SD Streaming is very fuzzy and has artifacts

[bluesmanuk]

I run things like TVCapture and BBC iPlayer through XBMC on my Android TV stick.

Most channels in the UK accessed via Freeview are still in SD.

On my TV the quality is very acceptable but when I stream through the XBMC addons I find the video quality very inferior.

HD streaming through other channels and via files is generally fine and I find it odd that the streaming quality cannot match that received over the air so to speak.

I would like to use the stick as my permanent choice for watching TV but at the moment it's not practical.

I realise that the issue may well lie in the apps themselves and perhaps the codecs used but any advise on ways to improve quality would be appreciated.

I've played around with every setting that I can find but you may know of something that I don't.

I was Watching the F1 Grand Prix and with fast moving video it is particularly bad.


Now somebody did tell me, in response to my request for advice above that it is the bitrate of the streaming video that is the issue.

After pondering this for a while and with that being the case, I did note that the same stream using the same software and methodology coming down to my laptop, does not exhibit the same issues.

That makes me wonder whether it is either the hardware or the OS specific implementation of the software that has an issue?

[Abducted]

I agree that it might also because of a difference in bitrate.

But a (big) difference in quality of the same stream watched on 2 different devices doesn't sound right.

If you're using a HW accel version of XBMC (and i think you are) one of the libstagefright.so versions doesn't like SD content very much (not sure if it's the old or new version). Disabling libstagefright under XBMC settings should solve it. However i was under the impression that the image would be completely messed up if this happened. So not sure if this is the problem you're having, but give it a shot.

[bluesmanuk]

I agree that it might also because of a difference in bitrate.

But a (big) difference in quality of the same stream watched on 2 different devices doesn't sound right.

If you're using a HW accel version of XBMC (and i think you are) one of the libstagefright.so versions doesn't like SD content very much (not sure if it's the old or new version). Disabling libstagefright under XBMC settings should solve it. However i was under the impression that the image would be completely messed up if this happened. So not sure if this is the problem you're having, but give it a shot.

Cheers.

Yes I am using a HW accelerated version although I can't find any specific setting to disable it, so I'll try installing a non HW accel version and try that.

[Abducted]

Cheers.

Yes I am using a HW accelerated version although I can't find any specific setting to disable it, so I'll try installing a non HW accel version and try that.

Go to system > settings > video > playback > allow hardware acceleration (libstagefright)

[bluesmanuk]

Go to system > settings > video > playback > allow hardware acceleration (libstagefright)

I've looked at that but oddly enough, no matter what version of XBMC HW accelerated editions I use, that particular option has never appeared and did have me scratching my head as to why.

[Abducted]

hhmm weird. I'm using the Feb 19 build and i'm on JB 4.1.1. Maybe you're using a JB 4.2.2 ROM?

[bluesmanuk]

The current ROM that I have been using for a week or so is a 4.2.2 although I've never seen the option in 4.1 ROM's either