Is there a media player that isn't rubbish?

there's some work being done on providing pass-through of 720x480 or 720x576 video (i.e. unscaled output that doesn't mess up the aspect ratio);

I think they have a way to go first with that, the pass-through works but 4:3 files are in a 16:9 frame and sometimes come out looking very odd, like a video shot on an early mobile phone (long and thin) never have understood why all the media players are so obsessed with upscaling. why not leave it to the tv or a proper up scaler box

Vero support is ok up to a point but when the going gets hard they are quick to blame the Kodi writers for not putting picture quality 1st over apps. saying the users of Kodi want apps support over a good pic. I wonder why Vero chose to use Kodi in the box.. I guess it was cheap (free) rather than develop a custom player (like oppo)
 
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Forget the specs, the thing just works. You are only letdown if you’ve got DV rips but even then the HDR layer is played.

So the Zapitti is the 'dogs' with no issues?

coming from a shield
 
Vero 4K has been doing the business for me...
 
Pretty happy with mine, had it 15 months ago. A few teething issues first out of box but now pleased with choice
Can I ask what teething issues?
Thinking about buying. last few in stock, new model on the way?
 
I’ve got a Shield, what are the issues with it? Seems to work fine for me
 
I’ve got a Shield, what are the issues with it? Seems to work fine for me
How long have you got?

The fact that the thing came out in 2015 and it's only this year they finally got automatic switching between rec.709 and rec.2020 colour spaces working tells you all you need to know about their attitude towards their customers.

In terms of what still hasn't been fixed, it has the worst upscaling I've ever seen, the worst chroma upsampling I've ever seen, it can't output SD video at native resolution, and the Netflix app doesn't automatically switch refresh rate to match the frame rate of the video, and can't output 4K video streams at 24Hz (or 23.976Hz) under any circumstances.

That's just off the top of my head. There's other stuff too.
 
Nvidia don't have a lot of experience with video decoding etc.
 
No issues with the Shield , just got upgraditius and looking at the next best thing
 
So the Zapitti is the 'dogs' with no issues?
As somebody else said you won’t find a media player without issues. But it’s the most stable of the android and Linux players that I’ve tried with a great media centre solution.

To be honest the Cambridge Audio Blu-ray player is my streamer of choice these days, even without fancy picture wall. It is excellent at Blu-ray menu rips whereas Zappiti and the others are fairly hopeless.
 
The fact that the thing came out in 2015 and it's only this year they finally got automatic switching between rec.709 and rec.2020 colour spaces working tells you all you need to know about their attitude towards their customers.

No colour space switching was a pain, but in terms of attitude it also tells us that If you buy a nvidia device then they will continue to offer software updates for as long as is feasibly possible. How many other media boxes still receive major software updates 5 years on? Colourspace switching was rolled out December 2018 with the majority of customers receiving the update by spring last year. So to suggest it was done this year is factually incorrect.

In terms of upscaling, the current model is regarded to have one of the best ai upscaling algos of any media player device.

Would be a FIRST to find a Media Player with no issues.

Joe

THIS
 
Think I'm gonna wait, hopefully they'll have a refresh soon
 
Lets be honest, as many stated all the media players have issues, Nvidia included.

From February Nvidia 8.1.1 firmware.


Changelog
  • Video/Display
    -Resolves issues detecting Dolby Vision TVs that also support HDR10+
    -Resolves brightness issue on TVs that support Dolby Vision and HDR10+
    -Resolves cast playback issues when switching between HDR and SDR content
    -Fixes bug where Dolby Vision would not be detected when connecting to some LG or Samsung soundbars
    -Fixes bug where screensaver would not be displayed in Netflix
    -Fixes bug where «Match Color Space» was not working properly on some TVs
    -Fixes stutter issue observed when playing interlaced video for ~15 minutes
    -Fixes system hang issue when enabling/disabling «Match content color space» while playing Dolby Vision content on Netflix
    -Reduces occurrences of red flashes when watching Dolby Vision content
    -Fixes bug where «Match frame rate» would not work on Dolby Vision content
  • Audio
    -Disabling «Fixed Volume» will now disable Dolby audio processing
    -Fixes bug where Atmos streams would still be detected even if non-Atmos content is played
    -Fixes bug where audio would not be heard on Vizio TVs when streaming from VUDU/Movies Anywhere
    -Fixes bug where audio popping would be heard on headphones when Dolby audio processing is enabled
    -Resolves issue with high bit rate audio dropping audio at fixed locations. Note: This fixe will apply to apps using SHIELDs audio engine like -Plex/Photos & Videos. Kodi has its own engine which has not fixed this bug yet so the fix will not apply to Kodi and apps like it.
    -Adds 16-bit DAC support for Dolby Decoded content
    -Fixes bug where audio passthrough was not available over USB DAC on 3rd party apps like KODI (Requires KODI 18.5 or 18.6 nightly builds)
    -Fixes bug when manually setting «Audio formats» would not be applied
    -Fixes bug when using Google Home where volume would be reduced but not restored
    -Fixes rare bug where IR volume control would stop working
    -Resolves audio routing issues when using multiple USB devices (e.g. webcam + USB DAC)
    -Adds support for Sanskrit USB DAC
    -Fixes bug where PCM would be streamed if Dolby ATMOS is manually selected in «Available Formats»
    -Displays correct audio stream name under and adds detection support for EAC_JOC(DD+) streams (Settings -> Status-> HDMI ->Audio Mode)
    -Fixes bug where audio would not play after enabling PCM output only mode (Available formats)
  • Network
    -Fixes issue transferring large files when connecting PC to SHIELD
    -Fixes bug where soft reboot would be seen when «Restart Wi-Fi» was selected
  • Accessories
    -Adds support for XBOX Elite 2 controller
    -Add bluetooth support for WeChip G30 remote
    -Adds IR volume control support for Logitech Z906 speaker system
    -Fixes crash issues when accessory update notification is seen
    -Fixes bug where IR control setup would fail on Samsung AVR/soundbars
    -Fixes bug where IR control would not function when Talkback is enabled
    -Fixes bug where IR volume control would stop working when enabled
    -Fixes bug where remote locator would not work when SHIELD is asleep
    -Improves volume control for 2015 remote and controller
    -Fixes SHIELD Remote 2019 bug where battery would drain quickly when IR control enabled
    -Fixes bug where «send Menu command to app» was not working properly
    -Resolves pointer issue when using RS mouse on network captive portal registration
    -Fixes rare bug where pressing power button would not sleep SHIELD if video is playing
    -Improves SHIELD stability when connecting multiple Bluetooth devices
  • Other
    -Fixes bug where «Dolby Vision» quick setting is not updated according to display setting
    -Channels DVR app can now store recorded content over NAS
    -Fixes bug where pre-installed apps would disappear
    -Fixes issue where long press home would not bring up NVIDIA Share
    -Fixes bug where settings would crash when selecting system language
    -Adds message informing user AI upscaling not available on rooted/unlocked devices
    -Fixes bug where «Ok Google» hotword activation requires reboot
    -Resolves rare bug where Netflix would crash when invoking app switcher (double press home)
    -Improves text when displaying most recent SHIELD wake event (Settings -> About -> Status -> Uptime)
Oddly all the time before the firmware was issued, many Nvidia users said " No issues here bro, this expensive system is sweet. Honest."




o_O:rotfl::blush:
 
How long have you got?

The fact that the thing came out in 2015 and it's only this year they finally got automatic switching between rec.709 and rec.2020 colour spaces working tells you all you need to know about their attitude towards their customers.

In terms of what still hasn't been fixed, it has the worst upscaling I've ever seen, the worst chroma upsampling I've ever seen, it can't output SD video at native resolution, and the Netflix app doesn't automatically switch refresh rate to match the frame rate of the video, and can't output 4K video streams at 24Hz (or 23.976Hz) under any circumstances.

That's just off the top of my head. There's other stuff too.

I only use it for Plex and Smarters IPTV - works perfectly for me in that regard
 
The best player does depend on the user's use cases.
For me the Vero 4K works superbly for my 4K BluRay and normal BluRay rips, and I use a Roku SS+ for streaming apps which is almost perfect for Netflix, YouTube and Amazon ( plus others).
Some may want a box that can do both local media and streaming in one box and interface and the Shield or Apple TV could be their solution.
 
I use a Roku SS+ for streaming apps which is almost perfect for Netflix, YouTube and Amazon ( plus others).
Doesn't the micro-stutter drive you up the wall?

Some may want a box that can do both local media and streaming in one box and interface and the Shield or Apple TV could be their solution.
Apple TV 4K skips frames on 24Hz stuff on Netflix (23.976Hz is okay); it also doesn't correctly pass through HDR10 metadata; it can't play 4K stuff on YouTube; and it can't play 4K/HLG on iPlayer, and iPlayer doesn't have any subtitles.

I only use it for Plex and Smarters IPTV - works perfectly for me in that regard
Even for that, the picture quality is visibly worse than almost any other player. It isn't even just the upscaling and chroma upsampling, it actually doesn't decode video correctly - the pixels on the screen aren't the colour they're supposed to be.
 
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"Apple TV matches the frame rate of content encoded at 60, 50, 30, 25 and 24fps. Frame rates match the refresh rate appropriate for your region, for example 29.97fps for NTSC. 25fps and 30fps content uses frame rate doubling to display at 50Hz and 60Hz when available, matching its original appearance while preserving a fluid user interface."
Are we say that when the film is 24fps and we use frame matching we getting skipping?
 
"Apple TV matches the frame rate of content encoded at 60, 50, 30, 25 and 24fps. Frame rates match the refresh rate appropriate for your region, for example 29.97fps for NTSC. 25fps and 30fps content uses frame rate doubling to display at 50Hz and 60Hz when available, matching its original appearance while preserving a fluid user interface."
Are we say that when the film is 24fps and we use frame matching we getting skipping?

Yes we do mate, mainly an issue with Netflix material, although with some displays such as my TV I can't even notice it but with my projector it's a major annoyance, probably due to how my TV handles motion
 
it also doesn't correctly pass through HDR10 metadata;

I actually prefer the 4k HDR image from rips on the atv4k over my shield despite it not passing maxcll and maxfall. Pity it doesn't pass lossless atmos
 
I had a 2015 Nvidia Shield, it had it's issues, but overall I liked using it. It started overheating a while ago, I tried cleaning it out to no avail and started becoming unusable for any high bitrate content.

Replaced it with the newer model. I'm sure it's the firmware but it needs rebooting, plug pulled because it's frozen, restarted far too often compared to my old one.
 
Are we say that when the film is 24fps and we use frame matching we getting skipping?
Yes, exactly. The ATV4K can output 23.976Hz but it can't output 24.000Hz. So, for Netflix material that is stored at 24Hz the output refresh rate is still 23.976Hz, meaning it skips a frame roughly once every 42 seconds.

I use a Roku SS+ for streaming apps which is almost perfect for Netflix,
The SS+ Netflix app has recently lost the ability to switch refresh rate to match content frame-rate. Other apps on the SS+ can still do it, but Netflix can't. That means 25Hz material like "Black Mirror" is converted to 59.94Hz. That looks truly horrific.

There's no DV either, of course, and I may be wrong but I don't think it can do Atmos audio.
 
The SS+ Netflix app has recently lost the ability to switch refresh rate to match content frame-rate. Other apps on the SS+ can still do it, but Netflix can't. That means 25Hz material like "Black Mirror" is converted to 59.94Hz. That looks truly horrific.

There's no DV either, of course, and I may be wrong but I don't think it can do Atmos audio.
Personally I don't see it actually cause many stutter issues on my TV (which I also agree doesn't seem right logically). I wouldn't call it horrific and I watch a lot of a Netflix content on it. If there is a particular scene of a show that you've seen look bad, let me know so I can see what it looks like on my setup. I'm not trying to be argumentative, just describing my experience with it.
There is no DV, but then my TV doesn't support it and from everything I've read and watched DV is generally only a subtle improvement over standard HDR10, so again for me it's not something I feel I'm missing out by not having. I'm sure others will feel different about that.

It does support Atmos, but a lot of content doesn't seem to output it. The only example I have experienced so far is Jack Ryan from Amazon, so technically it is possible with the Roku.
 
From what I have seen here the best solution would be a Shield but in an enclosure with cooling.
 
From what I have seen here the best solution would be a Shield but in an enclosure with cooling.
I suggest it is more, can you live with the known issues a media player has. Nvidia has been updating for years, has have other brands too.

But still the Gremlins in the works live on. As my post you liked, reminds us all.

 

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