Firestick 4k max (files with hdr10+ and dolby vision profile 8.1)

[AdaptCharm]

Version

ExoPlayer 2.18.4

More version details

No response

Devices that reproduce the issue

Bug Description
There is an old bug that won't let you watch mkv video files that have dolby vision/hdr10.

Kodi developers was able to create a workaround for their app on Android TV (by disallowing either HDR10+ or DV). Additionally these devices seem to struggle with Profile 7, forcing 8.1 as a hack seems to work as well.

Devices:

• TCL C825
• TCL MQLED80
• Firestick 4k max
  Other Android TVs may experience the same issue, but haven't had the chance to test as I only have access to these two TV models.

More information:
This happend on all mkv files that have dolby vision 8.1/hdr10+.

Unable to play this media with firestick:
General
Unique ID : 287260790794359083915345060219622240757 (0xD81C6A775E611494CE0759D557FFB1F5)
Complete name : G:\Downloads\Filmes\Cocaine Bear\Cocaine Bear - Get in line..mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4
File size : 16.7 GiB
Duration : 1 h 35 min
Overall bit rate : 25.0 Mb/s
Frame rate : 23.976 FPS
Encoded date : 2023-03-14 13:49:23 UTC
Writing application : mkvmerge v73.0.0 ('25 or 6 to 4') 64-bit
Writing library : libebml v1.4.4 + libmatroska v1.7.1

Video
ID : 1
Format : HEVC
Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile : Main 10@L5@High
HDR format : Dolby Vision, Version 1.0, dvhe.08.06, BL+RPU, HDR10 compatible / SMPTE ST 2094 App 4, Version 1, HDR10+ Profile B compatible
Codec ID : V_MPEGH/ISO/HEVC
Duration : 1 h 35 min
Bit rate : 24.3 Mb/s
Width : 3 836 pixels
Height : 1 602 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0 (Type 2)
Bit depth : 10 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.165
Stream size : 16.2 GiB (97%)
Language : English (US)
Default : Yes
Forced : Yes
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.2020
Transfer characteristics : PQ
Matrix coefficients : BT.2020 non-constant
Mastering display color primaries : Display P3
Mastering display luminance : min: 0.0050 cd/m2, max: 4000 cd/m2
Maximum Content Light Level : 461 cd/m2
Maximum Frame-Average Light Level : 305 cd/m2

Audio
ID : 2
Format : E-AC-3 JOC
Format/Info : Enhanced AC-3 with Joint Object Coding
Commercial name : Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos
Codec ID : A_EAC3
Duration : 1 h 35 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 768 kb/s
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel layout : L R C LFE Ls Rs
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 31.250 FPS (1536 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 525 MiB (3%)
Language : English (US)
Service kind : Complete Main
Default : Yes
Forced : Yes
Complexity index : 16
Number of dynamic objects : 15
Bed channel count : 1 channel
Bed channel configuration : LFE

Devices that do not reproduce the issue

N/A

Reproducible in the demo app?

No

Reproduction steps

1. Install Kodi/Stremio/Plex/Jellyfin on Android TV.
2. Watch any video (mkv format) that have dolby vision/hdr10 using the ExoPlayer as player.

Expected result

Should be able to watch mkv files that have dolby vision/hdr10

Actual result

The app freezes completely, and when it does, my TV becomes completely unresponsive for up to 5 minutes until the app crashes. During the freeze, none of the remote buttons work, and there's no power button on the TV itself, so I’m literally forced to play the waiting game every time this happens. One might suggest unplugging the power cord, but doing so several times a day isn’t exactly a great solution.

Media

https://github.com/google/ExoPlayer/files/11150792/bugreport-kara-PS7624.3338N-2023-04-04-13-26-43.zip

Bug Report

• You will email the zip file produced by adb bugreport to android-media-github@google.com after filing this issue.

[dandud100]

I have the same issue.

[markwiese]

I'm also unable to play these videos on Emby on my Fire TV 4K Max stick but in my case the device doesn't crash. I get a completely purple screen (just pure purple, not hue-shifted video) and audio. Playing through Emby on my Sony Android TV works, for some reason.

[AdaptCharm]

@icbaker The bug is not device specific, so please revert the labeling. Other users experiencing the same issue:

• Firestick 4k max (files with hdr10+ and dolby vision profile 8.1) jellyfin/jellyfin-androidtv#2630
• https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/106027-amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-black-screen/
• https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/123490-dolby-vision-hdr10-work-around-for-emby-does-it-exist/
• https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Streaming/Google-TV-Streamer-Pink-screen-when-playing-Dolby-Vision-and-freezes-on-HDR/td-p/647229
  ...and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This issue has been unresolved for over two years, and it still persists across every single Android TV and other casting devices connected to a TV - one of the most common ways people consume content. It’s incredibly frustrating that, despite this problem dragging on for so long, there has been no progress in fixing it.

Kodi implemented a workaround over a year ago to filter HDR10+ and Dolby Vision profiles, and Vimu Player has a setting to remove HDR10+ metadata during Dolby Vision playback. Given these solutions, it’s hard to understand why a similar fix hasn’t been applied to ExoPlayer. How much longer will users have to put up with this issue without any real resolution?

Kodi's workaround implementation:
https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=371557
https://github.com/quietvoid/xbmc/releases/tag/v21-dovi

[benasanders]

I can confirm this issue also occurs on the new Google TV Streamer (which has the same MediaTek MT8696 proc).

When playing any DV Profile 8.1 media without first removing HDR10 metadata, I get a black screen, no player controls/UI. Audio works. The "Dolby Vision" popup appears on my LG TV as expected.

I can use scrcpy (over network ADB) and can see that the video is playing on the device and can control via the UI with the remote as usual using the scrcpy stream as the "display", but nothing appears on the actual TV display.

I mainly use Jellyfin, but when encountering this issue, I tried the same media files with VLC and Kodi and the same black screen results.
Kodi was able to play it once enabling the setting for Dolby Vision compatibly mode and removing HDR10+ from allowed metadata formats. I then have to re-add HDR10+ to play those files properly, so not exactly a solution having to switch settings for certain videos.

These media files work great on my 2019 Shield TV pro, Jellyfin for Android on my phone, and Windows Media Player.

I got the GTV streamer to replace the Shield TV since it supports Dolby Vision and AV1, but with DV being hit or miss (mostly miss since a lot of my media is in profile 8.1), the Shield is back on the TV and GTV steamer is getting returned unless by some miracle this bug gets fixed before my return window closes.

[JohnnyPh]

I can confirm this issue also occurs on the new Google TV Streamer (which has the same MediaTek MT8696 proc).

When playing any DV Profile 8.1 media without first removing HDR10 metadata, I get a black screen, no player controls/UI. Audio works. The "Dolby Vision" popup appears on my LG TV as expected.

I can use scrcpy (over network ADB) and can see that the video is playing on the device and can control via the UI with the remote as usual using the scrcpy stream as the "display", but nothing appears on the actual TV display.

I mainly use Jellyfin, but when encountering this issue, I tried the same media files with VLC and Kodi and the same black screen results. Kodi was able to play it once enabling the setting for Dolby Vision compatibly mode and removing HDR10+ from allowed metadata formats. I then have to re-add HDR10+ to play those files properly, so not exactly a solution having to switch settings for certain videos.

These media files work great on my 2019 Shield TV pro, Jellyfin for Android on my phone, and Windows Media Player.

I got the GTV streamer to replace the Shield TV since it supports Dolby Vision and AV1, but with DV being hit or miss (mostly miss since a lot of my media is in profile 8.1), the Shield is back on the TV and GTV steamer is getting returned unless by some miracle this bug gets fixed before my return window closes.

Not a fix but you should try Vimu player which able to play dvhe.08.06 correctly

[AdaptCharm]

@icbaker @tonihei

[raldone01]

Same issue on Fire TV Stick 4k Max (2nd Gen). (Fire OS 8.1.2.5).

I hope this gets fixed quickly.

[briankinane]

Same issue unfortunately on both Google TV Streamer and Gen 2 Fire TV Max