VLC-tvOS frame jumps playing Blu-ray MKV -not working.

[summit48]

My setup is the following:

4K Apple TV -32GB
tvOS: 13.4.6 (17L570)
VLC-tvOs: 3.0.10 (392)

File Servers: various Apple MBP, DELL Precision 3600 (all with SSD drives)

Test files:
1) Avatar full MKV rip & sample video(500 MB) that was on the original Blu-ray disk.
2) Interstella full MKV rip.

I have a Apple TV4K-32GB and I am unable to play Blu-ray MKV files without the frames jumping.

I connected everything via wifi 5G-AC & Gigabit Ethernet with the same results as before(the frame jumping problem did not go away).

To eliminate a possible network issues I installed the small 500 MB Avatar sample video onto the Apple TV4K-32GB using the VLC cache feature and got the same frame jumping as I did when trying to play the file over the network.

I can play the Blu-ray MKV files on MBP & Dell 3600 across the network and stored locally on the SSDs with no issues. The only problem is VLC-tvOS playing Blu-Ray files.

Is this a bug in VLC-tvOS or is there something I am doing wrong?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

By frame jumping, you mean that the playback is not smooth and you are missing frames?

[summit48]

Yes, playback is NOT smooth.

[summit48]

Update: Given the tvOS and iOS share the same base code, I thought I would do some testing on a iPhone client.

I just tested playing the sample Avatar video (500 MB) on wifi 5G-ac:
Server: MBP to Client: iPhone 7 iOS 13.5.1 with VLC-iOS 3.2.11 and playback was NOT smooth.
Server: MBP to Client: 2015 MBP macOS 10.15.5 with VLC-macOS 3.0.11 and playback was smooth.

Conclusion: Latest version VLC-tvOS & VLC-iOS have the same problem. VLC-iOS/tvOS appear to be dropping frames.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Please share such file.

[summit48]

I have sent you a PM:

I have uploaded the Avata sample(488.3MB) Blu-ray mkv file into Firefox Send and provided you with a link. The link will expire after 5 downloads or 7 days.

[summit48]

Update: Just as I did with the ATV-4K-32GB, I installed the sample Avatar video (500 MB) on the iPhone 7 using VLC "Sharing via WiFi"

iPhone 7 iOS 13.5.1 with VLC-iOS 3.2.11 and playback was NOT smooth.

The "Sample" Avatar video as I call it is the video that plays in a loop in the background when you first insert the Blu-ray disk into a Blu-ray player.

Conclusion: Same as before. Both versions of VLC-tvOS & VLC-iOS have the same problem. VLC-iOS/tvOS appear to be dropping frames.
Top

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Yeah, it should be the same issue on all platforms.

[summit48]

Yes and that is why I tested the file with both tvOS & iOS. This file is small enough to load into the limited storage of tvOS & iOS devices and test them independently of the network. I hope you are able to resolve this matter for the next release as it is currently unusable for Blu-ray files.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

This, weirdly, would seem that this disable hardware decoding.

[summit48]

I have just sent you a PM with a link to the uploaded Interstellar Bonus Disk file (360.6MB) on Firefox Send, it has the same issue as Avata.

[summit48]

I just ripped The Good, The Bad and the Ugly BD and was able to play the mkv files across the network.

Server: Dell T3600 Win10-64bit (Ethernet) to Client: ATV4K-32GB (Wifi) (smooth playback)
Server: Apple MBP OS X 10.11.6 (Wifi) to Client: ATV4K-32GB (Wifi) (smooth playback)

I have sent you a PM with a link to download the a small Extra's file that was on the DB.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

The last one is MPEG-2, so easier to decode.

[summit48]

MPEG-2 might be easier to decode, however The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_t10.mkv is MPEG-4 and played smooth, unlike the Avata & Interstella BD.

I will send you the link to download The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_t10.mkv

This is the information about the files according to VLC-tvOS.

Avatar_t00.mkv [NOT Smooth]
Duration: 2 min 1 sec
Video dimensions: 1920x1080 pixel(H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (PART10))

Interstella Bonus Disc_t05.mkv [NOT Smooth]
Duration: 2 min 38 sec
Video dimensions: 1920x1080 pixel(H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (PART10))

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_t10.mkv [Smooth]
Duration: 3 min 21 sec
Video dimensions: 1920x1080 pixel(H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (PART10))

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_t01.mkv [Smooth]
Duration: 10 min
Video dimensions: 720x480 pixel (MPEG-1/2 Video)

[WouldYouLikeMeTo]

This, weirdly, would seem that this disable hardware decoding.

Not sure if this is what you meant, but I had the same issue (BD -> MKV file stuttering on playback on ATV4K) as OP, and disabling hardware acceleration fixed it.

[summit48]

Thank you WouldYouLikeMeTo, I changed the Hardware Decoding on the ATV4K-32GB to Off and surprise, surprise everything played back smooth, both locally stored files and those stored on the Servers across the Network.

I have not tested VLC-iOS on the iPhone 7 with Hardware Decoding Off, but when I do I will post back.

[summit48]

Turned Hardware Decoding Off on the iPhone 7 and it played the locally stored Avatar sample video perfectly.

Conclusion: VLC-tvOS-iOS Hardware Decoding On/Off is coded wrong way around. Should be an easy fix for the next release.

[summit48]

Update: I loaded the files directly on;

iPad 4 iOS 10.3.3 with VLC-iOS 3.2.11
iPhone 5 iOS 10.3.4 with VLC-iOS 3.2.11

Hardware decoding: On, setting it to Off made all files play NOT Smooth -which is different to the iPhone 7 and ATV4K-32GB.

Avatar_t00.mkv [NOT Smooth]
Duration: 2 min 1 sec
Video dimensions: 1920x1080 pixel(H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (PART10))

Interstella Bonus Disc_t05.mkv [NOT Smooth]
Duration: 2 min 38 sec
Video dimensions: 1920x1080 pixel(H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (PART10))

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_t10.mkv [Smooth]
Duration: 3 min 21 sec
Video dimensions: 1920x1080 pixel(H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (PART10))

Big Buck Bunny, Sunflower version Standard 2D
bbb_sunflower_1080p_60fps_normal.mp4 [Smooth]
Duration 10 min 34 sec

Conclusion: VLC-iOS 3.2.11 on the iPad4 iOS 10.3.3 & iPhone5 iOS 10.3.4 have a problems playing the same two MKV files regardless of hardware decoding being set On or Off.