Playback Issues

[dmorigin]

AndroidTV: 0.16.7
Server: 10.8.13 (Docker - VAAPI enabled)
Google Chromecast 4k Version
Unraid 6.12.4

Many of my video files (all encoded with h264) can either not be played at all or only with errors.

In some cases the whole app crashes or the app gives up and stops playback after a few seconds. Too many errors. In other cases there are problems with the sound (crackling, noise) or the playback stutters or hangs. In some cases, only the picture can get stuck and the sound continues to play. It doesn't matter whether it's a video < 720p or a copy of a BD (only 1080p).

It also does not matter whether the ExoPlayer or libvlc is used. Whereby libvlc still causes the most problems.

To test this, I converted one of my videos to HEVC. To see if a video that causes problems runs afterwards. Does not run. The server logs do not provide any information. As no errors are displayed. So unfortunately the app is completely useless. The non-TV version runs perfectly. With ExoPlayer and all the videos that cause problems. Even via VPN with limitation.  Isn't the same code used here as in the non-TV version? Are they both Android after all?

Some examples

Code:

#### Original video file

Video
======================
Titel: 404p H264 SDR
Codec: H264
Codec-Tag: avc1
AVC: Yes
Profil: High
Level: 31
Auflösung: 704x400
Seitenverhältnis: 16:9
Zeilensprungverfahren: No
Bildrate: 50
Bitrate: 4999 kbps
Bit-Tiefe: 8 bit
Videobereich: SDR
Video range type: SDR
Pixelformat: yuv420p
Referenz-Frames: 1
NAL: 4

Audio
======================
Titel: Ger - MP3 - Stereo - Default
Sprache: ger
Codec: MP3
Codec-Tag: mp4a
Darstellung: stereo
Kanäle: 2 ch
Bitrate: 192 kbps
Abtastrate: 48000 Hz
Standard: Yes
Erzwungen: No
Extern: No


#### Converted version

Video
======================
Titel: 720p HEVC SDR
Codec: HEVC
Profil: Main
Level: 120
Auflösung: 1280x720
Seitenverhältnis: 16:9
Zeilensprungverfahren: No
Bildrate: 50
Bitrate: 6199 kbps
Bit-Tiefe: 8 bit
Videobereich: SDR
Video range type: SDR
Pixelformat: yuv420p
Referenz-Frames: 1

Audio
======================
Titel: Ger - MP3 - Stereo - Default
Sprache: ger
Codec: MP3
Darstellung: stereo
Kanäle: 2 ch
Bitrate: 192 kbps
Abtastrate: 48000 Hz
Standard: Yes
Erzwungen: No
Extern: No


#### Other Video copied from BD

Video
======================
Titel: 1080p H264 SDR
Codec: H264
AVC: Yes
Profil: High
Level: 41
Auflösung: 1920x1080
Seitenverhältnis: 16:9
Zeilensprungverfahren: No
Bildrate: 23.976025
Bitrate: 22182 kbps
Bit-Tiefe: 8 bit
Videobereich: SDR
Video range type: SDR
Pixelformat: yuv420p
Referenz-Frames: 1
NAL4

Audio
======================
Titel: Mono - German - Dolby Digital - Default
Sprache: deu
Codec: AC3
Darstellung: mono
Kanäle: 1 ch
Bitrate: 192 kbps
Abtastrate: 48000 Hz
Standard: Yes
Erzwungen: No
Extern: No

EDITH:
I installed the Android TV version on my Google Pixel 6 beside the non-TV Version. The same result as on the Chromecast.

[TheDreadPirate]

Which docker image are you using?

[dmorigin]

It's from: lscr.io/linuxserver/jellyfin:latest for Unraid

However, the problem is not the server. The bit rate is too low, so the stream is sent to the TV client without transcoding. It is definitely the Android TV client app that is the problem.

I removed the audio codec from a test video today so that only the HEVC video stream is available. The video can then be played by the TV version. I then converted the existing MP3 audio stream into an AC3 stream using ffmpeg (I always use ffmpeg). This video now works. However, it does not seem to be a general problem with MP3 streams. Because videos with an AC3 audio stream also cause problems.

[TheDreadPirate]

The Android and Android TV apps uses completely different code bases. The Android app is a web wrapper and the Android TV app is a native kotlin/java app.

There have been several users that had inexplicable issues direct playing with the Linuxserver version of jellyfin. Switching to the official jellyfin/jellyfin image resolved their issues.

I have exactly the same Chromecast with Google TV 4K model and have used the several of the same codec combinations. The only difference is that my main Jellyfin is a direct install on Ubuntu and all my test instances are the official jellyfin/jellyfin images.

[dmorigin]

Tried the jellyfin/jellyfin image. However, this does not change the situation.

Server Log

Before conversion - with mp3 audio - Didn't run

Code:

[18:24:45] [INF] [11] Jellyfin.Api.Helpers.MediaInfoHelper: StreamBuilder.BuildVideoItem( Profile=AndroidTV-ExoPlayer, Path=/data/encoding/Media/HEVC/jc_ritb_720p_vbr6.mkv, AudioStreamIndex=null, SubtitleStreamIndex=null ) => ( PlayMethod=DirectPlay, TranscodeReason=0 ) media:/videos/8feb48fe-17f1-266a-8200-6b2ca6b3d7fb/stream.mkv?MediaSourceId=8feb48fe17f1266a82006b2ca6b3d7fb&Static=true&VideoCodec=hevc&AudioCodec=mp3&AudioStreamIndex=1&api_key=<token>&Tag=2dadd19f036c7d29ea8bd83d04a96c9d
[18:24:45] [INF] [43] Emby.Server.Implementations.Session.SessionManager: Playback stopped reported by app Android TV 0.16.7 playing jc_ritb. Stopped at 0 ms

After conversion - with ac3 audio - Run

Code:

[18:28:34] [INF] [80] Jellyfin.Api.Helpers.MediaInfoHelper: StreamBuilder.BuildVideoItem( Profile=AndroidTV-ExoPlayer, Path=/data/encoding/Media/HEVC/jc_ritb_720p_vbr6_ac3.mkv, AudioStreamIndex=null, SubtitleStreamIndex=null ) => ( PlayMethod=DirectPlay, TranscodeReason=0 ) media:/videos/ba090daf-2bfa-6f66-895c-0c5c161b2982/stream.mkv?MediaSourceId=ba090daf2bfa6f66895c0c5c161b2982&Static=true&VideoCodec=hevc&AudioCodec=ac3&AudioStreamIndex=1&api_key=<token>&SubtitleMethod=Encode&Tag=dcd61f2098a9f7b4f27a2ddf5e31d2d7

The server does not process the file, but delivers the file that is on the server.

[TheDreadPirate]

Does this sound like your problem?

https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-and...ssues/3471

If so, 0.16.8 was released yesterday and includes a fix for this.

[dmorigin]

However, this version has not yet been published in the PlayStore.