NextPVR and 1080i issue.

[three6zerocool]

Hello, I am a long time user of NextPVR used with Hauppauge Colossus series capture cards.

Recently my Colossus1 card failed, and as it is discontinued, I replaced it with the Colossus2.
I use it to capture from my STB (MySkyHDi box)

I am encountering a strange issue when watching live TV with NextPVR.
It appears to be some kind of interlace type issue, and the picture basically stutters and strobes constantly.

I only came up with the interlace theory, as when I change the STB's video output from 1080i to 720p, it works perfect.
If I change it back to 1080i, then everything stutters and strobes.

I use the NextPVR addon in Kodi most of the time, and also the NextPVRUI.

When using 1080i, the recording that is created has the strobing and stuttering too.
If I change the STB's output to 720p, all works fine again,

I tried downloading Hauppauge's own capture utility 'Hauppauge Capture' (which supports both the Colossus 1 and 2 cards.
When I record in Hauppauge Capture from 1080i, it works perfectly.
I then tried playing back the capture inside kodi, and it too was fine,

I next tried NextPVRUI client, and it does the same thing with 1080i from my STB, and stutters and strobes.
I know for certain that NextPVR has worked perfectly with my STB and the colossus1 card, as have used it for 'years'


Any idea what might be occurring here?

[three6zerocool]

PS.   I have created two captures, one from NextPVR and the other from Hauppauge Capture.
I can attach them here, but combined in a zip, it is 328MB.

Thought I better check first.

[three6zerocool]

errr, hold off on this issue for now.
Require some more testing.

Reason being is that I was using A TV in office where my STB is, and I use a Fire Stick 4K max and Kodi.
It seems the issue could be with that setup, as I tried LiveTV in the lounge and main TV, and it seemed to play fine.

I tried the Sky STB direct to the office TV in 1080i, and it works fine.

I then fire up kodi on the fire TV stick plugged to office TV,  and get the stutter and strobing when STB is using 1080i output.

So, it seems to not be an issue with NextPVR, but with the firestick.  (Bizzare!)

Sorry about this.    Will test further and see what happens.

[three6zerocool]

I swapped out the Fire Stick on the Office TV
No Lodi on it yet, but tried out NextUI client.
It plays live TV perfect from NextPVR.

So, it seems I have found the problem.

It is the strangest thing, as original firestick can play any streamed media just fine, but 1080i live and recorded content from NextPVR looks stuttery.
Seem the device has lost ability to play interlaced source.....   how strange.

You can nuke my posts if you like?

[mvallevand]

h264 deinterlaced has been a problem on the FireTV for many years I know people were using old versions like SPMC for this reason. The original AFTV's couldn't handle 1080i mpeg2video.

I cannot explain why changing capture cards would make a difference though. Maybe check old recordings and see perhaps you were using 720p all along. I force 720p on my STB because my HDPVR always had trouble detecting the change.

Martin

[sub]

It is the strangest thing, as original firestick can play any streamed media just fine, but 1080i live and recorded content from NextPVR looks stuttery.

Streaming video on the internet is typically never interlaced, so some of these playback device aren't really designed to cope with it.

[three6zerocool]

>h264 deinterlaced has been a problem on the FireTV for many years I know people were using old versions like SPMC for this reason. The original AFTV's couldn't handle 1080i mpeg2video.

>I cannot explain why changing capture cards would make a difference though. Maybe check old recordings and see perhaps you were using 720p all along. I force 720p on my STB because my HDPVR always had trouble detecting the change.

>Martin

Was definitely recording in 1080i until the Colossus 1 malfunctioned.
It was then I first noticed the interlace issue when I installed the colossus 2, and it was then I found a solve by changing STB to 720p.

The two constants seem to be the Office TV itself, and the Fire Stick 4K Max.
They have not changed, so seemingly it is something with the new Colossus 2. (which I know records 1080p, where has the Colossus 1 can record max of 1080i only.)

I factory reset the Fire TV Stick 4k Max, and it still exhibits the same issue.
I put it in a different HDMI port, and still has the same issue.

So, at this stage my next test will be with a different Fire TV Stick.
And the next test will be to try this Fire TV Stick with another TV.

Bizarre. (there's that word again)

[sub]

Thes devices tend to record in the same format they receive. ie, 1080i source records 1080i. 720p source records 720p.

There is certainly differences in features that H.264 encoders can use. For example, PAFF and MBAFF etc. It might be a case that your Colossus 2 is using one of these more advanced encoding features, and the FireTV stick isn't able to handle it properly during playback.

[three6zerocool]

I currently have my STB (MySkiHDi) in 1080i.

My main TV in lounge is a Sony 4k Oled,  and it plays live TV and recordings fine from NextPVR.
(streaming device is FireTV Cube 3rd Gen)

My Office TV is an older Sony 1080p LED, and streaming device is FireTV Stick 4k Max.

Bedroom TV is a Samsung 4k LED, and again streaming device is Fire TV Stick 4k Max.

I tried the Firestick in the bedroom with Kodi and live TV from NextPVR,  and it stutters and strobes also on the Samsung 4k TV.
(again with STB set to 1080i)
I then removed it from the bedroom TV, and plugged it into the TV in office, and once again it stutters and strobes.

So, out of the three TV's,  only the Sony Oled works thus far.

I guess it could be the Firesticks,  but would have to try one on the Oled TV and see if it does the same thing.
I know the new FireTV Cube does some kind of super resolution upscaling. (as they refer to it)
It also has HDMI passthru function, so guess it could have something extra processing wise that firestick devices do not.

Again, never had any issues with interlace problems using the original colossus card, only this Colossus 2.
You would not read about it, unless one experienced it.  Unbelievable.

[three6zerocool]

I also have Nvidia Shield's,  so tried one on the bedroom Samsung TV, using Kodi.
It plays perfectly. (with STB set to 1080i)

So, as you suggest, seemingly the firestick's can not deal with the form of encoding the colossus 2 uses.
Thats kind of annoying.

Amazing.