[angeloaz]

Just make sure that you turn off MediaCodec and turn on libstagefright -- this will give you hardware decoding of the MPEG2 stream (yes, XBMC on AFTV appears to properly hardware decode MPEG2 -- contrary to what the Wiki says).

If you're sure about that, why don't you edit the wiki? I'm not being sarcastic, it's a community document.

I only have anecdotal evidence and I guess I'm wondering what was the original motivation for putting that on there in the first place. And I'm confused as to why Amazon's own specs don't list MPEG2 as a supported codec.

I've also been waiting to see if someone chimes-in on these forums with a counter-example (i.e. MPEG2 not working right on the AFTV) before changing the Wiki (which is why I keep raising the issue).

[ozkhan1]

I dont feel like reading through this whole thread, just wanted to know how FTV peforms with the PVR component. Does it handle the 1080p mpeg streams from PVR backend fairly well?

I'm pretty sure nearly all OTA broadcasts in the USA are 1080i and not 1080p. Given that, I have 2 AFTVs (in 2 different rooms) running XBMC 13.1, talking to a MythTV backend, fed by an HDHR Plus (with transcoding turned off -- so it's outputting MPEG2) -- and it works like a champ. Live TV, channel changes, PVR recordings, the whole 9 yards -- all work very well.

Just make sure that you turn off MediaCodec and turn on libstagefright -- this will give you hardware decoding of the MPEG2 stream (yes, XBMC on AFTV appears to properly hardware decode MPEG2 -- contrary to what the Wiki says). And make sure your network can handle the ~2 MB/s you need to stream 1080i MPEG2.

Unfortunately, libstagefright doesn't offer deinterlacing -- so you may see some of that. I still haven't been able to get my setup to work properly with H.264 output from the HDHR, but that's another story.

Thanks for the response and yes, you are correct, I should have written 1080i.

How do I turn off MediaCodec and turn on Libstagefright? Is this somewhere in the FTV XBMC settings?

What are the effects of deinterlacing not being available? Does that affect the picture quality?

[yaqh]

can I order the AFTV and get to play ok in the uk?

[thefrog]

Just make sure that you turn off MediaCodec and turn on libstagefright -- this will give you hardware decoding of the MPEG2 stream (yes, XBMC on AFTV appears to properly hardware decode MPEG2 -- contrary to what the Wiki says).

If you're sure about that, why don't you edit the wiki? I'm not being sarcastic, it's a community document.

I only have anecdotal evidence and I guess I'm wondering what was the original motivation for putting that on there in the first place. And I'm confused as to why Amazon's own specs don't list MPEG2 as a supported codec.

I've also been waiting to see if someone chimes-in on these forums with a counter-example (i.e. MPEG2 not working right on the AFTV) before changing the Wiki (which is why I keep raising the issue).

I have added it to the Random Notes section as my first Wiki Edit.

[rushingjs]

I have an identical setup as angeloaz, except I only own 1 FireTV. My experience has been pretty much the same as him. I don't really notice the interlacing despite the lack of deinterlacing, thankfully. The only addition I would make to his comments is that it takes a long time for the FireTV to bring up the EPG. If you decrease the number of days in the EPG it helps performance a bit, but it is still slow at 3 days of data. Better than when I had 7 or 14 days though.

I've noticed the same behavior with the EPG. It's really slow at coming up. Reducing the number of days certainly helps, but it's still slow.

+ 1

[loplo]

Hey guys.
I'm having major issues watching HD online streams lately. All of the known addons start playing pretty late after selecting the source, and after not even 5 minutes it starts buffering. My FTV is connected via ethernet cable, so I can't blame the wireless either.
I's not internet related, because I've checked on my Windows PC and everything loads and plays smooth.
Does anyone have any ideas what could I try to fix this issue?

[angeloaz]

Thanks for the response and yes, you are correct, I should have written 1080i.

How do I turn off MediaCodec and turn on Libstagefright? Is this somewhere in the FTV XBMC settings?

What are the effects of deinterlacing not being available? Does that affect the picture quality?

MediaCodec vs libstagefright are set through XBMC's Settings->Video->Acceleration.

Interlaced video can drastically affect video quality. On my 1080p 60" Vizio LED, I don't notice any real interlacing with HD channels (most noticeable when a news ticker, for example, is scrolling across the screen). But SD channels are really bad -- almost un-watchable, IMO.

On my 720P Insignia 32" LCD, I notice interlacing more on HD channels vs my other TV, but it's still rather subtle (not sure if this is an artifact of watching a 1080i video on a 720 TV).

Quite frankly, this is one of my biggest annoyances with my current AFTV/XBMC setup (although, I don't consider it a show-stopper).

---

If you're sure about that, why don't you edit the wiki? I'm not being sarcastic, it's a community document.

I only have anecdotal evidence and I guess I'm wondering what was the original motivation for putting that on there in the first place. And I'm confused as to why Amazon's own specs don't list MPEG2 as a supported codec.

I've also been waiting to see if someone chimes-in on these forums with a counter-example (i.e. MPEG2 not working right on the AFTV) before changing the Wiki (which is why I keep raising the issue).

I have added it to the Random Notes section as my first Wiki Edit.

Thanks!

[CuriousG]

Hey guys.
I'm having major issues watching HD online streams lately. All of the known addons start playing pretty late after selecting the source, and after not even 5 minutes it starts buffering. My FTV is connected via ethernet cable, so I can't blame the wireless either.
I's not internet related, because I've checked on my Windows PC and everything loads and plays smooth.
Does anyone have any ideas what could I try to fix this issue?

How about mentioning what you're streaming? Amazon Prime? Netflix? Who your ISP is? If it's Verizon while using Netflix, there's your problem right there.

[segma98]

how can i get youtube app for FTV? i want youtube app as a stand alone app rather than inside xbmc.. i cant find it any where. i side loaded the latest version but it didnt work

thanks

[Knocks]

Is there a reason people are using Gotham and not Helix with AFTV? I have been using Helix alpha since day one and have not noticed any issues. Are there issues that I'm not aware of or any missing features?

[nickr]

Because some people don't want to be experimenting with their daily media watching experience.

[LRa]

- Emulation (soon to be integrated into XBMC )

What do you mean?

[logan_x50]

can I order the AFTV and get to play ok in the uk?

I bought mine from ebay without any hitches at all. Arrived very quickly. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW-Amaz...1496478598

You won't be able to use native functionality like Netflix etc but as an xbmc streamer its a real winner. One thing that's a massive plus for me which isn't often mentioned is the bluetooth controller which means I can tuck the box away in a cupboard.

[loplo]

Hey guys.
I'm having major issues watching HD online streams lately. All of the known addons start playing pretty late after selecting the source, and after not even 5 minutes it starts buffering. My FTV is connected via ethernet cable, so I can't blame the wireless either.
I's not internet related, because I've checked on my Windows PC and everything loads and plays smooth.
Does anyone have any ideas what could I try to fix this issue?

How about mentioning what you're streaming? Amazon Prime? Netflix? Who your ISP is? If it's Verizon while using Netflix, there's your problem right there.

We're talking about XBMC, right? so it's neither one mentioned by you. I'm talking about ma$*up, I*eFilms, etc.

[jobespierre]

Hi guys, maybe i'm missing something really stupid, but i can't seem to browse to the /sdcard/android/data/org.xbmc.xbmc/files/.xbmc/userdata folder from within the XBMC file manager.

Problem is have: it does not show me the ".xbmc" folder after I enter "files"

Im on elmerohueso's release with Ambers as skin.

Tx for the tips!