Channels DVR unwatchable on Fire TV - Screen goes black when there is an edit on screen

Channels Fire TV
#1

We've just got a Fire TV for the first time and I've installed the Channels App on it and connected it to our Wi-Fi. The App couldn't locate the server automatically but found it when I manually entered the IP address.

Everything seems to be okay except that randomly we find that often when there is a change of shot in the program we are watching, the screen will go black for a few frames. The sound doesn't cut, just the picture goes black. Initially we thought it was the program and being done for dramatic effect but then we noticed it on news broadcasts too.

I'm getting about 100MB download from the server so, whilst not wonderful its not terrible either.

Unfortunately at the moment, the Channels app is the only source we have running on the TV. Our internet is currently down, we don't have an aerial close by to connect to and I don't have a Blueray player or anything.

Does this sound like a fault with the TV, a configuration issue on the TV, an issue with the Channels Server, network speed or the lack of Internet connectivity?

Channels DVR unwatchable on Fire TV
#2

If you don't have an antenna, what are you using for a source in Channels?

#3

I have an antenna plugged into HDHomeRun, I just don't have access to one in the room the FireTV is in.

#7

Following on from another thread.

I have recently bought a new Fire TV and have installed the Channels App. I also have Channels running on an Apple TV box connected to a Samsung TV. Everything is fine on the Apple TV/Samsung TV but it is almost unwatchable on the Fire TV

On the Fire TV when watching live TV the screen briefly goes black (about 0.3 secs) almost every time there is an edit on screen. On fast cut programs the screen can go black every few seconds.

This ONLY happens when using Channels. It does not happen with Netflix, Prime etc

I tried setting the transcoder to Software but this made no difference.

Channels DVR unwatchable on Fire TV
#8

Only time i seen that happen (not used a Fire TV device in a long time) the cause was the tv being triggered to change frame rate, which the tv then will show a black screen for a couple secs.
In Channels app settings, you can try disable Match Content.
Otherwise, maybe a setting on the FireTV device it self about matching framerate.
Sometimes, Auto HDR setting on certain tvs can be triggered randomly.

I am not sure if Amazon has moved to their own OS, that is no longer Android just yet, assume not, since the Channels app was installed onto it.

Generally though, TV's are crap for such apps, their cpu and hardware is very weak, especially the cheap Fire and Roku tv models. Their firmware may also not support various codecs well, like mpeg2 for OTA sources. Your best experience for Channels will always be with Apple TV box.

You did not specify what content in Channels was having this issues, as there can be many different types. OTA, TVE, Custom, m3u etc. So just hard guessing at this point.

You could send diags in from the app and see if the devs can help you at all.

#9

You don't say which FireTV device you are using and if this happens on all channels (ATSC1.0 and ATSC3.0). If you have your internet back, you might try the HDHomerun app to see if it has the same problem.

#10

on my googletv the setting is called "Match content dynamic range" and "Match content frame rate"
I turned them off when I first got it, cuz the description of the setting it says it may cause the screen to go black for a moment

#11

In the channels app on the FireTV change Settings > Playback > Advanced > Video Decoder to Software