Client configuration guide

Channels Fire TV
#1

Ok, so the following assumes a local home network with FTV2 and FTV 4k clients on 1080p TVs with a local ChannelsDVR on a Windows 10 box.

I have been using channels dvr with FTV 2 and FTVstick 4k clients for a couple months now. The FTV2 has more CPU power than the FTV4k so I am assuming it should be as good or better than the FTV4k when viewing on regular HD TV (1080p). Am I mistaken? If they are different how are they different relevant to their channels capabilities given my environment listed above?

Now expanding on that topic, I am getting to my real question. How should each client (or the DVR PC) be configured for optimal performance of the FTV2 and FTV4k on the 1080p TVs? I have been all over the forum and I have to say I haven't seen this addressed.

Thanks everyone

#2

The FTV2 decoder sucks and doesn't deinterlace well. The FTV4K is superior for video playback.

The defaults on the DVR and apps should be fine. Are you running into some specific issue you're trying to resolve?

#3

No not specific problems. I notice that I will get buffering issues on the FTV2 and didn't know if it had to do with the channels config, the FTV2 box or something else. Everything I have read on the forum seems to say that CPU is the biggest factor with software decoding if your device doesn't support HW decoding. So since the FTV2 has better CPU power than the FTV4k I wanted to investigate if it was a configuration optimization issue.

Thank you for your ultra quick reply! Once again these are the best devs around!

#4

The FTV2 doesn't use software decode IIRC, because the CPU is too slow for that. We rely on the hardware decoder, but that doesn't deinterlace so then the GPU has to be used to deinterlace and even that struggles.

Honestly we've stopped supporting the older FireTV models because there's non-stop bugs. They're also running an ancient FireOS based on Android 5.

If the FTV4K is working well for you, I would recommend picking up another one while its on sale this week.

#5

Awesome explanation!!!!!!!!

#6

Fire TV 4K is $25 right now.

Everyone should replace every Fire TV they have.

#7

Are you saying the FTV2 is the new 2nd gen Cube?