Android TV 2.0.48 but Playback thru VLC for Android TV because of HEVC

[godbodian 54]

Okay this is somewhat of two problems together but the initial problem, I've found a viable work around so I don't really care about it as much.

First, I use VLC as an external player on my AndroidTV with Emby because the playback on HEVC formatted movies is very inconsistent. I don't know if it's on my end or what (it very well could be) but enabling VLC as an external player makes every video play with the same smoothness. (That's the first "issue".

Second, in using the above workaround VLC, regardless of formatting, unless the subtitles are embedded within the video file itself, they are .sub formatted external file or a .srt file labeled properly as "forced", VLC will not see it nor will the subtitles play. In addition, what I believe is happening is Emby is transcoding with the forced subtitles into VLC because although forced allow them to play, it's at the sacrifice of functions like rewind, fast forward and/or any manner of skipping via VLC. With any other video all said features operate correctly.

 

I would love not to have to use VLC and be completely within the app but if not the VLC as the player is perfectly fine and doesn't make that much of difference but with watching movies with alot of subtitles, it does throw off the experience significantly.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Emby 4.7.0.17

embyserver.txt

[Luke 38493]

Hi, can you try sideloading our standard android app on the same device and let us know how it compares?

https://emby.media/emby-for-android.html

Thanks !

[godbodian 54]

Okay.

I installed it but it's not the same. I'm on a 70in Android TV, this app is similar to what's on my phone but now I literally can't highlight the play button it highlight jumps around two spaces/items/buttons instead of one?

Once I played with it, I got it to land on Play and stop so I can see the playback. The playback for HEVC's still has the initial issue and there's no function for external players, although for some HEVCs that had subtitles, the subtitles did indeed play correctly and all the control functions (REW, FF, SKIP) were all present.

Still I don't see this as a viable solution.

 

 

 

[ebr 15337]

47 minutes ago, godbodian said:

because the playback on HEVC formatted movies is very inconsistent

Hi.  Exactly what does that mean?  Also, what is the device?

[godbodian 54]

4 minutes ago, ebr said:

Hi.  Exactly what does that mean?  Also, what is the device?

Some HEVCs studder and freeze during playback in the native app I listed above, others do not. All the HEVCs have the same exact encoding and stats.
It's really weird honestly. I've reached out about it before but there was no real fix but I found the external player option and that works fine, honestly with that (for me, specifically) no worries. The device I'm currently on is a Hisense 70 TV. Android, 4K.

Also to make sure I'm clear in what I'm saying. 
Via the workaround (VLC), I can get any HEVC to play with subs, flawlessly as long as the subs are forced. 

BUT, I then cannot REW, FF and/or SKIP.

Thanks,

 

Edited November 11, 2021 by godbodian

[godbodian 54]

Here are some more recent logs.

Hopefully they illustrate the issue.

embyserver.txt ffmpeg-transcode-98f05176-0b57-4106-9f4f-b7b99ed6d39a_1.txt

[GrimReaper 3746]

What CPU does your server machine have? You're transcoding 10-bit 1080p HEVC in software only, that can be quite taxing. 

[godbodian 54]

35 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

What CPU does your server machine have? You're transcoding 10-bit 1080p HEVC in software only, that can be quite taxing. 

Yeah I started thinking that also. 

I have a repurposed Dell Precision T3500 Intel Xeon W 3540 2.93GHz.. I do think I'm due to upgrade but there should be enough power left that the addition of forced subtitles should cause such an issue.

[ebr 15337]

2 hours ago, godbodian said:

Here are some more recent logs.

Hopefully they illustrate the issue.

embyserver.txt 2.69 MB · 1 download ffmpeg-transcode-98f05176-0b57-4106-9f4f-b7b99ed6d39a_1.txt 56.76 kB · 2 downloads

Was this played through the normal player or the external one?

[godbodian 54]

20 minutes ago, ebr said:

Was this played through the normal player or the external one?

External. I cannot use the native player with the HEVC format.

[GrimReaper 3746]

4 minutes ago, godbodian said:

I cannot use the native player with the HEVC format.

What do you mean by that? 

[godbodian 54]

57 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

What do you mean by that? 

With some videos that are encoded HEVC if I use the native player within the Emby app, those videos stutter and/or freeze repeatedly.

That doesn't happen when I use the external player option and VLC for AndroidTV.

[GrimReaper 3746]

1 minute ago, godbodian said:

With some videos that are encoded HEVC if I use the native player within the Emby app, those videos stutter and/or freeze repeatedly.

Can you post ffmpeg log for one of those? 

[godbodian 54]

51 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

Can you post ffmpeg log for one of those? 

Uh there's no log for it. I attaching videos. It was direct play.

The first two videos show the stutter, which is something akin to a repeating lag and skip in frames. The third video is one of the HEVCs that happen to work. You'll see how smooth the playback is. When I use VLC the playback for all the HEVCs is a smooth as the [third] example.

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by godbodian

[godbodian 54]

third video. 

[GrimReaper 3746]

9 minutes ago, godbodian said:

Uh there's no log for it. I attaching videos. It was direct play.

The first two videos show the stutter, which is something akin to a repeating lag and skip in frames. The third video is one of the HEVCs that happen to work. You'll see how smooth the playback is. When I use VLC the playback for all the HEVCs is a smooth as the example.

 

Play again that first or second video, bring up OSD and select Playback correction (Cog icon menu) once, check how's the playback, then again.

Alternatively, lower in-app quality below media bitrate to force transcoding. 

How does it play now? 

[godbodian 54]

6 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

Play again that first or second video, bring up OSD and select Playback correction (Cog icon menu) once, check how's the playback, then again.

Alternatively, lower in-app quality below media bitrate to force transcoding. 

How does it play now? 

Still the same.

[GrimReaper 3746]

4 minutes ago, godbodian said:

Still the same.

That was only DirectStream, remux, no transcoding triggered. Select in-app quality from the Cog menu to less than 2mbps.

[GrimReaper 3746]

18 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

Play again that first or second video, bring up OSD and select Playback correction (Cog icon menu) once, check how's the playback, then again.

Alternatively, lower in-app quality below media bitrate to force transcoding. 

 

[godbodian 54]

7 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

That was only DirectStream, remux, no transcoding triggered. Select in-app quality from the Cog menu to less than 2mbps.

Yeah did that and you second highlighted version.. both still suck. 

Reducing the rate to 2mb makes it smoother yes but now it's foggy/blurry looking. The TV is pretty big so you can see every issue.

[GrimReaper 3746]

25 minutes ago, godbodian said:

Reducing the rate to 2mb makes it smoother yes but now it's foggy/blurry looking. The TV is pretty big so you can see every issue.

Yes, because you're lowering quality, that was just a test to see whether transcoding gives smooth playback, as it appears so, so I'm unclear why selecting Playback correction once than again does not, as that should trigger transcoding without (or barely) noticeable loss of quality. Did you check Stats for Nerds that Play method is Transcoding? Edit: Do you mind posting video of that? 

Edited November 12, 2021 by GrimReaper
Append

[CBers 6930]

10 hours ago, godbodian said:

I installed it but it's not the same

In the settings in the app, make sure the Display Mode is set to TV.

The sideloaded Android app may not have recognised it was running on a TV>

Which make/model is the TV?

Back in the ATV app, have you send logs, via the COG on the playback OSD?

See here for more info on how to do that.
 

@ebr can then take a look to see if anything is awry.

Something is wrong, as most people play HEV videos without issues in the ATV app, I know I do, including large 4K movies.
 

 

[rbjtech 4758]

It looks to be a possible frame rate issue on the first two vids - I would check to see if you have the 'Frame Rate Matching' options set in Emby.  On playback, press and hold the centre button to get Stats for Nerds (SFN) shown - at the top, you want the display fps to match the media fps.   Unless they do, you will get a jerky playback.  Settings on your TV to try and minimise this may help (frame insertion), but the best option is to simply playback at the correct framerate. 

These days, 23.976 is the norm - this 'may' be shown as 24 in some cases.

[ebr 15337]

9 hours ago, godbodian said:

The first two videos show the stutter, which is something akin to a repeating lag and skip in frames

I agree this could be a simple frame rate matching issue but can you please play that item for a few seconds and then follow the instructions to send a log from the app?

 

 

[godbodian 54]

5 hours ago, CBers said:

In the settings in the app, make sure the Display Mode is set to TV.

The sideloaded Android app may not have recognised it was running on a TV>

Which make/model is the TV?

Back in the ATV app, have you send logs, via the COG on the playback OSD?

See here for more info on how to do that.
 

@ebr can then take a look to see if anything is awry.

Something is wrong, as most people play HEV videos without issues in the ATV app, I know I do, including large 4K movies.
 

 

Thanks @CBers 

Logs from within ATV sent.

Logs sent at 9:26a EST, Playing "Sonic the Hedgehog" for issue recreation purposes, User: Master Bedroom. Second set of logs sent at 9:31a EST, Playing "Pokemon Detective Pikachu" for issue recreation and comparison purposes, User: Master Bedroom.

Hope this leads to a solution.

Thanks all.