[christoofar]

Sounds like NF's PQ is what it is. My main use for this Chromebox will be Kodi anyways, just thought it would be nice if all the stars were in alignment and Netflix would output in HD on the same unit for once
Not sure why Netflix won't open up their HD spec to more devices, seems it would only attract more customers. Thanks for the info.

[wrxtasy]

I would subscribe to the NetfliXBMC thread and keep yourself informed of how easy or difficult it is to launch the Chrome browser from inside Kodi running on Ubuntu.

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=178693

Looks like this the addon is maturing nicely now, with a Netflix keyboard and remote control Chrome Browser Extension.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detai...pknknljhkj


** Good news **

Newbie friendly to get Netflix up and running.

** I'm running OSX - Kodi / Chrome browser but Ubuntu will be very similar.

Install NetfliXBMC add-on by installing repo from Zip file here:

https://www.alelec.net/kodi/repository.alelec.zip

- basic setup, entered my Netflix username / password.
- launched the add-on and it loaded the Netflix library, hit play on a movie and it asked if I wanted to install - Chrome Launcher - hell why not!
- the Chrome browser then launched fullscreen and I'm getting Netflix HD quality in the browser.
- Netflix player Keyboard controls work after installing the Chrome browser extension, should by easy enough to map to a remote as well.
- I then hit Esc and I'm back in Kodi.

I would definitely try installing a single boot Ubuntu on the Chromebox now, install the Ubuntu version of the Chrome browser (v37+) and the extension mentioned above and then Ubuntu - Kodi and the NetfliXBMC add-on.

Possibly try Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS 64-bit

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

[canadave]

Sounds like NF's PQ is what it is. My main use for this Chromebox will be Kodi anyways, just thought it would be nice if all the stars were in alignment and Netflix would output in HD on the same unit for once
Not sure why Netflix won't open up their HD spec to more devices, seems it would only attract more customers. Thanks for the info.

Just to be clear, though--the "inferior" PQ of Netflix that you're referring to here is only on the Chromebox, right? Not the FireTV? At least, I hope so, seeing as how I just bought a FireTV

[NeoDuck]

- Windows can be run on a Chromebox but you have to use audio out over a USB dongle, due to the HDMI audio out issue. I'm sure users with external Amplifiers can work around this. I personally still would not do it tho if only running XBMC.

If you just wanted a pure XBMC box without compromises, the Chromebox is the choice of the two.

Question...and I'm not being a troll or anything but aren't these two statements contradictory?

Also, what does this mean?

- I don't care about benchmarks. No usable de-interlacing and on the fly refresh rate switching is a deal breaker for some with the Amazon Fire TV. It cannot do 4K video output either that the Chromebox can. I would call that graphics superiority right there !

I just barely started reading / learning about ACB and AFTV. In fact, I didn't even know they existed until my brother told me to buy them on Black Friday. So, how does the de-interlacing or fly refresh rate affect the image quality? I plan to watch mostly downloaded MKV and MP4 files from sites. Right now, I'm running XBMC off my laptop onto a TV. I don't plan to watch 4K for a long time, so that's a non issue for me.

[christoofar]

Looks like this the addon is maturing nicely now, with a Netflix keyboard and remote control Chrome Browser Extension.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detai...pknknljhkj

Is there a specific addon/extension you were pointing to here, as the link just takes me to the webstore page.

I've used the Netflixbmc before in my Win7 box, it worked pretty well for the most part. Not sure if I'm skilled enough yet to learn ubuntu

---

[quote='wrxtasy' pid='1854439' dateline='1417829332']

I just barely started reading / learning about ACB and AFTV. In fact, I didn't even know they existed until my brother told me to buy them on Black Friday. So, how does the de-interlacing or fly refresh rate affect the image quality? I plan to watch mostly downloaded MKV and MP4 files from sites. Right now, I'm running XBMC off my laptop onto a TV. I don't plan to watch 4K for a long time, so that's a non issue for me.

Most live broadcast TV is in 1080i (interlaced), so if you plan on watching a lot of live events, sports games, etc, you may have screen flicker due to the FTV's inabilities to de-interlace in this regard. From what I've read in these threads , you should be happy with either unit overall. If you aren't a live sport fan , get the FTV.

[noggin]

- Windows can be run on a Chromebox but you have to use audio out over a USB dongle, due to the HDMI audio out issue. I'm sure users with external Amplifiers can work around this. I personally still would not do it tho if only running XBMC.

If you just wanted a pure XBMC box without compromises, the Chromebox is the choice of the two.

Question...and I'm not being a troll or anything but aren't these two statements contradictory?

No - the first one is related to Windows (and a suggestion not to run Windows if all you want is XBMC), the second to XBMC (which can also run under Linux)

Also, what does this mean?

- I don't care about benchmarks. No usable de-interlacing and on the fly refresh rate switching is a deal breaker for some with the Amazon Fire TV. It cannot do 4K video output either that the Chromebox can. I would call that graphics superiority right there !

I just barely started reading / learning about ACB and AFTV. In fact, I didn't even know they existed until my brother told me to buy them on Black Friday. So, how does the de-interlacing or fly refresh rate affect the image quality? I plan to watch mostly downloaded MKV and MP4 files from sites. Right now, I'm running XBMC off my laptop onto a TV. I don't plan to watch 4K for a long time, so that's a non issue for me.

On-the-fly refresh rate changing is where the output refresh rate changes based on the frame rate of the file being played. This is really important if you play 24p, 25p, 30p, 50i/p and 60i/p content and care about picture quality, as playing back content at the wrong refresh rate can give you horrible judder.

De-interlacing is important if you watch Live TV, Recorded TV and some DVDs and Blu-rays, as they use interlacing which is where the two halves of a frame are captures at different times and thus need to be processed to take account of this before display. If you watch this content without decent de-interlacing, at best it will be juddery, at worst you will see lots of horizontal lines on motion.

[wrxtasy]

Is there a specific addon/extension you were pointing to here, as the link just takes me to the webstore page.

Sorry wrong link, pasted:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detai...pknknljhkj

---

Just to be clear, though--the "inferior" PQ of Netflix that you're referring to here is only on the Chromebox, right? Not the FireTV? At least, I hope so, seeing as how I just bought a FireTV

I have not got a Chromebox here at the moment to test, just relaying what Matt Devo has seen and even then he's unsure if that is still the case.
I strongly suspect he may have tested Netflix before Google shipped a full HTML5 web browser in the Chromebox that Netflix now requires.

Maybe NeoDuck can test Netflix in the Chromebox - Chrome browser and let us know about the PQ?

[NeoDuck]

- Windows can be run on a Chromebox but you have to use audio out over a USB dongle, due to the HDMI audio out issue. I'm sure users with external Amplifiers can work around this. I personally still would not do it tho if only running XBMC.

If you just wanted a pure XBMC box without compromises, the Chromebox is the choice of the two.

Question...and I'm not being a troll or anything but aren't these two statements contradictory?

No - the first one is related to Windows (and a suggestion not to run Windows if all you want is XBMC), the second to XBMC (which can also run under Linux)

Also, what does this mean?

- I don't care about benchmarks. No usable de-interlacing and on the fly refresh rate switching is a deal breaker for some with the Amazon Fire TV. It cannot do 4K video output either that the Chromebox can. I would call that graphics superiority right there !

I just barely started reading / learning about ACB and AFTV. In fact, I didn't even know they existed until my brother told me to buy them on Black Friday. So, how does the de-interlacing or fly refresh rate affect the image quality? I plan to watch mostly downloaded MKV and MP4 files from sites. Right now, I'm running XBMC off my laptop onto a TV. I don't plan to watch 4K for a long time, so that's a non issue for me.

On-the-fly refresh rate changing is where the output refresh rate changes based on the frame rate of the file being played. This is really important if you play 24p, 25p, 30p, 50i/p and 60i/p content and care about picture quality, as playing back content at the wrong refresh rate can give you horrible judder.

De-interlacing is important if you watch Live TV, Recorded TV and some DVDs and Blu-rays, as they use interlacing which is where the two halves of a frame are captures at different times and thus need to be processed to take account of this before display. If you watch this content without decent de-interlacing, at best it will be juddery, at worst you will see lots of horizontal lines on motion.

Ahh, okay, that makes sense!

Thank you!

[wrxtasy]

On-the-fly refresh rate changing is where the output refresh rate changes based on the frame rate of the file being played. This is really important if you play 24p, 25p, 30p, 50i/p and 60i/p content and care about picture quality, as playing back content at the wrong refresh rate can give you horrible judder.

Believe me once you have seen how smooth and natural the camera pans around in a movie scene, with the video's refresh rate properly synced to the TV you will not want to view anything less. Its viewing pleasure at its best especially on large TV's.

Simply put when you feed video shot at 24p (23.976fps) into a TV set that is refreshing at 59.94Hz (USA TV's especially) the TV or media box has to do what is referred to as 3:2 pulldown where extra frames are added to the picture, this induces a degree of judder. Some people are very sensitive to this.

Simple explanation of 3:2 pulldown here:
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/...2-telecine

The AFTV running Fire OS, which is based on Android OS cannot change output refresh rates when starting video playback and hence you may have to put up with picture judder depending on your video source material's frame rate. This is an Android OS issue which Google I believe still has not fixed.

Even the cheap Raspberry Pi has basic graphic mode superiority over any Android OS based device as it can do both refresh rate switching and de-interlacing correctly. Mature Firmware and drivers do make a difference.

[christoofar]

Maybe NeoDuck can test Netflix in the Chromebox - Chrome browser and let us know about the PQ?

Did just that yesterday with mine. Watched World War Z, and while not listed in NF as being "HD" the PQ was quite acceptable, and navigation on the site within Chrome was easy too of course.Much better than the 2 Android settops I own (VidOn Box & Tronsmart S89-H, though the Tronsmart wasn't as bad) In my case I think going the dualboot method w/ openelec/chrome will work for me.

[wrxtasy]

Good to hear christoofar, if you type Ctrl+Shift+Alt+D on the keyboard whilst running Netflix in the browser it will bring up the Audio Visual stats and you will know for sure then.

The next interesting test you could do is download and add this Chrome browser extension and see if you can configure IR remote control support in Netflix:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detai...pknknljhkj

[danfloss]

I would definitely try installing a single boot Ubuntu on the Chromebox now, install the Ubuntu version of the Chrome browser (v37+) and the extension mentioned above and then Ubuntu - Kodi and the NetfliXBMC add-on.

Possibly try Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS 64-bit

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

have you tried this option yet. Im thinking the same

[christoofar]

Good to hear christoofar, if you type Ctrl+Shift+Alt+D on the keyboard whilst running Netflix in the browser it will bring up the Audio Visual stats and you will know for sure then.

The next interesting test you could do is download and add this Chrome browser extension and see if you can configure IR remote control support in Netflix:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detai...pknknljhkj

Will check that out tonight. Also thinking of ordering a FireTV BT remote to see if it will work with the Chromebox.

[Matt Devo]

Will check that out tonight. Also thinking of ordering a FireTV BT remote to see if it will work with the Chromebox.

both the FireTV and Fire Stick remotes work perfectly well

[christoofar]

Will check that out tonight. Also thinking of ordering a FireTV BT remote to see if it will work with the Chromebox.

both the FireTV and Fire Stick remotes work perfectly well

excellent! Thanks for the verification Matt. Just playing around a bit yesterday with the vanilla unit, these are quite nice boxes.