HPH NT-V8 ROM V1.4 by mo123

[cyber7]

I already released the updated launcher and Kodi for HPH NT-V6 RK3288.

mo123 I am Very excited for this!

[mo123]

Because of the Freaktab downtime and a problem I got with the RK3368 firmware I couldn't release it before.
I am busy redoing the firmware and will release a new version today/tomorrow.
It will have the new launcher with weather settings and updated languages.
The video player also has several updated languages.
Heavily modified NTMC Kodi that I worked on for several weeks now based on a previous version I made for RK3288 devices.
(It works much better than Zidoo ZDMC that is not updated any more)
Several apps replaced/removed.
Pass-through regression fix
Stutter fixes

[blackadder]

I am really looking forward to try the new firmware. Thanks again for all the amazing work that you do Mo 123!

[mo123]

New custom HPH NT-V8 v1.5 Firmware

https://mega.nz/#!1MVk0SAZ!0D2RwShzv...cHbbmYUC6_m4pw
Pass: nagrace

Updated launcher languages
(I think the weather is not working, will fix it today, might have used a previous launcher by accident)
Updated RK Video Player languages
Updated system languages translations(busy translating some more)
New NTMC Kodi
Fixed pass-through regression bug
Animations disabled, menus will operate faster now
Updated apps, replaced some stock ones

Still to do
- some more language translations
- weather display in launcher
- some stutter fixes

[cyber7]

New custom HPH NT-V8 v1.5 Firmware

https://mega.nz/#!1MVk0SAZ!0D2RwShzv...cHbbmYUC6_m4pw
Pass: nagrace

Updated launcher languages
(I think the weather is not working, will fix it today, might have used a previous launcher by accident)
Updated RK Video Player languages
Updated system languages translations(busy translating some more)
New NTMC Kodi
Fixed pass-through regression bug
Animations disabled, menus will operate faster now
Updated apps, replaced some stock ones

Still to do
- some more language translations
- weather display in launcher
- some stutter fixes

Hi mo123 Please could I ask you how do you edit the Launcher? I am in want of a couple of changes to fit my environment and would prefer not to use a 3rd party Launcher.

[mo123]

Hi mo123 Please could I ask you how do you edit the Launcher? I am in want of a couple of changes to fit my environment and would prefer not to use a 3rd party Launcher.

Hi

If you want to modify the default shortcuts at the bottom or under the tiles
- Go to /system/usr/data/app_category.xml and edit this file
You need to add the app's package name and intent, the intent can be tricky to get but is usually main or launcher
You can go to /data/data/hphlauncherex/ and try to find the database file stored there,
If you can open the database file on a PC, you can see all your custom added shortcut package names with the correct intent after and then just add this to the app_category.xml file.
Will need to root under 'Accessibility Options' to edit this file.
If you need to add several shortcuts and tile changes, you can PM me a list of all the apps and pictures and I can perhaps do it if it doesn't take too long.

[blackadder]

Hi Mo123,

Thanks for your release! I installed it on my Tronsmart and installing went well. The gui looks great. I tried NTMC but i still have no sound with passthrough. Can this be a problem because this firmware is meant for the Nagrace and not for the Tronsmart? Also NTMC keeps crashing after a few seconds.

[mo123]

Hi Mo123,

Thanks for your release! I installed it on my Tronsmart and installing went well. The gui looks great. I tried NTMC but i still have no sound with passthrough. Can this be a problem because this firmware is meant for the Nagrace and not for the Tronsmart? Also NTMC keeps crashing after a few seconds.

Do you use HDMI or SPDIF pass-through?
NTMC shows a message 'wait or close' on first launch but that is normal, after that there are no crashes.
Try clearing NTMC cache in Android App Settings.
Did you set the pass-through settings in Android Audio Settngs & NTMC Audio Settings, try also changing 'Keep audio device alive' to never or always in NTMC?
Try this alternative Kodi also here.
Does pass-through work in the included MXPlayer?

[blackadder]

Hi Mo123, thanks for your quick response. I will try. I am using HDMI as passthrough. I did set it in Android audio settings and NTMC audio settings. I will also try to change the settings in "keep audio device aliveI will try the MC player as well. I will report later

[blackadder]

I found some interesting things. First NTMC keeps crashing. I installed the alternative and it also crashed. But the alternative gave me sound when i was browsing in Kodi. I tried Dolby Atmos and DTS on the stock video player and MX Player. I don't know how to open the BD structure but i could at least choose the m2ts file. Both are playing Dolby True HD/Atmos and DTS. The DTS is a core of a DTS:X file. My receiver gets an DTS:X update next week. I can try a different hard disk to see if DTS-HD works but i assume it will. I played for a few minutes and no stutter and looked in sync.. There were a few problems however with forwarding the video. When i try to forward the video or put it on pause then the viedeo will stop. This was with the stock video player. With MX player it does do video forwarding but then the audio goes back to stereo lol

I am going to install this firmware on my Zidoo as well and see how that will go. Will report that as well. I can't try it yet on the zidoo because i don't have a male to male usb cable.

[mo123]

I found some interesting things. First NTMC keeps crashing. I installed the alternative and it also crashed. But the alternative gave me sound when i was browsing in Kodi. I tried Dolby Atmos and DTS on the stock video player and MX Player. I don't know how to open the BD structure but i could at least choose the m2ts file. Both are playing Dolby True HD/Atmos and DTS. The DTS is a core of a DTS:X file. My receiver gets an DTS:X update next week. I can try a different hard disk to see if DTS-HD works but i assume it will. I played for a few minutes and no stutter and looked in sync.. There were a few problems however with forwarding the video. When i try to forward the video or put it on pause then the viedeo will stop. This was with the stock video player. With MX player it does do video forwarding but then the audio goes back to stereo lol

I am going to install this firmware on my Zidoo as well and see how that will go. Will report that as well. I can't try it yet on the zidoo because i don't have a male to male usb cable.

Thanks
Now I know pass-through works.
There was 1 patch line I missed in previous firmware that might have caused problems before.

For the stock video player not seeking, I will quickly fix it then you can test if it works in v1.5a firmware.
For MXPlayer, go to settings and try to download the custom codec and enable it, maybe pass-through will then work with it?

I attach a spreadsheet that another user completed for RK3288, it has the same pass-through capabilities and use the same Kodi as RK3368 to see what they got working.
Here is also the blank spreadsheet with different test videos that you can try.

https://mega.nz/#!cMlBgSiI!GsVLADwqmNJNV6KSfTu6N2yJGW0NSomFxpiqed2Ulbs

[blackadder]

@ Mo 123. Thanks i will check it. About MX player, when i start the movie it does play HD Audio but when you try to farward then it goes to 2 channels. I tried the "alternative" kodi that you put in your link on the zidoo(with original zidoo firmware) and there it works fine. No crash and HD Audio seems to very well too. Do you have a link of the NTMC player? I want to check it on the Zidoo firmware as well. When i use ZDMC on the Zidoo it is totally out of sync. Thanks again for all your help .

[mo123]

New update v1.5a firmware

https://mega.nz/#!MFVgGShD!UXui4fXzRNY7D1Kc8FqfMvZzhisv9qLBs8q1qseD9l8

Pass: nagrace

- Fixed weather display info in launcher
- Fixed seeking bug with some videos in RK Video player

Please use 'EraseFlash' then do 'Upgrade' in the flash tool.
Can also do factory reset in Android Settings after installing firmware
Sometimes when not erasing flash and flashing a few times, things can start to become slow on RK3368.
For people using Kodi/NTMC, their are several guides to make a backup of your installed addons and restoring it later to not install everything over again every time.

I will update the OP and also rename the thread after all the new changes are finished.

[blackadder]

New update v1.5a firmware

https://mega.nz/#!MFVgGShD!UXui4fXzR...qLBs8q1qseD9l8
Pass: nagrace

- Fixed weather display info in launcher
- Fixed seeking bug with some videos in RK Video player

Please use 'EraseFlash' then do 'Upgrade' in the flash tool.
Can also do factory reset in Android Settings after installing firmware
Sometimes when not erasing flash and flashing a few times, things can start to become slow on RK3368.
For people using Kodi/NTMC, their are several guides to make a backup of your installed addons and restoring it later to not install everything over again every time.

I will update the OP and also rename the thread after all the new changes are finished.

Thanks for another update! I tried a few things. NTMC and the alternative still keeps vrashing when i want to play a blu-ray movie. Browsing goes without crashing. I tried the video stock player and forwarding the video was perfect! I also tried it on MX player and there it worked well and now when i forwarded the video the HD audio stays and not going back to stereo like ysterday. So that looks great. But something strange did happen again. Yesterday when i tried to play the DTS:X movies i got DTS. Now i don't have sound. I had that in previous firmware as well that it didn't have sound but on yesterday's firmware i got it.
I will receive the DTS:X update next week and then i can test those files as well. I will install yesterday's firmware again to see if the DTS core from the DTS:X file works again. I will also try another hard disk with v.1.5a to see if DTS-HD works. Hopefully the crashing of NTMC can be fixed, then this will be for me the best firmware released so far.

[mo123]

Thanks for another update! I tried a few things. NTMC and the alternative still keeps vrashing when i want to play a blu-ray movie. Browsing goes without crashing. I tried the video stock player and forwarding the video was perfect! I also tried it on MX player and there it worked well and now when i forwarded the video the HD audio stays and not going back to stereo like ysterday. So that looks great. But something strange did happen again. Yesterday when i tried to play the DTS:X movies i got DTS. Now i don't have sound. I had that in previous firmware as well that it didn't have sound but on yesterday's firmware i got it.
I will receive the DTS:X update next week and then i can test those files as well. I will install yesterday's firmware again to see if the DTS core from the DTS:X file works again. I will also try another hard disk with v.1.5a to see if DTS-HD works. Hopefully the crashing of NTMC can be fixed, then this will be for me the best firmware released so far.

Can you do some benchmarks with

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.a1dev.sdbench

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.hipxel.performance.disk.speed.test

or other tools that test RAM, storage read/write speeds?
I just want to see if that is not perhaps the problem with Kodi crashing as your device might not read/write fast enough sometimes.

IN NTMC Kodi, you can also try disabling 'Blu-ray optimise' setting under the NTMC menu and also try with disabling 'RKCodec' then the video will play back with Mediacodec.
Then press 'o' on an airmouse or USB keyboard, take a screenshot of it while the Blu-ray video is playing, then we might see if it is a certain codec the video uses that might cause problems if not working better.
If the video is still giving problems, you can send me a link to the video or a similar one with the problem by PM.

For reducing audio problems, make sure you change the volume up/down a bit and then keep it at the full volume.
You can reduce the volume with the tv remote if needed, but keep the Android volume at the full volume.
There was some bug in Kodi in the past and they suggest that that helps with some problems with pass-through audio, I can't remember what exactly.