Just an update FYI.
I installed the improved dummy HDMI adapter, and as expected the video is much improved, in fact, it is great. As good as the Spectrum app on the ATV. The text crawl is now smooth and the refresh is consistently spot on with audio in sync. The video fills the screen with no noticeable border automatically, with no need to manually go to full screen in the browser.
The audio experiment was also a successful improvement. Increasing the bit-rate to 320kbps improved the sound very noticeably. Some A/B testing (not perfect due to the time it takes to make the change and reload) showed the increased bit-rate provides a fuller, more pleasing sound. Makes a big difference to my ears. My test tv does have a decent audio system, it may not be as noticeable on standard TV speakers, but have not tested.
Bottom line:
- Confirm what others have said re: video card recommend > 1920x1080 with 60hz refresh rate.
- Recommend increasing audio bit-rate to 320kpbs
- Even at this early stage, the results are good enough to roll-out to the family for a more robust test
Question for those smarter than me. Could this be run as a service, with say "forever" or similar?