Selective decoding for particular channels?

Channels Fire TV Feature Requests
#1

I have channels running on a 2020 firestick, and a firestick 4k.

With the exception of 4 Freeview UK channels, it all works great on Hardware.

If I set the decoder to software, these 4 channels that don't work, do work, but the consequence is slightly poorer quality on all channels, and the HD channels become very choppy.

If I use the Hybrid method on the 2020 firestick, nothing seems to work.

I used to have a dodgy IPTV service years ago which let me select a different decoding method for some channels that didn't work properly, would it be possible to implement something similar, where I could override decoding to software on the channels that don't work?

All the channels just work using the HD Homerun App on firestick, so I don't know what they are doing differently that can't be replicated in the Channels App, but if that cant be replicated, control over decoding on a channel by channel basis seems like a fix that would avoid the faffing about once the channels are set up.

#2

Would selectively overriding a specific channels decoding method be a possibility that could be implemented in the future?

I’m really focused on this idea at the moment, because from experience and reading the forums, the issues are not 100% the device, it’s the tv channels, and how some of the tv channels are broadcast that causes the issues, so selecting software or hardware as a blanket approach doesn’t 100% fix the issue which ever way is chosen, there is always a trade off.

Software works for all UK channels, but there is loss of quality and the HD channels become unwatchably choppy.

Hardware works for all but 4 or 5 out of over 100 channels, all the channels including the HD channels play crisp and smooth, but the channels that don’t work just don’t work or play for a few seconds spazzing out with green interference as shown on the link: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0ZfF74ikYX5vrsCTUrjnHFzWg#Kingston_upon_Hull

I would just really like the best of both worlds, the crisp smooth picture that comes with hardware decoding, and those channels that don’t work under hardware to be set to make use of software decoding and work.

Thank you to @maddox @tmm1 @eric for any insights that you can give and if this is a viable option for the channels apps in the future, you otherwise have a great app and service I really enjoy using. Thank you.

#3

Does it happen if you tell the DVR to record from that channel and play back the recording?

How often does it spazz out during playback?

Can you email [email protected] with a link to a recording which does this during playback.

#4

Thank you for getting back in touch.

This is an interesting perspective, Ive been so focused on trying to watch the channels.

If I record a channel that doesn't work under hardware decoding, I can't play the recording until I set the decoder to software on the firestick, otherwise I will just get a black screen or the spaz effect until the picture crashes.

So it would seem something about the broadcast that hardware doesn't like is retained in the recording.

When I try and go to watch a channel that doesn't work live under hardware, I will either get a black screen or the spaz effect until the picture crashes.

If I record a HD channel, where I would normally experience a choppy picture watching live under software, and I try and play it will play back smooth regardless of decoder set, although the picture will feel a little more crisp under hardware.

Ill make a recoding on my phone to demonstrate the channels that don't work under hardware, and email a link.

#5

To be clear I need the dvr recording not a phone screen capture.

#6

Ah ok, I’ll do a short one when I get back home in about an hour and email you a drop box link of the file.

#7

@tmm1 I’ve moved a recording to my iCloud and set a link via email, hopefully it’s not too big for you. Thank you for your efforts.

#8

@tmm1 did you get the file?

#9

Yes

2 Likes
#10

The sample you provided is an mpeg2. Are all the four affected channels non-HD? All coming in as mpeg2 (check my.hdhomerun.com under Channel Lineup to see if they say AVC or not)?

And to confirm, you're seeing the exact same issue on both the 4K stick and the 2020 stick?

Is the FireOS software up to date?

#12

They are not HD, they are not AVC,

Channels 7, 49, 51, and 60 are the affected channels.

I don’t know what is special about these channels.

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And it’s on the firestick 4K and firestick 2020, I think it’s the same on older firesticks too.

Edit - the older firestick doesn’t have a choice between software and hardware, but those channels don’t work either.

#13

The firesticks are as up to date as they will go, I have also tested the HD-Homerun app on all my firesticks, and all the channels play fine.

#14

Hi, I don’t know if this has been given any further consideration, but I’ve been playing with the latest beta, and found the ‘Legacy HDHomeRun Streaming’ setting, it doesn’t appear to make a difference, with the choppy affect, I hoped it might help as there are no issues with the HD home run app,
Are you attempting to integrate the hd home run engine?

What I have found is that the HD channels are dropping frames when using software mode.

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When the system is in hardware mode, there are some initial losses when the channel starts but after that I don’t lose any frames, but there is still the issues of some channels and recordings not working under hardware,

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Software mode does feel like it’s got better in recent months, hd channels don’t feel as choppy as they used to, but it’s still noticeable.

Been able to override HD channels to stream in hardware mode, or been able to set the channels that don’t work in hardware mode to software, would offer the best of both worlds.

Thank you for all your efforts.

#15

Sorry to open up this again but it is something we really need over here in the UK and possibly Europe too.

Some channels seem to play havoc with hardware decoding Usually the great! series of channels when played back on a firestick

Can I also suggest that rendering is split away from decoding where this is possible? IE:

Decoder: Hardware/software
Rendering: Hardware/Software

I would like to see if the Nvidia Shield's upscaling would work with software deciding and hardware rendering.

Also there's some CRAZY thing going on when using Channels on the Shield devices which completely trashes the hardware decoder, so much that Disney Plus app no longer works (and won't play anything) either afterwards, and a machine reboot is required. Before the reboot, Channels will work, if you switch over to software decoding but then the upscaler does not work, and that thing is wonderful in how it enhances 1080 material.

I have yet to find something which works reasonably reliably for me in all cases.

1 Like
#16

It’s still an issue for simplicity for everyone in the house I end up avoiding the HD channels.