I won't get a chance until next week.
Each transmitter in the UK seems to use different broadcast specs. I think the one near you is using some type of interlacing which is not supported by the new firmware.
As I mentioned earlier, the chances that we will be able to fix this on our end are very very slim. It is probably worth submitting those samples to Amazon too if you can find an email address on that github thread.
No problem. Thanks for coming back to me. I appreciate the chances of you being able to fix this are very slim but if you can it would be great.
I don't think amazon ever put an email address on there so not sure how people were submitting files but let's be honest if this issue is just affecting a few broadcasts masts in the UK and the majority are happy they are not going to get a third party to develop yet another firmware for a 2 year old bit of hardware.
Its not ideal but I'm beginning to think I'll be better just switching to Google Sabrinas as and when they come out
mediainfo on the broken recording:
Scan type : MBAFF
Scan type, store method : Interleaved fields
Scan order : Top Field First
vs the one that plays fine:
Scan type : Progressive
Scan type, store method : Separated fields
Scan order : Top Field First
Thanks for spotting the difference. What does that mean though?
I assume this confirms this is something only amazon can fix?
Thanks
Same issue for me @dougie175. Channels on my Firestick has become pretty much unwatchable over the last couple of weeks. Iâm in Solihull, West Midlands.
Sorry to hear that but at least it's not just me! I'm in South Cumbria but take my signal from Granada from the Lancaster mast.
Please could you stick a post of the amazon topic here for me https://github.com/amzn/exoplayer-amazon-port/issues/94
So far I'm the only UK user saying I'm seeing an issue all the other UK users are saying since the new firmware things are streaming perfectly.
Thanks
@tmm1 Hello
Just wondering if youâve had chance to take a look at this or got any further info?
I honestly canât see Amazon fixing this one as there seems to be so few of us with the issue, there is only @jamesl01 that seem to have it, even on the github topic I seem to be the only 1 with the issue everyone else seems to be over the moon and happy.
I have been looking at other options with ways to roll the firmware backwards, but its proving extremely complex and many people seem to fail to complete the process and just end up bricking their units. I am not too concerned about invalidating warranties and such but its all becoming a bit extreme just to get live tv working correctly.
I have also bought a Nvidia Shield but so far I am not really getting anywhere with it, the remote isnât intuitive, the HDR is washed out on my TV (struggling to find the correct settings to make it look correct), I donât find it any quicker than a ÂŁ25 FTV 4K stick, I cant get All4 app on it. Overall its ok it just doesnât feel like it is worth 6 times the price of a 4K stick as they often sell for ÂŁ25!
If there is anything you can do it will be appreciated, or even if you can help find what the actual cause is at least I may be able to get that info back to Amazon in some way
As you would expect software decoding does work but as you know that comes with a different issue on fast moving tv and such, using software decoding puts me back to where we were 18 months ago
Thanks
I did look and had no luck.
Thanks for looking / trying. Looks like I have a lot of research to do unlocking sticks and installing old Firmware to get it working again!
Ok spent my evening messing about with 1 of my sticks I have now have it unlocked, rooted and running 6.2.7.1
Which is great news as it means Channels will now work correctly!!
I'm not going to lie its quite involved to do but following these tutorials and a bit of intput from myself finding the 6.2.7.1 firmware and anyone can do it
I will be deleting the Amazon launcher and running a custom launcher in the next day or so.
@tmm1 I will let you know if for some bizare reason the glitch is still there on 6.2.7.1 but I really believe this will be the issue resolved
I can confirm I have just watched the first 5 minutes of the ITV HD 10 o'clock news and it was perfect. This was the same program I sent the support files in for. Very happy.
Like I say its a bit of a nightmare to do, it involved opening up the stick, removing a heatsink, shorting out a terminal. Then getting on linux and running commands but I think its worth it!
Impressive! Glad you were able to find a solution.
I'm having this same issue - North East of England here using 4K firesticks on 6.2.7.3. Software has framerate stutters, hardware has artifacts etc and is unwatchable.
If there is no solution to the issues with the hardware decoding - is it possible to allow the local firestick to play a transcoded stream instead of the original?
Right now I'm just using software and putting up with the frame drops.
Cheers
In the client you can select your desired resolution/bitrate, and the DVR server will transcode. Beware, though, that if the chosen resolution/bitrate is higher than what was actually broadcast, the server will only remux the stream from a TS container to an HLS stream; the video contained within will still be unchanged.
Okay that's useful - ideally though if there was a way to force to always transcode without reduction in bitrate that would be preferable - I have the cpu cycles to waste 
If you're not bothered about your warranty and you're willing to spend a little bit of time tinkering rolling back to 6.2.7.1 works perfectly.
I've just done my second TV in less than an hour start to finish including installing a different launcher and setting up the launcher exactly how I want it. If you just want the stock launcher but a channels setup that works its about 30 minutes start to finish once you've downloaded what you need and go Linux booting from a USB stick. The hardest part is shorting out the required pin with tin foil the rest is easy enough.
If anyone does do it let me know I'll happily send you the commands for the 6.2.7 1 and files you require. I highly recommend carrying on and installing the wolf launcher the difference is amazing compared to the stock launcher it's how the device should have been from factory in my opinion
I am also broken by the Amazon firmware update.
I happened to have a fire tv 4k stick still on 6.2.7.1 which played Channels ITV HD fine. Updated it to 6.2.7.3 as part of diagnosing, and all my HD channels, for some programs only, now have severe corruption.
This now makes Channels useless using the hardware decoding. Switched back to Software which works but lags at times which is very annoying.
HDHomeRun works just fine; not sure if that's using hardware or software decoding though? Doesn't appear to be a setting in the software.
Using Freeview on Sandy Heath transmitter (I'm in Milton Keynes)
Not a happy chappy as the wife is not amused! Completely broken and needing an urgent fix ...
SD maintains an internal blacklist in their app to determine whether hardware or software decoding is used. When users have posted about various firmware updates affecting the hardware decodingâor new devices that weren't using hardware decodingâthey've updated their lists.
Other than checking through some dev options I'm not sure how you'd determine which SD is using.
