch, but not until next year for a stable release (maybe Helix+1). Though these Chinese manufacturers clearly have no problem releasing development builds to the general public, so as soon as something compiles you might see it shipping on new hardware...

In the meantime, buy a Pi - sure, no HEVC, but at least you'll have good quality video/audio at all the common sync rates - and then wait before giving your cash to a company that may just rip off the Foundation.

Personally, I'd prefer plain Linux+Kodi on the Rockchip, Android holds very little interest for me and just seems to cause as many problems as it solves.

The Pi is really capable to be used instead of a more powerful rk?
Thought about buying a rk box, but after reading about the whole licence violation...
Could you send me a few tips about the setting up with Pi? Maybe pm to prevent off topic?

Milhouse · 2014-09-20, 10:35

(2014-09-20, 10:03)Stimmenhotel Wrote: The Pi is really capable to be used instead of a more powerful rk?
Thought about buying a rk box, but after reading about the whole licence violation...

The Pi is not as powerful as a Rockchip (although the Pi GPU is surprisingly potent and from a Kodi point of view very well supported), but as a low-cost stopgap solution for those that want a usable device today and not next year or until whenever the Rockchip software situation resolves itself, sure why not.

Or buy nothing right now, and simply wait.

Either option seems preferable to buying a Rockchip device from a manufacturer that then proceeds to rip off the Foundation and/or provides software of a suspect nature.

(2014-09-20, 10:03)Stimmenhotel Wrote: Could you send me a few tips about the setting up with Pi? Maybe pm to prevent off topic?

Check out the Raspberry Pi sub-forum, or post in there and you should get a few replies.

User 231261 · 2014-09-20, 11:08

@Milhouse thanks for the development feedback but Pi is not an option for most mediaplayer users who are looking into upgrading into a RK3288 based box.
My current Sigma8911 based box plays a lot more content than a Pi solution can offer except for the xbmc UI.... but I'll never trade playback experience for a slick UI.
The RK3288 hardware might potentially close the quality gap and give me the better xbmc UI..
I have not seen much Linux based activity for the RK3288 so that means we either wait a few months or ride the non-compliant factory release android/xbmc rollercoaster.

Milhouse · (This post was last modified: 2014-09-20, 22:18 by Milhouse.)

(2014-09-20, 11:08)Willem55 Wrote: @Milhouse thanks for the development feedback but Pi is not an option for most mediaplayer users who are looking into upgrading into a RK3288 based box.
My current Sigma8911 based box plays a lot more content than a Pi solution can offer except for the xbmc UI.... but I'll never trade playback experience for a slick UI.

As someone who owns both a Sigma-based PCH C-200 and a Pi and therefore qualified to comment, I'd suggest the Pi is actually pretty good for what it costs and the self-serving Sigma PQ discussion is really rather overblown, but that's probably a discussion for elsewhere as my point was simply to suggest a cheap and usable alternative until there is more clarity on the Rockchip software situation.

"Upgrading to a RK3288" seems to be a lottery right now, and may remain so for some time to come, depending largely on what is delivered with Android L, and whether these manufacturers abide by the GPL.

If you're in the unfortunate position of being stuck with old Sigma gear and desperately hankering for some Kodi action, upgrading to a Pi really isn't such a bad option at all (as unlike Android 4.x-based devices the Pi has no problem with any of the standard video playback rates). Obviously the Pi is not going to be as whizzy in the UI as a Rockchip, but it could/should allow you to upgrade at leisure to an RK3288 next year (or whenever) once you know what you'll be getting, and once you know who will be benefiting from your cash/patronage (ideally, the Foundation).

**jjd-uk** · 2014-09-20, 12:16

For me the Amlogic S802 looks a far more promising platform at the moment as there's active open source development by people like stane for that platform.