Bit-perfect USB Audio? A.k.a WASAPI / ASIO hardware direct possible? - Nexus 7 General

We very well know that the purpose of a USB DAC is to enhance the audio experience as it provides much cleaner or clearer audio than the internal DAC in N7.
My question is, is there a rom, kernel and app out there that enables 'Hardware direct, Integer mode, DSD (Direct Stream Digital) and Exclusive mode (1 audio app only/hog mode)?
Is there such a mod and app available. If not, is it possible?
In Windows equivalent, the configuration would be a media player, configured to output via WASAPI event mode / ASIO pull mode, with matching sample rate and bit depth with the source, direct communication with the DAC bypassing the Windows audio decoder and mixer system whereby converting to PCM is done on the DAC (100 bit perfect). Such configuration available on android?
In OSX, there are software(s) that allow DSD, Integer mode, Sampling rate + bit depth matching and app-exclusive audio stream access to the DAC which in theory, is bit perfect as all audio data is passed thru the DAC.
Why im asking for this? Well without OS intervention like mixing audio with other apps, sample rate conversion, incorrect bit depth at both points resulting in reconstruction or conversion in the process, lousy format-to-pcm algorithm (mp3 to PCM for DAC recognition) etc will affect audio quality to some point.
Imagine a piece of white paper, each of the process above 'stains' the paper. When you use a 20k dslr(DAC) to take a pict if that paper, it will just take a very HD pict of a stained paper. With bit-perfect, the white paper remains white n there are no stains. The best DAC will bring out the audio, unstained.
I do notice a huge diff between bit-perfect streams to DAC in Windows and OSX, to 'mixed audio'in Android. Is all harsh to me when i play audio from my N7 via USB DAC. On the other 2 OS, perfectly musical. Yes, my ears are debatable. But bit-perfect is not.

Shame that no one is interested...I also would like to use my N7 as a source to send files to my arcam irdac - if someone came across such app that can enable to send files directly to the DAC please share details.

http://mehrvarz.github.io/nexus-7-usbrom/ ?

Related

Chisleu's "Things I Learned" Thread (GPS/Video convertion/etc/etc)

The first post is always updated to show the "how to do it quick" that I arrive at after my long series of "doing it painfully slow." All the other posts are simply notes I share while "doing it painfully slow."
I'm always trying to remember something I forgot, never something I remember.
I'm also new to the platform so I'm remembering things for the first time, which makes this a perfect time to document these learnings.
Sharing files over Wifi with Tablet:
http://www.redmondpie.com/access-ftp-sites-natively-in-windows-7/
I followed these simple directions to map the tablet's FTP sever as a network drive. What FTP server? I'm using "File Expert" which seems to work well. There are many other apps available as well.
Using an external bluetooth:
Download "Bluetooth GPS" from the market. This will allow you to import the gps data. You have to turn on GPS on the tablet and enable mock gps locations in the menus (instructions in application in market.)
Rooting my (just about any) Android Phone
SuperOneClick: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803682
Wow that was easy! Rooted my android 2.1 mb200 (Cliq) in 30 seconds. You need the drivers for your phone which you can get from the phone manufacturer's site. I got something called "MotoHelper" from Motorola's site.
Using your phone as a Wifi Hotspot:
android-wifi-tether is the program of choice. If your phone doesn't have a kernel that supports IP tables it won't work. Most phones probably don't have firewall capabilities loaded into them by default! If you want to do that: they support many phones. Check um out.
If you don't want to change the kernel and your phone is rooted, you can use the "Barnacle Wifi Tether" from the market. It turns the device into a mobile hotspot you can access with your android tablet. Works great!
Using your phone as an External Bluetooth GPS device:
Don't think it requires rooting. There are a lot of apps (a lot.. omg) that claim to do it. I was able to find ONE that actually works, for 10 minutes at least. It's only $1.50CDN (if you can get that **** to work) or $1.99 directly to unlock. Works great! It's in the market called "Bluetooth GPS Output". You can buy the $1.99 unlock code from their website. I spent hours hunting something free. haha
Watching video on CM7 (pre-hardware acceleration)
*NOTE* Getting audio in-sync is near impossible. I've given up. I don't think there is a way of accomplishing this without DSP support.
Download "MoboPlayer" and install w/ your favorite app installer. I use "File Expert" because of it's FTP server capabilites making copying super easy and wireless for me.
MoboPlayer is superior to RockPlayer for gingerbread (cm7) for software decoding. It has a silly "skip" button you have to hit when you start up. Not sure how to get rid of that. Yet.
Above is now depreciated with hardware accelerated video working in cm7.
Download the latest version of "Handbrake". I have attached a zipfile with a preset in it that you can import by clicking preset->import. You should then see a preset called "Chisleu High Quality (imported)" on the right side of the screen.
Step 1: Open your file to be converted
Step 2: Select the Preset
Step 3: Change your resolution if it is larger than 854x480.
854x480 is the maximum so set the width to 854 and make sure the width is under 480 (should be) but if not change it so the width and height are under 854x480.
It will always default to the original resolution if it is smaller than 854x480. It should default to 854x480 max if the source is higher resolution. If it doesn't include the 854x480 max, when you select it to encode a video, change the resolution to 854 width and save the preset.
Pairing/Using Zoom 9010 Bluetooth Mini Keyboard w/ NCEncore
Hit the button on the bottom of the keyboard. Go to the bluetooth menu and select the device to pair. It will ask for a pin. Type in 1234 into the tablet. THEN type 1234 into the keyboard and hit enter on the keyboard. Enjoy keyboard!
More to come!
These are notes I made while making the "howto" which is in the first post. The final steps needed are above. If you are hacking your way through this stuff and looking for insights, the stuff below could be helpful. If you are looking for "how do I do this fast" then don't read this stuff, just refer to the first post!!!
Watching video on CM7 (pre-hardware acceleration)
Rockplayer seems to work very well. I'm hoping to figure out the "ideal" formatting for software decode.
It seems everyone has their favorite way to pull this off... I'm using the free program "Handbrake" to convert video files over.
Well, I have reasonable quality video playing well but the sound is being a problem. With my last conversion, the sound will just stop playing after a while and you have to move the video slider around a little to get it to start back up. not good.
848x480 video seems to be pushing it and the quality isn't that much better than 720, so I'm going to limit myself to 720x480max video.
Sample rate 48 audio was very quiet, turns out 41 is too! Use the DRC slider in the audio tab -> 4 to help compensate. I also turned the volume on the speaker up 10db w/ thee "DSP Manager" that comes with the distribution. Helps to boost the volume to less silent levels. Workable, but headphones of some sort are still required IMHO.
Nope. Still crappy. Worried I won't be able to play anything past cartoons!
Update: Rockplayer sucks!!! (for me, on this platform, etc, etc)
http://moboplayer.com/moboplayer_en.html
At another's direction, the v7 "Neon" version of Moboplayer is EPIC. Works much better. It plays my encoding of "BBC Planet Earth - Jungles 1080p". On a side note, if you haven't seen the Planet Earth series, get it. It is super fun to watch. very interesting.
I used these settings:
720x400 (720 max w/ automatic height)
48k / 128kbps AAC/faac audio.
51 minutes is 765mb. Pretty huge.
I mostly used the direcitons provided here:
http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...using-handbrake-convert-video-nook-color.html
(3) On the Presets window, select High Profile.
(4) Click on the Source button, and load the video file you want to convert.
(5) Click the Browse, and select a destination and file name for the MP4 video file you will create.
(6) Go to the Picture tab. Set the Anamorphic menu to None. Enter 720 in the Width box, and check the Keep Aspect Ratio button. The Height should automatically adjust.
(7) Go to the Video Filters tab. Set Detelecine and Decomb to Off.
(8) Go to the Video tab. If you are using DVD source video, or standard resolution video, leave the Framerate option as Same as source. If your source is HD video (60fps), change the Framerate to 29.97.
(9) Go to the Audio tab. How many tracks appear? The goal is to end up with one track with an Audio Codec that shows up as AAC (faac) or MP3 (lame). If there are others, right click and remove them. On the remaining track, set Mixdown to Stereo, Samplerate to 48, and Bitrate to 128.
(10) Skip the Subtitles and Chapters tabs.
(11) Go to the Advanced tab. Set Maximum B-Frames to 0, and uncheck the CABAC Entropy Coding, 8x8 Transform, and Weighted P-Frames options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm currently converting "Back To The Future 720p":
720x400:
average bitrate 800kbps (2pass)
44.1/128 MP3(lame)
Remember to jack up the DRC (I've been using the max setting of 4) which will help compensate for the low speaker volume. I also configured the DSP EQ for up to 5db of boost (mid range) curving down to 1db at the extremities.
Damn I love this platform.
EDIT: Retried my 854x480 conversion (high bitrate, 1gig/51minutes) It plays just great with MoboPlayer Neon. I'm going to watch the low bitrate encode of Back To The Future 720p (720x400 ~800kbps video 766meg/1:56). It is transfering now but my firewall isn't N-capable so it's slow!
I'm mainly checking to see if that quality is decent (low bitrate and 2 pass encoding)
Then I'm going to do a "final settings" encode to test out max quality.
I'm also going to do a 1024x600 video just to see if it's possible to play. I think it's probably overkill. I think the playback will suffer. 854 seems to really eat CPU as it is. We will see.
EDIT: Downloaded a 1 minute 1080p test video to use to test resolutions/such with to speed things up a bit.
http://www.fileserve.com/file/SdtfFxh/hd_other_sony_hd_experiment.m2ts
EDIT: Droid does!!! DRC doesn't! Specifically, it doesn't boost volume very much. It is really just normalization. Not encoding using DRC anymore. If you want to watch videos... use headphones.
EDIT: Wow, much faster using a 1 minute file plus the math is easy to determine 1 hour file sizes. hehe.
EDIT: 1024 width doesn't play.
EDIT: Uhm, maybe it does. for some reason MoboPlayer is calling it HD and trying to play in hardware. I can play the 854 w/ software decode so I'm reencoding... stop deleting stuff even if it doesn't work the first time dude...
EDIT: so.... many... variables....
EDIT: door to door salespeople suck... no this isn't an ipad, and no I don't want your cleaning products.
EDIT: Got a quality configuration working!
My 1 minute test video ended up at 5,487KB which puts us at roughly 330MB per hour. Acceptable size for me. This is a 2-pass 600kbps video stream. The 500kbps had noticeably less quality. Higher quality encoding does improve quality, but seems to have video sync issues.
Encoding a lower resolution (but longer) file now w/ my settings to test.
Successful video!!!! I converted Zombieland.720p into the format above and she plays wonderfully in software mode with no sync issues!!! Fantastic!!!
If you are looking to convert video for travel or the like, this is the ticket!
Feed your source material into HandBrake, select the Universal preset, get rid of the AC3 soundtrack if it's included in the source (since all you really need is the 2 channel stereo track), add subs if required, encode, put it on the NOOK Color, you're done.
No need for two-pass encoding as HandBrake's newer CRF based encoding methodology (for the x264 encoder) saves time and gets pretty much equal results in half the time.
People really overcomplicate this encoding for the NOOK Color, way too much. It's not that hard. The Universal preset will adjust the resolution to fit (the NOOK Color has a maximum video pixel width of 854, period), and it uses a good baseline profile (what the NOOK Color is designed to play) without issues.
Everything is already in that preset, ready to go, and you're not really going to get much better quality with all the fiddling, all the command line options, etc.
Source > HandBrake > Universal preset > drop AC3 track, set bitrate as desired for audio > Encode > Put it on the device > Enjoy the movie.
Simple.
I love different opinions!
br0adband said:
No need for two-pass encoding as HandBrake's newer CRF based encoding methodology (for the x264 encoder) saves time and gets pretty much equal results in half the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 pass is vastly superior for file size. If you don't care about file size, ya you can use a larger file with great quality. But if you care about sizes (ie, using a CR of 40, which I did) it looks like crap. 2 pass encoding is vastly superior because it allows smaller size with dynamic bitrates and higher quality.
I'm not the "lazy" guy. I don't mind taking the time to figure out the way that is best for me. I am simply sharing that knowledge. A google search will reveal tons of different ways of doing this.
br0adband said:
Everything is already in that preset, ready to go, and you're not really going to get much better quality with all the fiddling, all the command line options, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That preset is also 720 width, not 854. I'm trying to maximize quality, minimize file size, and stay compatible with the hardware accelerator. Of course, once hardware accel comes out, one can up the kbps to 1000-1200 if you wish, although I do not feel it is needed.
My setup generates files ~ 320mb per hour. Comparable static bitrate quality would be much larger.
br0adband said:
Simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that Handbrake has the ability to import presets, it's super easy for people. Import the file (once) select the file, select the preset, change the resolution. done. super simple.
Of course this is only intended for CM7 users.
chisleu said:
Flash 10.2 (leaked)
[...]I would expect it will work much better on nookie froyo. so much so that I'm going to use my SD card to boot nookie and try!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did it work on Froyo, and if so, did you notice any improvement?
TJNooker said:
Did it work on Froyo, and if so, did you notice any improvement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It "worked" on nookie froyo and rooted 2.1 (bn 1.1) to begin with (flash 10.1) but I would expect that 10.2 would give a dramatic improvement. The increase on CM7 was dramatic. I don't have a working froyo build to test though. enjoying CM7 too much.
br0adband said:
the NOOK Color has a maximum video pixel width of 854, period
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually software viewers will play up to a 1024x600 file at full screen. Anything less is scaled (software) up to that.
The hardware encoder will up/down scale to 854x480.
Also I just used your instructions above which is RF:20 encoding. that's ~19mb per minute. Compared to ~5.5 w/ my settings. The quality is noticably higher, but it could be accomplished w/ 1000-1200kbps settings with 2 pass. (9-11MB/min)
Also video sync is still an issue for some reason. I'm not sure what the problem is anymore.
I'm on the new 3/15/11 test version including DSP video support. It works and it stays in sync but the framerate is garbage. It's roughly 5-15dps at any given time. Progress is sexy.
It looks like we really just need DSP support if we are going to play videos in sync.
chisleu said:
It "worked" on nookie froyo and rooted 2.1 (bn 1.1) to begin with (flash 10.1) but I would expect that 10.2 would give a dramatic improvement. The increase on CM7 was dramatic. I don't have a working froyo build to test though. enjoying CM7 too much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get flash running on stock eclair?
ace7196 said:
How did you get flash running on stock eclair?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can not remember if I did or not. I believe there is a flash for 2.1 apk floating around if you look.
Chisleu,
why dint you try Vitalplaer neon. It has way better software encoding then rockplayer and moboplayer. Its the best I found so far fo xvid movies
zorvalth said:
Chisleu,
why dint you try Vitalplaer neon. It has way better software encoding then rockplayer and moboplayer. Its the best I found so far fo xvid movies
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems to stay in sync more, but it also lags more. It also has ads on the bottom of the screen. I did try it, but as soon as I saw the ad I realized it wasn't for me.
But yes, unless it is lieing and really using the hardware to play, this is much better. I'm going to encode my test file to 1024x600 and see how it does in software with Vitalplayer Neon.
no 1024 didn't fly in software. Looks terrible, and lags/gets out of sync.
IMO, the argument is moot at this point. Vitalplayer isn't free, and software can't play video better than the hardware can (854x480)
Now that hardware acceleration is working the CM7 test it won't be long before it's in CM7, and I personally have no need for software acceleration.
Then again, for lower quality stuff that I don't want to reencode, vitalplayer is much better at staying in sync. Impressively so in fact.
I may buy it. Thanks for the tip.
I uploaded some test videos encoded to Nook specs at various bitrates so you could see and maybe avoid reencoding repeatedly to find a bitrate that works for you.
Original file is a 1080p Music Video for "Good Girl, Bad Girl" by Miss A. This is a k-pop group I love and they encourage redistribution of their music videos, so no issues there.
600kbps video 20mb
http://www.mediafire.com/?d42dmvva9vbigm2
1200kbps video 36.5mb
http://www.mediafire.com/?2lyb5qicpynz13a
2000kbps video 58.4mb
http://www.mediafire.com/?d42dmvva9vbigm2
I can not tell a difference between 1200 and 2000.
There is definitely a difference between 600 and 1200, but is the difference worth 4.3mb per minute? A 90 minute video would be an additional 387MB larger.
Maybe it is for you, and maybe it isn't, and maybe you will just go with 800 or 1000kbps if you want to split the difference.
These are just intended for you to have a jumping off point so you don't have to go to the lengths I have!
chisleu said:
It seems to stay in sync more, but it also lags more. It also has ads on the bottom of the screen. I did try it, but as soon as I saw the ad I realized it wasn't for me.
But yes, unless it is lieing and really using the hardware to play, this is much better. I'm going to encode my test file to 1024x600 and see how it does in software with Vitalplayer Neon.
no 1024 didn't fly in software. Looks terrible, and lags/gets out of sync.
IMO, the argument is moot at this point. Vitalplayer isn't free, and software can't play video better than the hardware can (854x480)
Now that hardware acceleration is working the CM7 test it won't be long before it's in CM7, and I personally have no need for software acceleration.
Then again, for lower quality stuff that I don't want to reencode, vitalplayer is much better at staying in sync. Impressively so in fact.
I may buy it. Thanks for the tip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what you are downloading but Vitalplayer Neon is definitely free....
Sent from my NookColor
zorvalth said:
I don't know what you are downloading but Vitalplayer Neon is definitely free....
Sent from my NookColor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I miss the "ad" word in that sentence. It was meant to say "ad free".
I can't stand seeing ads. I don't mind paying for software I want, but I hate ads.
I bought the Vital Player Pro but we were unable to get it working and I was issued a refund. It would start up and immediately shutdown. I think there may be a problem with paid apps because I also can not get TapaTalk pro to work on my tablet. It keeps saying it isn't paid for. Tapatalk has much slower customer support than VitalPlayer did.
So now that hardware acceleration is enabled, do you still do the same handbrake encoding process as before? Or was that just a workaround for the software? Or because hardware acceleration is now enabled, are we able to handle more/different codecs?
br0adband said:
No need for two-pass encoding as HandBrake's newer CRF based encoding methodology (for the x264 encoder) saves time and gets pretty much equal results in half the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I apologize. This new 1 pass system is far superior to those of old. I bow to your wisdom. CF25 is about equal to 1200kbps video in both size and quality.
Thanks for posting up the sample vids. The first and third link are the same. Both go to Miss A Bad Girl Good Girl - Nook 2000.m4v
For me, the preset in the OP produces an image that is compressed horizontally. Anyone else seeing this? Using handbrake 0.9.5 and playing on the latest CM7 stock video player.

[App][Trial] DJ Tools V1

Dj Tools V1 is the first release of a series of usefull DJ instruments.
DJ Tools is the classic Jingle Cart Machine but with a bunch of cool and addictive features,Sound Box, Sound Sampler, Sine Wave Pad.
The App User is the Disco DJ, who wants to attach the phone to his mixer with a RCA-Jack Y-cable or only for fun.
Trial limit the App usage to 60 seconds, then you have to wait 60 seconds to continue.
All sounds are pre-loaded in memory for instant-start, forget sound lags.
Marketplace Link
windowsphone.com/s?appid=ed0640d8-0152-40e1-addc-b665cc9d5e1f
A Desktop App is available to load your own sounds !!!
Desktop App Short Url: goo.gl/e73VK
or
skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=58005cabb3ddbf32&resid=58005CABB3DDBF32!3469&parid=root
Features explained:
- 6 Sound Effects with selectable launch mode - Gun or Rifle [multiple launch]
- 6 Introduction samples for your disco sessions [single launch]
- 6 Splitters, for Radio Djs, for seamless going from a song to another song [multiple launch]
- 6 Vocal samples to entertain the crowd (multiple launch)
- 6 BassLine with fine grain Pitch Control (0.001%) [single launch]
- 5 Slot for YOUR CUSTOM WAVE FILE !!! Feature available only in full Version [multiple launch]
- 1 Super Cool Sine Wave Pad ! Control a Sine Wave Frequency and Pan with your finger.
- 1 Bass Pad to pump up your subWoofer
All the wave file are professionally hand-crafted.
WARNINGJ Tools is a very CPU-Intensive Application, it is designed for in-stage use,
and so it keep your display always on. Be careful.
NOTES ABOUT CUSTOM WAVE FILE FEATURE
To load your own files, you need to download the latest DJ Tools Desktop App.
It is very essential, you can load up 5 PCM Wav Files (Max 3 MB per file).
The transmission is achieved using TCP over Wifi Network (Or Zune attached Network).
Run the Desktop App, identify your Computer IP Address, and type it in the App box.
Remember to OPEN THE FIREWALL to allow comunication to your PC on TCP port 5979.
Desktop App require .Net framework 4.0
Screenshots
arrf!!! my phone's jack rack is dead since first use, i'm so sorry/disapointed for not being able to test that!!!
Seems a good app, what is the sample rate you used for the sounds?? The latency isn't too big for a live mix?
btw, nuff thanks for DJs support!!!
sample rate
Hi NebZone,
Samples are 44,1 Khz 16bit Stereo, the App size is a little big.
You can load your own sample too !
I've been a dj for a lot of years, this app is designed for DJs by a DJ !
Ciao
Giulio
Can't seem to find this in Marketplace yet (in UK anyway)
Gb Markeplace Link
Hi Audio,
here is the link
windowsphone.com/en-gb/apps/ed0640d8-0152-40e1-addc-b665cc9d5e1f
Wicked, thanks

Critique my setup for streaming Tivo recordings to Chromecast

I have been working for a few days on setting up a process to pull my Tivo recordings off my Tivo onto my PC, and then get them into a format where they can stream to my chromecast on another TV. In other words, a poor man's multi-room viewing. I am in over my head on several aspects, and while I have gotten it to work, I have had to make some sacrifices. I'd like to see if someone can "poke holes" in my setup and suggest a better way to get the job done.
First, here is the hardware...
Asus AC66U (currently, no qos enabled)
TivoHD (wired connection)
Fairly-new PC with capable processing power (wired connection)
Chromecast in the next room (gets full bars on wifi icon)
The setup...
1. I am using kmttg to automatically pull the recordings off the Tivo, decrypt them to an mpeg file, and then encode that mpeg file into an mp4 file that is compatible with chromecast. Kmttg has both ffmpeg and handbrake encoding capabilities.
2. I store the encoded mp4 files in a folder on my PC that is shared with everyone on my network.
3. I use Localcast on my android phone to locate the shared folder, then the file I want to view, then Localcast takes it from there.
ETA:
3. Plex Media Server on the PC
4. BubbleUPnP android app
The Plex Media Server and BubbleUPnP app solve the problem that Localcast caused by using the phone as the connection between the PC and Chromecast. Plex Media Server and BubbleUPnP allow me to connect the PC directly to Chromecast, lowering network traffic considerably and allowing me to cast a much higher quality video without the stuttering.
This setup works, however there are some problems I need to correct. I have issues with stuttering/buffering streams. I have tried to correct this by using encoding profiles that create a very small file size, which solves the buffering problem, but video quality suffers as a result. At present, I either have to decide between HD quality video that causes stutters ever few minutes, or a file that streams smoothly but has a video quality around SD quality. In seeking help on another forum for the best encoding profile, the suggestion was made that it wasn't the file size, but my wifi setup that could be the problem. Researching my wifi setup brought be to this post, which makes me wonder if localcast is my bottleneck. I was under the impression that Localcast was just creating a direct stream from my PC, similar to a direct stream from Netflix. However, if it is actually forwarding the stream from my PC through my phone to the chromecast, that would explain the poor performance (the stream has to go out to the phone and then back to the router and then out to the chromecast).
Greetings (again) fellow TiVo user! I refuse to give up my lifetime subscription and Series3 display!
Here's what I suggest...
Install Serviio on the PC with the converted videos on them. This will make your PC a DLNA/UPnP server. Be sure to configure the library so the folder with the videos is accessible.
Install BubbleUPnP on your phone.
Set the BubbleUPnP Library to your Serviio PC (it should show up in the list).
Set the BubbleUPnP Renderer to your Chromecast.
Go to the Library and find something to play. Depending on the metadata, you may need to use the Folder view rather than categories.
I tested it and the BubbleUPnP client app that runs on Chromecast seems to grab the stream directly from the server, rather than brokering the stream through your phone. That ought to help your bandwidth issue so you can use higher bitrates to get better quality.
I like what you're doing, it's something I'd like to do eventually too.
Localcast might do the same as BubbleUPnP once you get Serviio running, I haven't used it.
Yeah, I'm not ready to give up my old Tivo either! My wife has been bugging me that she can't watch recorded shows
I played around with my setup last night and found some things that work. I installed Plex Media Server on my PC and the BubbleUPnP on my phone. The BubbleUPnP app automatically detected the Plex Media Server and casting to my Chromecast was very easy. And you are right, this setup allows casting directly from PC to the Chromecast. I was able to stream my files without any stuttering! I have to go back now and re-encode my existing files to a higher video quality, but that is a price I am willing to pay.
Plex Media Server downloads the metadata about the recordings from the internet and automatically names, organizes and adds thumbnails for each recording. This is really cool. It took me a few attempts to figure out how the folders and files needed to be stored on my PC to get it to work right, but I think I have the hang of it now.
The only small trouble I have in the process is it seems like Tivo's episode information is incorrect on some of the recordings. For example, Tivo thinks a particular recording is Episode number X, but really it is Episode number Y. Tivo's Episode Title is correct, but Plex seems to just look for the Season/Episode information to pull the metadata, and then overwrites the Episode Title with the downloaded info. I have to go back into my PC and correct the episode number, which then corrects the trouble on Plex at the next download. However, this has just happened on a couple of recordings and it may not be a big issue.
I'll take a look at Serviio and see how it compares to Plex.
My next project is to see if I can find a way to stream recordings from my Mega cloud account. With 50bg of free storage, that would allow my Tivo recordings to be available wherever I am. I see Mega has a mobile app, and they say that it is possible to stream files from it, but I haven't been able to get it to work. You can long press on a file and share it to BubbleUPnP or Localshare, but I get an error message on Chromecast saying the file type is not supported. It would be nice if Mega added Chromecast support. That would rock. Even if I can't cast it to Chromecast, being able to stream it on my phone would be great. However, when I click on the file, it just tries to download the file to my phone's storage. I see there are 3rd party apps that claim to stream Mega files, but I'm wary of trying them since they don't look to be widely used.
Good move with the Bubble and Plex addition....
The two of those give a great one two punch and really make all the other options for streaming pretty lackluster IMO...
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
Might think about moving to an MKV container and using Handbrake for the conversion.
Asphyx said:
Good move with the Bubble and Plex addition....
The two of those give a great one two punch and really make all the other options for streaming pretty lackluster IMO...
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
Might think about moving to an MKV container and using Handbrake for the conversion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kmttg lists closed captioning data as one of their features. I haven't tried it so I can't say if/how it works.
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
Thanks for the suggestion of the MKV option. I tried that encoding profile in the beginning and I kept getting errors each time the file started saying that something wasn't compatible and possibly the audio wouldn't work. Everything seemed to stream correctly, but the error message was annoying each time. Additionally, now that I have Plex installed, it doesn't seem like the old leftover MKV files are showing up in my library...as if it is an unsupported file type. I'll work on it some more. It could be the particular MKV profile I chose, or some other issue that I can work through.
whitenack said:
The only small trouble I have in the process is it seems like Tivo's episode information is incorrect on some of the recordings. For example, Tivo thinks a particular recording is Episode number X, but really it is Episode number Y. Tivo's Episode Title is correct, but Plex seems to just look for the Season/Episode information to pull the metadata, and then overwrites the Episode Title with the downloaded info. I have to go back into my PC and correct the episode number, which then corrects the trouble on Plex at the next download. However, this has just happened on a couple of recordings and it may not be a big issue.
I'll take a look at Serviio and see how it compares to Plex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the TiVo guide info has been spotty lately, which is not a good thing since the guide info is what the subscription is for!
Some episodes are incorrectly numbered (though the back-to-back dual-episode premieres and finales always tend to be confusing), some don't have episode numbers at all. Almost seems like they're pulling from two sources and when the "good" source doesn't have info, we get the generic version.
Asphyx said:
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plex's metadata library really is one of its strong points
TiVo recordings do have embedded CC AFAIK, but I haven't looked to see if it's encoded as MPEG subcode like on DVD or differently. My guess is it's subcode, as it's embedded in the original transport stream.
whitenack said:
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've successfully used VideoReDo TVSuite 4 to edit both native TiVo .tivo and MPEG transport streams. It has some nifty features to fix rubbished streams and also has commercial detection. It's not free, though since I already have it, this auto-processor may just have reserved a few future weekends... Hmm, I might have to get a new machine after all (granted, my desktop is over 5 years old - I just dislike change, haha).
whitenack said:
kmttg lists closed captioning data as one of their features. I haven't tried it so I can't say if/how it works.
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep I understand the automated want...PITA to have to manually do it. Commercials are always a PITA to cut out. You can just as easily FF through them later.
whitenack said:
Thanks for the suggestion of the MKV option. I tried that encoding profile in the beginning and I kept getting errors each time the file started saying that something wasn't compatible and possibly the audio wouldn't work. Everything seemed to stream correctly, but the error message was annoying each time. Additionally, now that I have Plex installed, it doesn't seem like the old leftover MKV files are showing up in my library...as if it is an unsupported file type. I'll work on it some more. It could be the particular MKV profile I chose, or some other issue that I can work through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm it could be the CC Subtitles that are the actual issue with compatibility. You might be able to tweak that profile properly but if you don't need them why bother. I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
bhiga said:
Plex's metadata library really is one of its strong points
TiVo recordings do have embedded CC AFAIK, but I haven't looked to see if it's encoded as MPEG subcode like on DVD or differently. My guess is it's subcode, as it's embedded in the original transport stream.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For guys like us (and other XDA folk) it's probably not as important to have a nice and easy interface to navigate with but since we all have friends and family who need to navigate these things Plex just makes the whole process a lot simpler to teach for those uninitiated users.
One of the biggest downsides to the DLNA architecture is it's lack of metadata and good interface system.
Uninitiated want to see box covers not file listings.
As for your old computer it may be 5 years old but that still makes it a good prospect for a media server...Throw a bit more ram in and run Linux and it should be good enough for transcode and serving.
But you know that already! LOL
Asphyx said:
Yep I understand the automated want...PITA to have to manually do it. Commercials are always a PITA to cut out. You can just as easily FF through them later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, precisely why I haven't really put much effort into dealing with them to date. Still, when you're archiving hundreds of hours, those commercials add up.
Asphyx said:
I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That describes me perfectly. Something's either wrong with my hearing, audio system, or both.
Asphyx said:
As for your old computer it may be 5 years old but that still makes it a good prospect for a media server...Throw a bit more ram in and run Linux and it should be good enough for transcode and serving.
But you know that already! LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a dual quad-core with 32GB of RAM, so still quite capable for my needs, which is why I haven't upgraded (aside from cost), but as an encoding machine its fans SCREAM so I usually throttle encoding tasks outside of sleep times using Battle Encoder Shirase. The other alternative is to switch to liquid cooling, but my system is not mainstream (AMD Socket F server board) so doing that will likely require more than a weekend.
This just reminded me though... I do have my previous desktop which was a quiet machine. Nowhere near the same horsepower, but it was quiet... Hmm... Now ALL of my precious spare time has been shot! LOL!!
Asphyx said:
Hmmm it could be the CC Subtitles that are the actual issue with compatibility. You might be able to tweak that profile properly but if you don't need them why bother. I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nevermind. I see my problem now. It's not the MKV that is causing the problem, its the fact I don't have the folder set up correctly for that particular show (the only recordings for that particular show were MKVs). I dropped an MKV file into an existing show folder and it recognizes it. Awesome. So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.
whitenack said:
So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Individual quality judgements will vary (and so will Spouse Approval Factor), but as a matter of reference, DTV streams are typically 19 Mbps MPEG-2, so they're already squashed, which roughly translates to around 4 Mbps in MPEG-4.
Commercials are good for threshold purposes, especially those with the tiny text at the bottom of action commercials that says "Professional stunt person - Do not attempt." One because those types of commercials have a lot of action and scene changes, and two because the text at the bottom tends to be small, and that's usually the first thing to go blocky/fuzzy when you drop too many bits.
Watch out of the car commercials though, the SUPER tiny text on those is usually already destroyed by the cable company's compression.
bhiga said:
Individual quality judgements will vary (and so will Spouse Approval Factor), but as a matter of reference, DTV streams are typically 19 Mbps MPEG-2, so they're already squashed, which roughly translates to around 4 Mbps in MPEG-4.
Commercials are good for threshold purposes, especially those with the tiny text at the bottom of action commercials that says "Professional stunt person - Do not attempt." One because those types of commercials have a lot of action and scene changes, and two because the text at the bottom tends to be small, and that's usually the first thing to go blocky/fuzzy when you drop too many bits.
Watch out of the car commercials though, the SUPER tiny text on those is usually already destroyed by the cable company's compression.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We cut the cable cord a few years ago, so unfortunately I am accustomed to uncompressed quality. Having said that, the Chromecast is connected to our bedroom TV and it isn't exactly a high quality display. It was one of those Black Friday specials where they pretty much give it away. Thanks for the tip on the commercial text test. That will be handy.
bhiga said:
It's a dual quad-core with 32GB of RAM, so still quite capable for my needs, which is why I haven't upgraded (aside from cost), but as an encoding machine its fans SCREAM so I usually throttle encoding tasks outside of sleep times using Battle Encoder Shirase. The other alternative is to switch to liquid cooling, but my system is not mainstream (AMD Socket F server board) so doing that will likely require more than a weekend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get one of those corsair pre-built models...
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...1366_2011_AM2_AM3.html?tl=g30c321&id=Ar4dvGLz
That should be more than enough for Encoding/Transcoding...You would only need more for Gaming....
But I agree you are a far way off from needing an upgrade with that rig!
whitenack said:
Nevermind. I see my problem now. It's not the MKV that is causing the problem, its the fact I don't have the folder set up correctly for that particular show (the only recordings for that particular show were MKVs). I dropped an MKV file into an existing show folder and it recognizes it. Awesome. So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for Profile everything I have currently is H.264 4-10Mbs with AAC Stereo, AAC Surround and in some cases where it was available AC3 or DHT.
But that is not conducive to automated encode really...
What I do for most of my movies is if it has AC3 or DHT I add in AAC Stereo, AAC Surround based off the Dolby track and add any subtitle tracks I need as well.
So what I wind up with is a virtually device wide compatible Video track and Multiple Audio and subtitle tracks to choose from depending on the output device.
Probably don't need something that comprehensive for TV shows...Just make sure there is at least one AAC audio track.
File Size will really be dictated by Video Bitrate which @bhiga already mentioned...4MBs is probably the most you could need given the source quality.
Asphyx said:
Probably don't need something that comprehensive for TV shows...Just make sure there is at least one AAC audio track.
File Size will really be dictated by Video Bitrate which @bhiga already mentioned...4MBs is probably the most you could need given the source quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?
whitenack said:
I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same res = same resolution, but the bitrate can still affect video quality.
That said, the parameters you're showing should produce good results.
An AIO corsair or any other closed loop would start getting costly for him. Remember he has more than one CPU to cool, so you'd really wants go open loop cause you need two CPU blocks and I don't know anything else about the system so I won't guess how many rads you would need. Maybe change the fans out if there too loud, but I'm assuming you need something very powerful like delta fan's to keep it cool. Anyways that site recommended above does have a nice selection of quality water cooling components and fans. Check out alphacool, I use there rads with a swiftech block, but watch out for the clearance its around 60mm.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
whitenack said:
I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but thats what your encoding profile says not the source bitrate right? You should experiment a bit and see at what bitrate you see little to no quality loss or find some way to figure out the bitrate of the source file (since it's in some proprietary format might not be possible).
Then just make sure your target bitrate for re-encode is slightly higher with the same frame rate and you should be fine. from the looks of it it sounds like your FPS may be too high. And that might be a cause of loss of quality. Great for movement but the frames and pixels suffer.
Think if it similar to the following
The VBrate is like a bottle holds all the data for video and comes once a second.
FPS determines how many pictures are in that bottle with each picture being limited to the data size that allows all pictures to fit in that bottle.
Resolution (1080, 720) determines how many pixels must be REPRESENTED (but not always actually present) in each picture.
SO...
a VBRate with 4000K and 60 fps means 66.6K worth of pixel data per frame,
VBRate of 4000k and 30 fps means 133.3K worth of data per frame
Divide that number yet again by the number of pixels (resolution) and you get the data allotment for each pixel. As that number gets smaller the pixels actually get larger and blockier by trying to make one pixel tell the story of 4 or 8 pixels to fit into the limits of the picture so the pictures (FPS) can fit into the limits of the bottle (VBRate) and the dynamic range of each pixel gets compromised as it must use a shorter pallette for Light Dark, and RGB (Red Green Blue).
By the same token this is also why Upconverting often leads to blockiness not because of the limits of the Output but the limitations of the input. And no BETTER quality is actually possible.All the encoder does is double the pixels or framerate using the VBrate for each but you are not actually getting any better quality just magnifying the pixels. And that is just like looking at a screen with a magnifying glass. You see how blocky the pixels really are in the original and those blocks just get BIGGER on the upconvert.
I suggest you see what the top Bitrate and resolution of the source files are and then set your profile accordingly to at least get parity for the best quality possible.
Resolution and FPS should exactly match and then the VBrate as long as it is the same or slightly above will ensure your getting everything there is to get out of the source...
Nizda1 said:
Remember he has more than one CPU to cool,...
...Anyways that site recommended above does have a nice selection of quality water cooling components and fans. Check out alphacool, I use there rads with a swiftech block, but watch out for the clearance its around 60mm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes good catch I missed the DUAL and just saw the Quad...The Dual CPU does complicate things.
I have used Frozen for most of my Personal Builds of rigs but mostly because they are so damn close to me that I get the shipments almost next day even when I ship it ground.
IMO Cooling is the most overlooked and underrated part of Rig Building...
I happen to have a Cosmos S case I use for all my main rigs (Just keep changing the guts) because it's just so versatile no matter what I decide to do, Water, Fans and plenty of room for all of it.
Asphyx said:
Yes but thats what your encoding profile says not the source bitrate right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that file had been encoded, but at a much higher rate than what it ended up at. I think the bitrate was set at either 4000 or 5000, but still only produced a file at a bitrate of about half. Therefore, I assume that the Tivo file is set at that bitrate?
You should experiment a bit and see at what bitrate you see little to no quality loss or find some way to figure out the bitrate of the source file (since it's in some proprietary format might not be possible).
Then just make sure your target bitrate for re-encode is slightly higher with the same frame rate and you should be fine. from the looks of it it sounds like your FPS may be too high. And that might be a cause of loss of quality. Great for movement but the frames and pixels suffer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, these are .TiVo files, and I can't find any information on it. You were right about the frame rate...too high. I adjusted to 30 and that helped. I then tried about 4 or 5 different bitrate settings and am still looking for the perfect match between video quality and file size. I currently have one (480xheight, 1250 bitrate, 1500 max rate) that is a nice file size but a little fuzzy for my tastes. Then I have another one (1280xheight, 2000 bitrate, 2500 max rate) that looks great. What I'll try to do tonight is work on trimming the bitrate down a bit on the higher quality one until I notice a quality change, and then see if it changes the file size enough to justify the loss of quality.
Think if it similar to the following
The VBrate is like a bottle holds all the data for video and comes once a second.
FPS determines how many pictures are in that bottle with each picture being limited to the data size that allows all pictures to fit in that bottle.
Resolution (1080, 720) determines how many pixels must be REPRESENTED (but not always actually present) in each picture.
SO...
a VBRate with 4000K and 60 fps means 66.6K worth of pixel data per frame,
VBRate of 4000k and 30 fps means 133.3K worth of data per frame
Divide that number yet again by the number of pixels (resolution) and you get the data allotment for each pixel. As that number gets smaller the pixels actually get larger and blockier by trying to make one pixel tell the story of 4 or 8 pixels to fit into the limits of the picture so the pictures (FPS) can fit into the limits of the bottle (VBRate) and the dynamic range of each pixel gets compromised as it must use a shorter pallette for Light Dark, and RGB (Red Green Blue).
By the same token this is also why Upconverting often leads to blockiness not because of the limits of the Output but the limitations of the input. And no BETTER quality is actually possible.All the encoder does is double the pixels or framerate using the VBrate for each but you are not actually getting any better quality just magnifying the pixels. And that is just like looking at a screen with a magnifying glass. You see how blocky the pixels really are in the original and those blocks just get BIGGER on the upconvert.
I suggest you see what the top Bitrate and resolution of the source files are and then set your profile accordingly to at least get parity for the best quality possible.
Resolution and FPS should exactly match and then the VBrate as long as it is the same or slightly above will ensure your getting everything there is to get out of the source...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all the help. I came to this post knowing nothing about any of this and all the information I have is from you guys and reverse engineering some existing profiles. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I see there may be an option to access my Plex Media Server from other networks over the internet. Looks like BubbleUPnP also supports setting up media servers over the internet, so I will work on that next.
whitenack said:
Oh, I forgot to mention that I see there may be an option to access my Plex Media Server from other networks over the internet. Looks like BubbleUPnP also supports setting up media servers over the internet, so I will work on that next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I would shoot for 720P (1280 X 720) as that is likely the best quality your likely getting from the sources you have recorded.
I don't see where encoding set at one bitrate would actually wind up with a lower bitrate output, unless of course you have it set to Auto Match Bitrate. Which really shouldn't be done because the new codec you are encoding to might require a higher bitrate to get the same quality (Remember different codecs compress differently and as a result require more or less bandwidth than other codecs to get the same quality)
So you have to choose the target bitrate that works best for the codec you are encoding in. In the case of H.264 and 720P 4Mb is a good balance of size and quality. That will translate to roughly 1Gb of file per hour of programming give or take how active the footage in the material is.
As for remote Streaming...Yes both Plex and Bubble support this. You do have to have a machine up and running at all times and you must set up your router to port forward the ports used by these servers to be sent to the server. Make sure also that the Server has a static IP or that you have set a DHCP reservation in yor router for the server machine so it has the same IP address every time.
Remote streaming will almost always require you to ask for a reduced bandwidth version of the stream since your ISP is unlikely to give you enough upload speed to get full quality but it has helped me pass the time on those long days where I have nothing to do and just waiting around to pass the time.
Asphyx said:
I don't see where encoding set at one bitrate would actually wind up with a lower bitrate output, unless of course you have it set to Auto Match Bitrate. Which really shouldn't be done because the new codec you are encoding to might require a higher bitrate to get the same quality (Remember different codecs compress differently and as a result require more or less bandwidth than other codecs to get the same quality)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, we are quickly getting over my head. I don't have any experience in encoding, I am hijacking example encoding profiles and tweaking them a bit. Can you take a look at my profile and see if I am making any mistakes?
Code:
FFMPEG -y -i INPUT -threads CPU_CORES -vcodec libx264 -level 31 -subq 6 -me_range 16 -qmin 10 -qmax 50 -g 300 -s 1280xHEIGHT -r 29.97 -b 2000k -maxrate 2500k -acodec aac -strict -2 -ac 2 -ab 160k -ar 48000 -f mp4 OUTPUT
I think I pulled this code off an example iPhone profile. I have tweaked the resolution, bitrate and max rate a bit to experiment, but am not really sure what anything else does other than the fps and stereo aac (which is all I need).
Remote streaming will almost always require you to ask for a reduced bandwidth version of the stream since your ISP is unlikely to give you enough upload speed to get full quality but it has helped me pass the time on those long days where I have nothing to do and just waiting around to pass the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, forget that then. I hadn't thought about my ISP upload speed. I have TWC and my download speeds are enough for my needs but my upload speeds are pretty weak.

[Q] Surround Sound in Gear VR

Hi all, I'm a 360° video content creator and I am looking to extend my work into using surround sound together with my 360° Atmosphaeres in the Gear VR.
I took a look at the 'Strangers' video and found the following file structure:
0L.wav
0R.wav
90L.wav
90R.wav
180L.wav
180R.wav
270L.wav
270R.wav
Have any of you seen this structure and if so, how are these signal sources positioned (i.e. is 90L/R on the right or on the left when looking down on it)? How are they recorded (I'm assuming 4 pairs of stereo mics)? I think I saw somewhere that the 3DIO mic records the above structure, however, it's too big (and expensive) to include in a 360 video rig.
Most importantly, how are the final signals processed, edited and embedded into the mp4 file so that they are positionally correct? The HE AAC MP4 codec supposedly can handle surround sound, however, how do we a) make sure that the front facing video is in line with the front facing audio? Also, how do we ensure that if someone is turning their head the audio will move together with video? I'm only guessing here but from the Felix & Paul demos it looks like they did a software implementation (maybe Unity?) that somehow runs in the Gear VR. Also, one thing I noticed with the F&P demos is that the audio does not react as quickly to changes of orientation as the video. Video is super fast, however, audio is lacking behind. So that too would point to a software/app that combines the video and audio.
If you want to get an idea of the content that I produce please search for 'Dream Beach 360'.
I would greatly appreciate your thoughts!
Eric
Surround Sound
Hey there,
This is exactly what I'm trying to find out. How have you been getting on?
Ashley
ashcowan said:
Hey there,
This is exactly what I'm trying to find out. How have you been getting on?
Ashley
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not much. There just isn't any documentation other than what's on the Milk VR content submission/specs page (https://milkvr.com/#/content/spec)
Hey, Thanks for getting back to me. I'l have a look at this. Ash
There could be a separate video and audio file your files. However, Gear VR only recognizes the audio file’s AAC codec. Perhaps what you can try to do is to download a decoder online such like the FFDshow or CoreACC and see if your file is working properly. Here is an app (ifastime.com/video-converter-ultimate) for you to change your audio into a correct one.

[GUIDE] Enable Hi-Res audio on Oreo using Neutron Music Player with 64-bit processing

Hi guys,
I'll start with a disclaimer.
I. This guide is as simple as I can make it. If you are unable to follow these ten simple steps—please do not ask me any questions here or via PM, 'cause I'm not going to answer them. I have no time to waste on helping the IQ challenged.
II. This guide is for Neutron Music Player (hereafter NMP) only. I don't know or care how to enable Hi-Res audio support in any other player.
III. This guide is for Oreo only. If anyone can provide audioflinger dumps for Pie—and please don't ask me how to do it, see above—I'll check them and update this guide.
IV. This guide is for those who use WIRED gear. Last time I checked Hi-Res was NOT working for speaker/bluetooth. The root cause(s) may be Qualcomm's WCD9335 codec or engineering 'talent' at Asus or both. Again, I don't care.
V. This guide is for the stock ROM only. If you use a custom ROM—you are on your own, I don't know or care if the Hi-Res audio is supported there.
VI. If you have dirt cheap gear you don't even need Hi-Res audio 'cause you won't be able to hear the difference anyway. I'd say that the baseline is something like olde golde Sennheiser CX300-II or Creative EP630 (plus FLAC or any other lossless format supported by NMP).
VII. If you listen to lossy music files like MP3s—well they will be played louder and somewhat clearer, but don't expect wonders.
VIII. If you use Viper or Sauron or any other audio mod—you're on your own. Viper will not work for sure, as for other mods—I don't know or care. Have I written that before? Good, it won't hurt to repeat that again
Now let's rock!
1. If you don't have NMP, install it, add your music, etc, then CONNECT YOUR WIRED GEAR.
2. There are some prerequisites related to NMP settings, see the official NMP FAQ for Hi-Res Audio available at
http://neutronmp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4014
3. In SETTINGS, enable 64-Bit Processing.
4. SETTINGS→Audio Hardware→Generic Driver: enable BOTH Hi-Res Codec (Direct PCM) and Custom Format. DO NOT ENABLE Hi-Res Speaker or Hi-Res Bluetooth.
5. Open Custom Format by tapping the gear button.
6. Set Format to "24-bit Int" and confirm by tapping the checkmark button . ALL THE OTHER FORMATS MUST BE DISABLED.
7. Set Frequency to "352800" (preferable) OR "384000" and confirm by tapping the checkmark button . ALL THE OTHER FREQUENCIES MUST BE DISABLED.
8. Set Mode to "DIRECT" and confirm by tapping the checkmark button . ALL THE OTHER MODES MUST BE DISABLED.
9. Tap the checkmark button several times to go back to SETTINGS, then Android's own back button to get to the player UI.
10. You're all set, enjoy your music in Hi-Res!
PS If you don't believe that Hi-Res audio support can be enabled by following this guide—check the two attached files. These files contain audioflinger dumps for 352800 Hz and 38400 Hz resampling frequencies, made on a rooted ZB602KL device with the v340 stock ROM.
Again, don't ask me any questions. Uncle Google is your friend.
If you STILL don't believe that Hi-Res audio support can be enabled by following this guide—check these links.
Yes these tests are in Russian, so you're welcome to use Google Translate if you don't know Russian
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/review-report.php?id=1691&page=asus-zenfone-max-pro-m1
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/title-report.php?id=1691&page=asus-zenfone-max-pro-m1
Same can be achieved via PowerAmp. player too.
akhil850 said:
Same can be achieved via PowerAmp. player too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is that although current versions of Neutron and Poweramp support Hi-Res audio "out of the box", Hi-Res output does not work "out of the box" in Neutron IF 64-BIT PROCESSING IS ENABLED IN NEUTRON.
I had spent quite a lot of time analyzing audioflinger dumps until I found the right combination of settings to enable both 64-bit processing AND Hi-Res audio at the same time.
m00nlighter said:
The thing is that although current versions of Neutron and Poweramp support Hi-Res audio "out of the box", Hi-Res output does not work "out of the box" in Neutron IF 64-BIT PROCESSING IS ENABLED IN NEUTRON.
I had spent quite a lot of time analyzing audioflinger dumps until I found the right combination of settings to enable both 64-bit processing AND Hi-Res audio at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good Work bro.

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