Lollipop - Wasser Firmware for Beelink R89

[bluesmanuk]

I have tried 3.0.5 and 3.0.4a but will have to stick with 3.0.3
Here are the reasons.
3.0.4a refuses to play 10 bit videos from the get go (they play buth with a distorted greenish image and nothing I do can fix it, this happens on other firmwares but normally when the the video loses focus, e.g. when using multi-window and you focus on a new different window, but returning to the video it clears up).
3.0.5 I had tried it once before but had given up for two reasons. One is micro-stutters. I could live with the video stutters but unfortunately my AV receiver is old and if the audio cuts off even for a micro-second it takes a couple of seconds to get back, this makes it impossible to view videos really.
The other reason I had given it up was a similar 10bit video glitch as to 3.0.4. It had worked originally but then it glitched and refused to get working again.
I recentlly tried 3.0.5 again but the micro-stutters were still unbearable.

I am using an "old" vizio 1080p LCD tv so the 10bit video glitch is not the same one that the 4K tv user mentioned.

Also on 3.0.5 the bottom third of the screen would occasionally glitch.
3.0.3 works quite well... except it gets bogged down with extended use but at least I can live with that.

Thanks for all your hard work Wasser =)

Oh, I am using a Beeling R89 U-box.

What apps do you see the micro stutters in and how is your audio setup?

[slyger]

Most of the current generation seem to be quite decent and Cenovo comes up as a popular local box.

this box is gonna be overkill for just video streaming/Kode and quite a bit more expensive - http://www.amazon.com/ZOTAC-Processo...keywords=spdif - but the fanless design and open nature of it is intriguing. i'm a bit annoyed with myself for investing in all the android boxes i have as not a single one is without flaws

[Tarwin]

I have tried 3.0.5 and 3.0.4a but will have to stick with 3.0.3
Here are the reasons.
3.0.4a refuses to play 10 bit videos from the get go (they play buth with a distorted greenish image and nothing I do can fix it, this happens on other firmwares but normally when the the video loses focus, e.g. when using multi-window and you focus on a new different window, but returning to the video it clears up).
3.0.5 I had tried it once before but had given up for two reasons. One is micro-stutters. I could live with the video stutters but unfortunately my AV receiver is old and if the audio cuts off even for a micro-second it takes a couple of seconds to get back, this makes it impossible to view videos really.
The other reason I had given it up was a similar 10bit video glitch as to 3.0.4. It had worked originally but then it glitched and refused to get working again.
I recentlly tried 3.0.5 again but the micro-stutters were still unbearable.

I am using an "old" vizio 1080p LCD tv so the 10bit video glitch is not the same one that the 4K tv user mentioned.

Also on 3.0.5 the bottom third of the screen would occasionally glitch.
3.0.3 works quite well... except it gets bogged down with extended use but at least I can live with that.

Thanks for all your hard work Wasser =)

Oh, I am using a Beeling R89 U-box.

[bluesmanuk]

So the recommended solution to kodi and streaming services is Aviod Andriod boxes. Kinda late for that maybe time rockchip and others started to just meet the api for kodi.

Therein lies the problem.

What Rockchip, AMlogic, Allwinner etc should do is different from what they actually do and they have been pushing out SOC's long enough now to know the issues that continually exist from one to the other.

Android too is still an OS devoid of too many features of Windows.

Plug in a peripheral into Windows and it is far more likely to work out of the box or a driver will be available.

Plug many things into Android and you will all too often find that there is no driver support.

If it were not for the likes of Wasser and other devs then so many of these boxes would be dead in the water very quickly.

[bluesmanuk]

.any recommendations on a windows STB? I wouldn't mind going this route if it solves all the audio/video issues in Kodi. You could then install a build like Nemesis and have it be pretty idiot proof

Most of the current generation seem to be quite decent and Cenovo comes up as a popular local box.

[scooter2014]

So the recommended solution to kodi and streaming services is Aviod Andriod boxes. Kinda late for that maybe time rockchip and others started to just meet the api for kodi.

[slyger]

Yes and that is why, if Kodi is going to be your primary use, then get a Windows box, because the same level of issues just don't exist in the way that it does across most Android machines.

.any recommendations on a windows STB? I wouldn't mind going this route if it solves all the audio/video issues in Kodi. You could then install a build like Nemesis and have it be pretty idiot proof

[TheCritter]

v3.0.5 works very bad. No one Kodi works fine.
I test yet v3.0.4

[bluesmanuk]

Yes and that is why, if Kodi is going to be your primary use, then get a Windows box, because the same level of issues just don't exist in the way that it does across most Android machines.

[scooter2014]

This is the reason rockchip needs to meet the api. Endless post re the same issue. Kodi video out sound not working each update breaks the fixes in the past releases. Its with every rk device only the few manufactures that fix it as they release software but its a on going issue.

[bluesmanuk]

I downloaded this apk from your dropbox but it would not install for me on my R89 on 3.0.5 so I was unable to test it out in regards to spdif audio cutouts. All versions of Kodi and SPMC had audio dropouts and stutter/sync issues on 3.0.5 that I tested with DTS/AC3/Dolby Digital over SPDIF

I downgraded back to 3.0.2 and wasser's 15.2 Kodi to again resume smooth video playback with dts/ac2/dolby digital over spdif. I wish one of these newer firmwares combined with a 16.x Kodi would actually play vids smoothly without audio drops or sync issues.

Using the old version of Kodi is hampering my ability to use some add ons or test builds fully

Did you uninstall your older version first before attempting the installation?

[Jirka2016]

Hi Wasser, hi all

thx for your work.

Beeling R89B v.3.1 2/16GB

Sry for my bad english, I use the Box only over AV.

Firmware 3.02 is working good. Firmware 3.03 no picture after boot. Firmware 3.04 all thinks are very slowly, unable to work and to adjust the screen.

Firmware 3.05 for one second i see Wasser-Sign at boot, after that black-screen.

Tested on three TV

[slyger]

3.0.4a initial feedback

GUI - Smooth as silk and very responsive all round.

WiFi/Ethernet - As fast as usual.

Adjust display refresh rate - With this turned on, after a few minutes, any app that was loaded was met with a mainly plain coloured background screen and without the option of seeing any options. Turning it off, things were as they should be.

Connect to PC - Usually I am accustomed to the R28 being shown as a device that allows me to access the internal storage but now only shows up as an Android adb device. Update - ignore this. I had simply forgotten to set the USB storage to MTP and working perfectly.

VPN - Tested Cyberghost and VPN unlimited and all work perfectly and even better, connect instantaneously, which I have not seen before.

All tests carried out over 5Ghz WiFi and with HDMI passthrough.

Kodi - With so many Kodi versions floating about I decided to try a couple that Superceleron posted yesterday based on 16.1RC, one based on Zidoo and the RK. I;ll say right now that the Zidoo version performed better.
In fact it was so good that for the first time ever with an Android device, every single one of my multitude of test videos played back flawlessly. Not a single dropped frame, jitter at all. All video that also had 5.1 and dts was also perfect. Quite astonishing. Anything with DTS-HD and the other advanced audio formats just played with a crackle and hiss, as expected with my soundbar, although I had hoped that the audio would be downgraded. The RK Kodi was still very good but there were usual suspect videos that displayed some amount of juddering/jitter. The only advantage that the RK version had was that any video selected played instantaneously, whereas the Zidoo version would queue up with a black screen for a few seconds before playing. But the Zidoo played everything. 4k, 10 bit, MKV, MP4, MPG, you name it, it played it perfectly and with brilliant colour reproduction.

MX Player with custom audio codec - On the whole, excellent, although there were one or two of the usual suspects (pole to pole for example) that has the minor jitter on occasion. 5.1 and dts was perfect and with regards to the advanced dolby audio, it does get downgraded, so what Kodi can't play audio wise, MX Player will with useable sound.

Youtube - Pretty much perfect across the board for 1080p. The very occasional frame drop, although this could be due to buffering. As good as I have seen Youtube perform.

iPlayer - As good as it usually is.

Frankly the best experience that I have had overall with an Android ROM and for me, the Rk3288 is still the best device that I have used overall.

Nice one Wasser

Superceleron has kindly given permission to share his build for others to test, so many thanks to him for that

I've dropped it to my dropbox account for anybody that wants it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6jmuoi3ugf...60405.apk?dl=0


Further update:

After further repeated testing, I spotted something that I missed but should not have done.

When passthrough was enabled in Kodi, any 5.1 or DTS video showed video/audio sync issues, which at times could be quite vast.

I have found a workaround though.

1. Firstly, leave stereo upmix switched off in settings.
1. play the 5.1/DTS video and notice the sync issue.
2. Click on the audio and subtitle settings button on the on screen interface (speaker icon)
3. Turn on Stereo upmix. Screen will go blank for a couple of seconds and the video will resume playback.
4. Whilst the audio and subtitle settings is still up, turn off Stereo upmix. Screen will go blank for a couple of seconds and the video will resume playback.
5. Click the button for playback to start from the beginning and sync will now be perfect.

You will have to do this every time you play a video again but at least it works.

Also noted that if you skip through the video whilst playing, sync is maintained.

I downloaded this apk from your dropbox but it would not install for me on my R89 on 3.0.5 so I was unable to test it out in regards to spdif audio cutouts. All versions of Kodi and SPMC had audio dropouts and stutter/sync issues on 3.0.5 that I tested with DTS/AC3/Dolby Digital over SPDIF

I downgraded back to 3.0.2 and wasser's 15.2 Kodi to again resume smooth video playback with dts/ac2/dolby digital over spdif. I wish one of these newer firmwares combined with a 16.x Kodi would actually play vids smoothly without audio drops or sync issues.

Using the old version of Kodi is hampering my ability to use some add ons or test builds fully

[dragon92]

how to use Miracast for android, help me

[TheCritter]

v3.0.5 Online...