Problem with Firestick for HEVC 10 Bit - Played before, not now...

[davidb7170 7]

I have the Emby Server Version 4.6.4.0 (says it's the up to date version) on my Win 10 Pro 64 PC, and 3 Firesticks on 3 different TV's. They report no available Emby App updates, so all I can assume is they are the latest greatest updates. They did update in recent memory, but cannot remember the exact date. The Emby Firestick App Version is 2.0.33a. 

Less than a month ago, any mp4 files rendered in HEVC - H265 10 bit displayed and played great. My H265 8 bit files play fine on all the Firesticks, but not the 10 bit renders anymore. I have about 40 titles that no longer play properly, I hear the audio, but just have a black screen. Did a recent update to either the Firestick Emby App or the Emby Server develop a problem? All the files play fine on my PC, it's just the Firesticks. These are not 4K Fiiresticks just regular HD connected via HDMI ports on the TV's. I have re-rendered a couple of the 10 Bit to 8 bit, and they play fine at that point, This is new behavior just in the past couple of weeks. At first thought I had a trashed file, but checked and the only ones with problems are the HEVC 10-bit renders.

Any help or advice is appreciated. I've been using Emby for less than a year, and this is the first glitch I've run into. Hopefully it's something simple, or a setting.

Thanks,

Dave

Edited August 14, 2021 by davidb7170
spelling corrections

[Luke 37233]

Hi there, can we please look at an example? Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. thanks !

[davidb7170 7]

It's a big file, don't know if this is the one you want, but here goes.... If not, please advise. Hopefully only Admins can open these...

Thanks

embyserver 2021 08 13.txt

[Carlo 4331]

Try and remux one of these mp4 files to MKV and let us know if it will play correctly?

[ebr 14958]

Hi.  Can you try the current beta version?  You would need to side load it on your stick.

 

  

[davidb7170 7]

Cayars - I remuxed a 10 bit mp4 into MKV format wrapper using avidemux (won't do DTS, so chose an mp4 with EAC3). Put in a test directory on my Emby Server, and it also did not play correctly - black screen, and audio only. I did not hanbrake it to 10 bit MKV from the 10 bit mp4, saw it was over 3 hours to render. I can co-process 8 bit HEVC files with my GPU at under 30 mins, but not 10 bit, so can't tie up my PC for that amount of time right now. 

Ebr - I downloaded the 2.0.36 beta apk for Amazon (I assume firestick), put the unzipped file in my cloud. I printed off the How-to-Geek instructions for side loading, will attempt tonight later when I get some time. I assume if it bombs out, I can simple uninstall it and reinstall the official release, they can't coexist, I would presume.

I'll report back when I've messed with it. Thanks for your help guys!

Dave

[davidb7170 7]

I installed the beta, and exhibits the same behavior as the current release emby app, black screen and audio playing for only the hevc 10 bit files. 

Please advise. 

Thanks, 

Dave 

[Luke 37233]

20 hours ago, davidb7170 said:

It's a big file, don't know if this is the one you want, but here goes.... If not, please advise. Hopefully only Admins can open these...

Thanks

embyserver 2021 08 13.txt 8.66 MB · 1 download

Hi, can you please attach the ffmpeg log as well? Thanks.

[Luke 37233]

1 hour ago, davidb7170 said:

I installed the beta, and exhibits the same behavior as the current release emby app, black screen and audio playing for only the hevc 10 bit files. 

Please advise. 

Thanks, 

Dave 

What version number did you install?

[davidb7170 7]

It's 2.0.36 beta, shows up as 2.0.36a on the firestick. The current release also displayed the "a" on the firestick. Don't know if that's significant for anything.

I will go and try to find the ffmpeg log.

Thanks 

Dave 

[davidb7170 7]

Ok found 1 of the many ffmpeg logs, so picked the most recent. Scanned through it, not exactly sure what to make out of it, but saw some interesting stuff... Hope this helps.

Thanks,

Dave

ffmpeg-transcode-30c96efe-2ebb-4f0a-b26d-2ca64e193c86_1.txt

[ebr 14958]

I thought we were talking about 10bit HEVC?  This is an h264 video.

19:51:54.652     Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Constrained Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv), 1920x1080 [SAR 180:173 DAR 320:173], 4990 kb/s, Level 42, 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 90k tbn, 47.95 tbc (default)

Did it exhibit a problem?

[ebr 14958]

Can you please play one of the problem files for a few seconds with the beta version of the app and then send a log from the app?

Actually, try the new release I just put up in that same thread.

Thanks.

 

[davidb7170 7]

Okay, I installed the 2.0.37 Beta for Amazon Firestick. I pulled up several of the files I know to be HEVC H.265 10 Bit renders, and they all played fine, so SUCCESS!

I assume you'll be putting out a general release at some point (hopefully soon), I will try the beta on my other 2 firesticks to make sure later today. The H.264 file you observe in the ffmpeg log was what we watched last night. It worked fine, but I know it wasn't you were looking for. The problem with the ffmpeg (and other) log files, is that there's so much there, and in many log files, it's hard for the un-initiated to tell which one to pick.

Thank you!

Dave 

[Deathmo 4]

Testet too and all plays fine now on Fire TV non 4k second gen.

So good job.

Thanks.

[ebr 14958]

Thanks for reporting back.  Yes, we will put out a release on Amazon soon.

[ebr 14958]

Hi.  Can you please ensure that version .38 still works properly for you?  Thanks.

[davidb7170 7]

Yes I will, but it'll be later today. Thanks for the heads up. 

Dave 

[davidb7170 7]

Ok, loaded the 2.0.38 Beta for firestick, then loaded a hevc 10 bit file that had not played in release 2.0.33. It loaded up and started to play, so looking like it's successful. Good deal. 

Hope this helps. Thanks. 

Dave 

[Luke 37233]

Thanks for the feedback.