Good news.
I had previously bought an Onn 4K Pro Google TV and returned it.
Because it would not play my TVE / m3u, HD streams using Hardware, got spinning circle,
and Software played them but with judder and many many dropped frames.
UPDATE:
Since the new Android 14 is out I bought another Onn 4K Pro and updated to the new version.
Good news, my TVE / m3u HD streams all play using Hardware, whether I go into those channels via the
Channel Up/Down button (which was a problem) or just from the Guide... GREAT.
.
PLUS, as we all know, the Pro version has 3G ram and a whopping 32G memory for apps.
I have only installed the Channels DVR app and that's all I'll do(well I'll liklely add TiViMate.)
Under Storage it shows 21G available vs the usual 1 or 2G available on most 2G ram boxes.
I have not tried to delete any preinstalled apps.
Checking the Client Live memory buffer (using Direct)
I cut it off at 2 hours, it'll likely go to 6 hours I figure.!!!!
I usually get a lot less, maybe like 20 minutes on my older 2G ram Onn boxes, with other installed apps.
Yes I know I can use Stream and get up to 4 hours, but it takes longer for Channel changes and works the hard drive.
So, ALL GOOD.
Upon further review:
Using Hardware.
When surfing, going into the next channel using the Channel Up /Down button,
Using Stats, that channel says:
Full 1920 x 1080 native and scaled
FPS says 60fps, not the 59.xx
Video driver says software/hybrid
Deinterlacer says Linear.
The whole screen judders left and right, not a typical judder!
Only for a little while then calms down but is dropping frames, not a horrible count but somewhat noticeable.
BUT
If I exit out to the guide then back in
It plays fine except:
video driver now says Hardware
and no Interlacer reported.
.
So the problem is
that it does not automatically DETECT / SWITCH to hardware video driver and no interlacer when using the Channel Up / Down button and going into this full 60fps 1080 HD channel.
Could this be something the devs can fix, or is it an Android issue outside of CDVR??
I may experiment with the match frame rate setting which I have never used elsewhere.
I'm not sure CDVR is compatible with that.
.
Actually the previous channel playing was on Hardware, no Interlacer,
it should have kept that when I used the Channel UP/Down, but it changed it,
when going in from the Guide it set it back to what it needed.
.
I will add, my older Android 12 Onn 4k shows all the same Stats RE: video driver, interlacer using Channel Up Down, and how they change when goring back to the Guide to play.
BUT it does work using Ch UP/ Down with about the same number of dropped frames as in the Pro.
Its still garbage on the Onn Pro, its not Channels DVR fault. My main tv uses The Apple TV 4k and its flawless. Its also fine on the old ONN 4k stick using the old Andriod OS. Its also good on the Tivo Stream 4K which also uses the old OS. I think the issue is the new Andriod + new GPU/CPU's.
I like the Onn's even with the issue regarding 60fps, 1080, Ch Up/Down.
Which actually only appears on a very small number of channels.
I'm not in the AppleTV world, too expensive compared to Onn and Firestick 4K.
And I repeat, the Firestick does NOT have the issue playing the above streams,
even with the Firestick Pro remote with Ch Up/Down.
Yep, the FireSticks use the older andoid cores. The new Andriod updates purposfully breakes local file streaming for certain files. Also it ruins MPEG2 streams/decoding/deinterlacing. Never will I buy new andriod stuff again.
About face:
I am ditching Android, Google TV, Onn.
After more review most of my Onn boxes, whether the GoogleTV Onn Pro or the GTV non Pro or the
original Onn that used to have Android 11, now 12, soon to be 14 for all Onn;s.
Using Hardware, They all do not play h264 streams to my liking,
I see slight jerkiness.judder on many channels, and worse with Software.
And it seems all the TVE and custom channel m3u are h264.
.
When I use the Firestick 4K, I don't see any of that, so it's adios, Back to the Future, hello Firestick.
My Firestick 4K PRO remote(s) have the Channel UP/Down and that works.
.
From the web:
“Google is releasing a new firmware upgrade for Chromecast with Google TV.
This is the Android 14 update.
But this firmware includes a serious problem: it lacks H.264 hardware video decoding!
This breaks any use of this device for Digital TV services, as many of them use this codec.”
Good move. Theres many other apps having issues with Andriod and formats. Amazon is making their own OS for the Firesticks, so they might not be be a suitable platorm in the future.
I hope Apple keeps making their players universal and compatible. But you never know. Maybe someday Channels will make a native pc app or Linux even so I could go back to a HTPC like way wack when in the Windows 7 days.