Transcodes due to 'audio bitrate over limit' on FireStick4k

[ecrispy 23]

The media has EAC3 at bitrate 640-768k, which should have no problem, right? Is this a FireTv limitation? 

I have gigabit Internet and in Emby I have set max streaming to the max (1000Mbps) and also tried Auto. Same thing for 4K video - the video will direct play but audio is getting transcoded due to high bitrate, I don't understand why.

I don't remember this happening before either.

[Luke 37066]

Hi.  Can you try sideloading our standard android app on the same device and see how that compares?

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

Thanks.

 

[ecrispy 23]

3 hours ago, Luke said:

Hi.  Can you try sideloading our standard android app on the same device and see how that compares?

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

Thanks.

 

I tried this apk. here is the tinyurl link in case anyone else wants to - https://tinyurl.com/embbapk

Both video and audio direct play using this. I double checked, the standard FireStick app does transcode due to audio. I was only able to check using 'play 1 min' option since I only have app unlock for the main one, but I don't think that matters.

I've never used the android app before, esp not on tv. It seems to have more features? some notes -

• pin sign in via emby connect is MUCH faster. the Emby FTV app waits ~1min
• the regular app shows subtitles as 'eng subrip', the android app above will correctly show 'eng sdh'
• during trick play the progress bar moves much more smoothly and shows chapter names

I also tried a 4k rip, to my amazement a 4K UHD with DTS-HD audio with a much higher bitrate is direct playing using both apps !! what the hell is this, I thought DTS wasn't supported??

[Luke 37066]

Great, so you're saying overall it played better?

[ecrispy 23]

1 hour ago, Luke said:

Great, so you're saying overall it played better?

yes. The UI on the native app is obviously better fit for a tv. Do you know why this is happening? Is it a known issue?

Also the Android app doesn't seem to do HDR. 

[Luke 37066]

1 hour ago, ecrispy said:

yes. The UI on the native app is obviously better fit for a tv.

Why exactly do you think its' a better fit? 

[Luke 37066]

Quote

Also the Android app doesn't seem to do HDR. 

Why do you think it doesn't do HDR?

[MagicDoubleM 93]

9 hours ago, Luke said:

Why exactly do you think its' a better fit? 

In my quick tests, the tv-app does feel a bit snappier and sometimes needs fewer clicks to get here and there, or out of the app. Oh, and the icon of the android app isn't in the right format for androidtv.  Besides of that, everything works and looks nice. I'm not sure if I like the details-layout (especially the placement of the poster/thumb) as much as I like it on the tv-app, but there are visual improvements, that make up for it and I get the benefits of having just one app for android and androidtv.

I'll be using it as my main client for a while.
 

10 hours ago, Luke said:

Why do you think it doesn't do HDR?

HDR10, DV5 and DV8 work just fine on my Cube (3rd gen).

There is no separate amazon-version for this one, right?

[Luke 37066]

2 hours ago, MagicDoubleM said:

In my quick tests, the tv-app does feel a bit snappier and sometimes needs fewer clicks to get here and there, or out of the app. Oh, and the icon of the android app isn't in the right format for androidtv.  Besides of that, everything works and looks nice. I'm not sure if I like the details-layout (especially the placement of the poster/thumb) as much as I like it on the tv-app, but there are visual improvements, that make up for it and I get the benefits of having just one app for android and androidtv.

I'll be using it as my main client for a while.
 

HDR10, DV5 and DV8 work just fine on my Cube (3rd gen).

There is no separate amazon-version for this one, right?

Why do you think it sometimes needs fewer clicks? Can you please provide an example?

[MagicDoubleM 93]

21 minutes ago, Luke said:

Why do you think it sometimes needs fewer clicks? Can you please provide an example?

One example that stood out to me, was using the back button on the main-screen, which brings up the left sidebar first, before letting me exit the app, another one is the lack of the settings button in the upper right corner. Also, I like the behavior with the playback-bar in the ATV-app a bit better, but that might be just a thing of being used to it.

Besides of that, it was just a first impression/feeling, maybe due to the fact that there are more settings in the app (which is great of course). I'll see in the coming days if that impression fades away or if i stumble across something else.

[Luke 37066]

36 minutes ago, MagicDoubleM said:

One example that stood out to me, was using the back button on the main-screen, which brings up the left sidebar first, before letting me exit the app, another one is the lack of the settings button in the upper right corner. Also, I like the behavior with the playback-bar in the ATV-app a bit better, but that might be just a thing of being used to it.

Hi, why do you think there are no settings in the upper right corner? Have you explored the buttons that are up there?

[MagicDoubleM 93]

7 minutes ago, Luke said:

Hi, why do you think there are no settings in the upper right corner? Have you explored the buttons that are up there?

Yeah, okay, that was nitpicking... There is the user-button which brings up the menu that has the app settings button on top.

It really was just a first impressions thing and "being used" to the tv-client.

[Luke 37066]

Thanks for the feedback.

[rbjtech 4265]

On 02/12/2023 at 21:28, MagicDoubleM said:

Yeah, okay, that was nitpicking... There is the user-button which brings up the menu that has the app settings button on top.

It really was just a first impressions thing and "being used" to the tv-client.

Try using SFN, Chapters, Scrobbing, FFWD/RWD, Changing Codecs, Changing Subs, Changing version .. and the 'lag' on the Android App is still enough to annoy you vs the instantaneous response on the AndroidTV App.   I'm willing to bet you'll soon head back to the AndroidTV App ..  

[ecrispy 23]

The Android app is just slow. Moving between screens, clicking elements etc, there is a lag that isn't present in the native FireTv app.

But the FireTv app won't play a basic EAC3 stream without the 'audio bitrate over limit' transcode, which is clearly wrong as its very much supported on the device, and the settings are set for 1000Mbps, the max I can set.

@Lukewhy is it giving me that error, do you have an idea? Do other people get this too?

[ebr 14913]

4 minutes ago, ecrispy said:

settings are set for 1000Mbps,

Hi.  That is a video bitrate setting.

For a long time, we've had lots of trouble with Fire devices and higher bitrate AC3 streams so the app now conservatively converts them.  You could try setting the option to "Convert unsupported audio to DD" which will convert at least to a 5.1 format in this instance.

[ecrispy 23]

On 12/7/2023 at 12:24 PM, ebr said:

Hi.  That is a video bitrate setting.

For a long time, we've had lots of trouble with Fire devices and higher bitrate AC3 streams so the app now conservatively converts them.  You could try setting the option to "Convert unsupported audio to DD" which will convert at least to a 5.1 format in this instance.

I will try that. It still doesn't make sense to me as the same file plays fine in Plex as well as the Android version of Emby, so clearly the device can play it. It seems to me it'd be best to allow this and maybe have an option to disable if needed. Does that sound feasible?

[Luke 37066]

Then why not just use the standard app that I linked you to?

[rbjtech 4265]

11 hours ago, Luke said:

Then why not just use the standard app that I linked you to?

For the reason the OP gives above - the AndroidTV App works better for them in the majority of use cases.

(which I agree with - I've tried to get my family to use/test the 'Standard' App - they simply feel it is a worse user based TV experience (navigation and chapters especially) and performance is still sluggish vs the AndroidTV App.   Sorry Luke - I get why you are constantly selling the Standard App - but until it's on par with AndroidTV - people are not eager to take a backwards step here - myself included.)

[ecrispy 23]

I'd like to ask if there are any plans for an update for this. I understand @Lukerecommends the standard Android app, but it has a UI meant for a phone and not tv, and I want to use the AndroidTv/FireTv app because thats the default. It still makes no sense to me how the FireTv app simply refuses to play anything over 640Kbps and will force a transcode.

[RanmaCanada 345]

8 hours ago, ecrispy said:

I'd like to ask if there are any plans for an update for this. I understand @Lukerecommends the standard Android app, but it has a UI meant for a phone and not tv, and I want to use the AndroidTv/FireTv app because thats the default. It still makes no sense to me how the FireTv app simply refuses to play anything over 640Kbps and will force a transcode.

I think it might come down to the different fire devices they are stuck supporting and compliance with their app store.  It's the same problem with AV1 and Hi-10P as the Fire TV version doesn't support AV1 or Hi-10P and forces transcodes on them where as the standard Android App let s them direct play on supported devices. But I'm not a dev, nor an employee, so I'm not privy to that stuff and this is just my best guess.

[ecrispy 23]

10 hours ago, RanmaCanada said:

I think it might come down to the different fire devices they are stuck supporting and compliance with their app store.  It's the same problem with AV1 and Hi-10P as the Fire TV version doesn't support AV1 or Hi-10P and forces transcodes on them where as the standard Android App let s them direct play on supported devices. But I'm not a dev, nor an employee, so I'm not privy to that stuff and this is just my best guess.

The FireTv 4k can most certainly direct play DD at that bitrate. Plex can do it, so can Emby android app, and they all use the underlying Exo player. And its officially documented on Amazon developer docs.

Av1, hevc 10bit etc are much newer codecs. AC3 is not.

[Luke 37066]

On 3/17/2024 at 1:58 AM, ecrispy said:

I understand @Lukerecommends the standard Android app, but it has a UI meant for a phone and not tv,

Hi, the interface is fully designed for TV's. What makes you think it is designed for a phone?

 

[VirulentPip 83]

Not trying to be "that guy" but someone shouldn't have to use another app than the one for intended for their device, if there's an issue with the default app, the one currently intended for that device then it should be fixed. Doesn't matter if the other one "works" it's not fully complete for that device which has much documentation. 

Edited March 19 by VirulentPip

[rbjtech 4265]

4 hours ago, Luke said:

Hi, the interface is fully designed for TV's. What makes you think it is designed for a phone?

 

Because that was it's origin - and it has the look and feel of a phone app on your TV.     Very little consideration has been given to it's primary input device - a TV remote control.   No button shortcuts, no long press functionality, no time based button functionality (stepped accelerated fwd/rwd) - all missing because you don't need any of that with a touch screen or mouse as your input device - but you do with a remote control.  

Edited March 19 by rbjtech