Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL doesn't Trigger on TCL C825

[psychoboust]

ExoPlayer Version

2.18.2

Devices that reproduce the issue

TV TCL C825 (mt9615 (arm cortex-a73)) Last Firmware : V474 build date= Nov 23 2022 build= 1669174746 security_patch= 2022-06-05 gmsversion= Android_11_GTV

Devices that do not reproduce the issue

Same TV TCL C825 with Nvidia Shield PRO running the media

Reproducible in the demo app?

Not tested

Reproduction steps

Run a Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL mkv file using the last Just Player app with Exoplayer 2.18.2

Expected result

The media should trigger DOLBYVISION

Actual result

The media only trigger HDR10

Media

Media with Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL in mkv

Bug Report

• [ ] You will email the zip file produced by adb bugreport to dev.exoplayer@gmail.com after filing this issue.

[psychoboust]

I have no issue with media Dolby Vision Profile 7 and Subprofile MEL

[microkatz]

@psychoboust Would you be able to provide the bug report logs and also the media sample that reproduces the issue?

If you're unable to share bug reports or test content publicly, please send them to dev.exoplayer@gmail.com using a subject in the format "Issue #1234" ("#1234" is replaced with your issue number). Please also update this issue to indicate you've done this.

[psychoboust]

sorry I don't know how to provide a bug report logs. I can try to send a sample of the mkv FEL and MEL if you want, I need to check how to cut a MKV

[sigma2017]

I have the same issue on a Philips OLED707. The problem is very well known, doesn't trigger on any Android smart TV.

[psychoboust]

Thanks for the reply

It appears some Android device can trigger FEL (like Ugoos AM6 Plus) great information here : http://forum.zidoo.tv/index.php?threads/dolby-vision-fel-playback.87108/page-11 and here https://www.avsforum.com/threads/media-players-that-processing-dolby-vision-full-enhancement-layer.3183512/

I don't know if Exoplayer can manage this, or if this a license issue ?

[sigma2017]

Thanks for the provided links. Yes, I know there are some Android media players which can read this format, like Dune, Oppo or ZIDOO but to be honest I refuse to believe that this is possible due to a hardware "feature" the SoCs inside those players have and SmartTVs don't have. The problem for sure is software related, maybe a license issue, who knows. I don't find normal to be forced to buy an external device just to watch a movie using this particular format, your AndroidTV should be able to handle it using ExoPlayer without any issues.

[psychoboust]

I completely agree with you ! I hope someone will find a solution soon...

[microkatz]

Hi @psychoboust and @sigma2017. If either of you could provide a bug report than I would be happy to start taking a look.

If you're unable to share bug reports or test content publicly, please send them to dev.exoplayer@gmail.com using a subject in the format "Issue https://github.com/google/ExoPlayer/pull/10846". Please also update this issue to indicate you've done this.

I know that earlier, @psychoboust said they were unfamiliar with the process of providing logs. I ask if you had a chance to review the hyperlink attached to "bug reports" above and also right here.

[sigma2017]

Hello, I don't think it is possible to enable Bug reports on Philips OLED707, I can't activate Developer options. Maybe it is possible on TCL C825? I will ask further, maybe somebody will be able to share bug report. Thank you.

[psychoboust]

I can activate Developer options on my TCL C825 but once in the Developer menu there is no Bug Report options (on my Android Device I can see this options)

[microkatz]

Would you be able to reproduce with the demo app? Connect to the tv with Android Studio on your computer. Add the sample media to media.exolist.json. Deploy the app and play the media. You can use the adb commands in that same document to download the bug report.

[sigma2017]

From what I read, Dolby Vision profile 7FEL is not working and won't work on any androidTV regardless of the player you are using. Few android devices (dedicated players with android) have two hevc hardware decoders so can play DoVi profile 7 FEL mkvs natively. TVs don't have, that's why this profile will never work on any existent tv. So my initial presumption is not accurate, the issue seems to be hardware related actually. However, one week ago, a new kodi fork appeared from out of nowhere and made this type of profile to trigger on any tv when playing a mkv 7FEL file. The approach is brilliant, it converts the DoVi profile to p8.1 on the fly and basically you are watching the file as it had p8.1. The developer is the same person who created the dovi tool which can convert Dolby Vision profiles and much more. I never liked kodi but as we speak is the only solution which actually can do this, you can watch any mkv file 7FEL.

Providing the logs you have asked for is pointless at this time, you may take a look over https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=371557 where you can find all the needed details. Until this feature will be implemented into ExoPlayer and just player, I'll stick with this kodi fork which works like a charm!

[psychoboust]

Hi Sigma2017, thank you for this information !

So If I get it, with this fork we can trigger 7 FEL file, by converting it on the fly to profile 8. When we do this operation are we agree that we loose the EL (enhancement layer) ? but we can play the file with the Dolby Vision information.

But if it removes on the fly the EL, then we also loose information from 7 MEL file ? So with this fork we get FEL file trigger the DV (so this is great) but for MEL file we loose the MEL information to enhance the video ?

Is it correct ? or I totally miss the thing here ?

Thank you.

[sigma2017]

Hello psychoboust, yes, you understood right, with this fork we can trigger 7 FEL file, by converting on the fly to profile 8 when watching it with the kodi fork. You just need to find the option in kodi to enable the conversion (option available into this fork only). Yes, EL enhancement layer is lost for profile 7 (FEL and MEL as well), but if you ask me, there is no noticeable quality difference between p7 and P8.1. Personal opinion: EL (enhancement layer) is kinda bullshit, is more like a marketing thing. Any 7MEL file plays perfect with ExoPlayer/just player so in that case I don't see any reason to use this kodi fork but stick with it for 7FEL exclusively. Now I have Philips OLED807 and the image quality is perfect, I really don't need to play 7FEL natively, so I don't need any external player since I don't have any sound system attached to my tv.

It would be very constructive to see ExoPlayer and just player in the future doing this DoVi conversion on the fly, in the mean time I'll stick with the kodi fork (only for 7FEL) as I said into my previous post. Best regards.

[malayjoshi2]

Hello Sigma2017, So I tried this new Kodi Fork for .mkv Bluray remux rips with 7fel Dolby Vision layer on my TCL C645 QLED 4K TV which has both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support....I tried Kodi fork because both of my native media player and Just Player were triggering only HDR10 format... Kodi fork did triggered the Dolby Vision part with P8.1 replacement but it's not running smoothly.... sometimes it's getting so many glitches though picture quality is flawless in both HDR10 and vision but the Kodi fork P8.1 version is not running smoothly as HDR10....Are you having the same problem of glitches on your Philips OLED tv or is it working fine?? If yes can you please tell me any solution, Regards

[sigma2017]

Hello, Sorry for the late reply. Is working like a charm without any exaggeration, just perfect i would say. I have like 40 mkv remuxes with profile 7 (most of them FEL, there are also MEL) which work with no issues whatsoever. During this year the author always post the latest release, none of the previous versions are available anymore. Current version seems to be from 2023-10-18 but I haven't tried newer versions since I have installed the fork first time: kodi-21-Omega-armeabi-v7a-release-quietvoid-2023-03-15.apk I haven't done anything special, nothing than activating the option responsible with the real time conversion from profile 7 to profile 8.1. I can provide this old apk if you want to try....I refuse to believe that the Philips SoC is much better compared with your TCL soc but seems to be a bad Android implementation across on all TCL tv models, I read a lot of complains of different forums over the internet. Most probably I was lucky with my Philips OLED, on Philips and SONY everything seems to run with no problems and since SONY is very expensive I ended up buying Philips.