Two recent issues on Android TV.

[Dodgexander 8]

After spending a lot of time narrowing down the issues. I have found a pattern.

Issue 1.

After a recent update, titles that have DTS audio no longer play smoothly. They skip. I have verified its not a video problem by using rips that have multiple tracks. See my video example here:

 

Issue 2.

A similar issue seems to be widely reported in other threads, but from what I've seen no one seems to have pinpointed the issue. For some reason 25fps files using AAC audio no longer direct play. You can't even play the files when you remux and have to force transcode for these files to work.

I can supply sample files if needed to test.

 

As others have said in recent threads, been using emby no problem for a while until very recently where suddenly these two problems happen. I have verified the problem doesn't exist on other clients and also checked direct playback on my TV (Hisense U8G) via the DLNA server part of emby and they playback smooth.

Server logs show nothing useful. What can I do to help fix these?

Oh, and I tested the Android mobile apk too, same issue with the same files.

Edited February 3, 2022 by Dodgexander

[Luke 37066]

Hi there, can we please look at some example playback sessions?

Thanks !

[ebr 14913]

10 hours ago, Dodgexander said:

After a recent update

Hi.  A recent update of exactly what?  This app has not updated recently but the Nvidia firmware has.  Is that the update you mean?

[Dodgexander 8]

Issue 1.

Server log:

• Quote

  Describe the problem in your own words, including what you're trying to accomplish, and where you're getting stuck. Make sure to indicate which Emby App you're using. If you're using a browser, then please indicate what browser you're using.

You play a file, and it gets stuck at the beginning, no progress. Spinning circle for a second and then it stops. Sometimes you can seek forward, but it freezes a single frame and won't play. This happens with files using AAC audio, and mostly seems to be related to 25fps content, or the .mp4 container. I have tested various clients including windows in browser and my Roku TV and this problem isn't present. It only happens on Android TV. I also tested the Android mobile client on the same TV, same problem.

• Quote

  If you saw error messages, please tell us what they were. If the problem is difficult to explain, please include screenshots that demonstrate the issue.

No error message, the file won't start. You can hit playback correction to force remux and it still doesn't start but if you hit playback correction again and force a transcode, it does work. I'd send a screenshot but it would just be a complete black screen.

• Quote

  Please attach the server log from the time frame the activity occurred. See the section below titled Emby Server Logs. Please supply the full and complete log file, and avoid attempting to extract relevant sections. Everything is relevant to us. If a server transcoding log was also generated during playback (in the server logs folder), please attach that as well.

Attached to this post.

App log:

• Quote

  • Exactly what you were doing and what happened.  Include the name of whatever you played if it is a playback problem

See above, simply trying to play the file. It halts and doesn't play with a black screen. You can seek forward, but the frame is always frozen and you can't play. Force remux doesn't help but encoding does. The name of the test file started with: Benidorm.

• Quote

  • The time you sent the log (in Eastern Time please - UTC -5)

6.28pm Eastern.

• Quote

  • The name of the Emby user on the local server that was logged in at the time

tim

Issue 2.

Server log:

• Quote

  Describe the problem in your own words, including what you're trying to accomplish, and where you're getting stuck. Make sure to indicate which Emby App you're using. If you're using a browser, then please indicate what browser you're using.

You play a file with DTS audio and unlike above it does play, but there is stutter causing it to be unwatchable (witnessed in my video above). Switch the audio track to Dolby Digital and it plays fine. Can reproduce on all my DTS audio files. I have tested various clients including windows in browser and my Roku TV and this problem isn't present. It only happens on Android TV. I also tested the Android mobile client on the same TV, same problem.

• Quote

  If you saw error messages, please tell us what they were. If the problem is difficult to explain, please include screenshots that demonstrate the issue.

No error message but hopefully the video above demonstrates what I mean.

• Quote

  Please attach the server log from the time frame the activity occurred. See the section below titled Emby Server Logs. Please supply the full and complete log file, and avoid attempting to extract relevant sections. Everything is relevant to us. If a server transcoding log was also generated during playback (in the server logs folder), please attach that as well.

I have it attached. The log contains me reproducing both issue 1 and 2.

App log:

• Quote

  Exactly what you were doing and what happened.  Include the name of whatever you played if it is a playback problem

Trying to play a file with DTS audio. It doesn't play smoothly as per the video above. The test file reported was Star Trek (original series).

• Quote

  The time you sent the log (in Eastern Time please - UTC -5)

6.28pm Eastern

• Quote

   

  The name of the Emby user on the local server that was logged in at the time
  

   

tim

embyserver.txt

[Dodgexander 8]

10 hours ago, ebr said:

Hi.  A recent update of exactly what?  This app has not updated recently but the Nvidia firmware has.  Is that the update you mean?

I'm using Android TV on my Hisense U8G, not an Nvidia shield. On the same TV the built in DLNA client is direct playing the same troublesome files fine.

Also tested Plex just now, also plays these problematic files fine.

Not sure which update which caused it, but it will be either emby server or emby Android TV app related.

I tried the emby Android non-TV app and it also has the problem on my Android TV.

All other clients don't have a problem.

[ebr 14913]

Are you using the beta server?  That also has not updated recently. 

[Dodgexander 8]

Don't think so. Server is v4.6.7.0 and client is 2.0.64g Registered.

I am enrolled on the beta for Android TV I think, is it worth unsubscribing to see if that's the issue? If so, how do I remove myself?

[ebr 14913]

13 hours ago, Dodgexander said:

I tried the emby Android non-TV app and it also has the problem on my Android TV.

Emby for Android exhibited the exact same behavior?

[Dodgexander 8]

8 hours ago, ebr said:

Emby for Android exhibited the exact same behavior?

Yes, I just sideloaded the app again to check. Exactly the same with both issues.

These issues do not happen using the Android app on my phone. Only TV.

Other clients tested that don't share these issues:

Roku Streaming Stick+ (connected to the same TV).

43" TCL R517 TV using Roku.

Windows via browser.

[Dodgexander 8]

Anyone managed to repeat this issue?

Any way to troubleshoot/fix so I can stop using Plex again

[ebr 14913]

Hi.  Can you provide a piece of sample media for testing?

[Dodgexander 8]

1 hour ago, ebr said:

Hi.  Can you provide a piece of sample media for testing?

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AQz1VKPReQAJyKc70xAoxWhKgCECDoRA?usp=sharing

Benidrom is issue 1 - Won't play at all.

Star Trek is issue 2 - Stutter with DTS audio.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Dodgexander

[ebr 14913]

Hmmm.  Your sample played immediately on my Android TV.  Did you confirm the problem occurs with that copy of the file?

[ebr 14913]

I also had no issue playing your Star Trek sample smoothly.  My test Android TV is a Sony a few years old.

Are there any external audio components involved?

[Dodgexander 8]

23 minutes ago, ebr said:

Hmmm.  Your sample played immediately on my Android TV.  Did you confirm the problem occurs with that copy of the file?

Yes, after I made the copies, I pushed them to the server to test to make sure. They still exhibit the same problem.

17 minutes ago, ebr said:

I also had no issue playing your Star Trek sample smoothly.  My test Android TV is a Sony a few years old.

Are there any external audio components involved?

No external audio, just TV speakers. Works fine with Plex so I'm not sure what's changed to break it for emby. Is there any way of troubleshooting it?

[ebr 14913]

Can you try changing the "Audio Output" option in the Playback Settings in the app to "Mix down to stereo"?

[Dodgexander 8]

30 minutes ago, ebr said:

Can you try changing the "Audio Output" option in the Playback Settings in the app to "Mix down to stereo"?

There's no option for that in either the Android TV app or the Android app.

[ebr 14913]

If there is an option for passing through DTS and/or DTS HD, try de-selecting those.

[Dodgexander 8]

43 minutes ago, ebr said:

If there is an option for passing through DTS and/or DTS HD, try de-selecting those.

No, there are no options that let me control the audio output at all. I can change which default language audio track is used and that's about it.

[ebr 14913]

35 minutes ago, Dodgexander said:

I can change which default language audio track is used and that's about it.

Hi.  Are you looking in the "Playback" settings...?

[Dodgexander 8]

35 minutes ago, ebr said:

Hi.  Are you looking in the "Playback" settings...?

Yes, I checked both Android TV and Android App. Neither have the options you describe under playback.

[Luke 37066]

On 2/13/2022 at 12:48 PM, Dodgexander said:

Yes, I checked both Android TV and Android App. Neither have the options you describe under playback.

@Dodgexander

When you did this, what version of the Android TV app did you have?

[Dodgexander 8]

37 minutes ago, Luke said:

@Dodgexander

When you did this, what version of the Android TV app did you have?

On 03/02/2022 at 19:06, ebr said:

Are you using the beta server?  That also has not updated recently. 

On 03/02/2022 at 19:17, Dodgexander said:

Don't think so. Server is v4.6.7.0 and client is 2.0.64g Registered.

I am enrolled on the beta for Android TV I think, is it worth unsubscribing to see if that's the issue? If so, how do I remove myself?

This was the issue. I was enrolled in the beta program and was getting version 2.0.64g, I left the program, reinstalled the app and it now both issues are gone with verson 2.0.48g.

With the standard Android app, I was also enrolled in the beta with version 3.2.35 but I went back to 3.2.32 and the issue is still there...I guess it doesn't matter because I don't use that app but I'm scared this issue will be bought downstream in the future.

I still don't get options in the apps playback settings to pass DTS or DTS HD. Am I looking in the wrong place?

[ebr 14913]

35 minutes ago, Dodgexander said:

I still don't get options in the apps playback settings to pass DTS or DTS HD

That would indicate that those audio formats are not supported for bitstreaming.

[Luke 37066]

38 minutes ago, Dodgexander said:

This was the issue. I was enrolled in the beta program and was getting version 2.0.64g, I left the program, reinstalled the app and it now both issues are gone with verson 2.0.48g.

With the standard Android app, I was also enrolled in the beta with version 3.2.35 but I went back to 3.2.32 and the issue is still there...I guess it doesn't matter because I don't use that app but I'm scared this issue will be bought downstream in the future.

I still don't get options in the apps playback settings to pass DTS or DTS HD. Am I looking in the wrong place?

Can you try sideloading the version from our website?

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

Thanks.