New firmware v2.0.5 version(beta) for ZIDOO X9S release

Discussion in 'X9S Official Firmware Releases' started by mirror, Jan 24, 2018.

  1. ursiel

    ursiel Active Member

    Sounds like more focusing on home theatre 2.0 instead of focusing on major issues like 10bit banding, playback and frame rate issues.

    These updates are just coming out too far apart. I bought this player to use now, not 6 months from now after they've finally gotten around to addressing issues they should have fixed 6 months ago.
     
    Robin likes this.
  2. OlivierQC

    OlivierQC Well-Known Member

    Some problems are also present with the zappiti 4k hdr, if it comes from realtek it may take longer...

    I trust Zidoo even if they give no news.
     
    godalmighty and JohnS like this.
  3. ursiel

    ursiel Active Member

    Well the reason I avoided the Zappiti was it didn't support 3D MVC mkv. From what I've heard Realtek broke 3d mkv mvc in the recent sdk. The upcoming Dune HD Pro 4k also doesn't seem to plan on supporting it, since their previous player didn't, even though it could. The x9s/x10 supports it, but sadly, it has so many other issues.

    This is not a new player. These issues should have been long sorted out. I don't just mean the bugs and playback issues, which are bad, but even interface issues appear to be ignored. Spelling errors, mislabeling of functionality. Confusing labeling of functions.
     
  4. ursiel

    ursiel Active Member

    Just to give people an idea of what's in the latest beta, I installed v2.0.15 on my x10. Keep in mind there may be differences between this and the x9s latest beta.

    - Items have been moved around in the Quick Settings menu, and it's a good thing. Options are where they belong now. There's a dedicated sub-menu for "advanced settings" under display, for color space and deep color settings. Instead of "full" and "limited", it's "16-235" and "0-255". I like the changes.

    - No improvement in 10bit banding from what I can tell. If anything, somehow I swear 12-bit looks a tiny bit worse than before, using the same test file I have been using. There's certainly no improvement in 10-bit.

    - Not sure how well the "Switch frame rate and resolution" setting is working now. I played my UHD HDR banding test video, which is 59.940fps, and the player output 2160p/30Hz!

    - No improvement in DVD playback.
    NTSC DVDs still play stretched. PAL DVDs still play squished. Ugh.

    Also, when selecting a DVD file to play:

    DVD ISO:


    This file may be a bluray image file,Please choose operation to be performed. <notice it's spelled "bluray" mistakenly, instead of "blu-ray".
    Play
    Blu-ray menu


    It should read:
    This file may be a blu-ray image file. Please choose operation to be performed. <blu-ray is spelled correctly, and there's a period and space between sentences for readability, not a comma.


    DVD folder:

    This is a Blu-ray folder. Please make a selection <notice no period here like there is above (sloppy - inconsistent).
    Open
    Play
    Blu-ray menu


    It shouldn't even say blu-ray anyways. These are DVD folders and ISOs, yet the player incorrectly thinks they are blu-rays. It should say DVD in the pop-ups, not blu-ray.

     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2018
  5. PacoRabanne

    PacoRabanne Well-Known Member Beta test group

    Have anyone notice of a RTD1295 based device that don't have the problems of Zidoo X9S - X10 ?
    If true, forget my considerations.

    If not, I can suspect that the issues "may" depends on Realtek SDK, and maybe Zidoo is unable to do workaround until Realtek debug its SDK.
    But of course is only a conjecture that may explain missing solutions of reported issues... Not a absolution for Zidoo!!!
     
    JohnS likes this.
  6. grigione

    grigione New Member

    Hello ,when will come out a firmware version with hdmi output auto perfectly working (frame rate and resolution)??
     
  7. nikos_a

    nikos_a Active Member

    Better wait for Dune players, a company that has good reputation regarding support.
     
  8. PacoRabanne

    PacoRabanne Well-Known Member Beta test group

    nikos_a, sorry but your is not an aswer. But OK.
    Anyway, interesting thing following Dune developments...
     
  9. OlivierQC

    OlivierQC Well-Known Member

    Dune serie PRO (HD Pro 4K and HD Pro 4K) will not better than Zidoo devices, they will have the same hardware and they will be more expensive, it's like those who buy a zappiti (more expensive) instead of buying a Zidoo :confused:
     
    godalmighty likes this.
  10. litlgi74

    litlgi74 Member

    IMO... I think you are wrong about them being the same... The hardware will be the same... but the software development will be much different... Not to mention the tech support in the USA you can get from duneplayer.com
     
    ursiel likes this.
  11. OlivierQC

    OlivierQC Well-Known Member

    Hello litlgi74,

    We will talk about it when they will be available :)
     
  12. litlgi74

    litlgi74 Member

    I agree :D
     
  13. ursiel

    ursiel Active Member

    The Dune HD Pro 4k is expected to cost around $200. My Zidoo x10 cost me more than that, and has all the same bugs as the x9s. And it's not just a a matter of hardware, as we should all know by now. It's the firmware. I do not think that Zidoo is up to the task of correcting some of these issues, or even that they are interested. The interface is sloppy, and playback is rough. And their silence is extremely frustrating. Dune has a strong reputation for their firmware and interface.

    My old Mede8er player used the same buggy 1186 chip that many other players used then, like the HiMedia and the Iconbit (both of which I tried and returned). Most of those players suffered from frame drop issues because by default, the chip only output 23.976 or 24.000, not both. So many 1186 players opted to output 24.000 bafflingly, causing the majority of 23.976 blu-ray content to stutter constantly. The other players did nothing about it. The Mede8er team solved the issue, and allowed it to properly put out both 23.976 and 24.000. The firmware team made all the difference between a usable player and an unusable one. They were able to figure out how to work around the problem, while the lesser companies couldn't/didn't.

    So even if the Dune will have very similar hardware, I would expect a world of difference with how it functions. I certainly don't expect embarrassing spelling errors all over the interface, and I bet they will play DVDs properly. I also expect a folder of clips or trailers or episodes to play sequentially, without bumping back to the interface after each one, and in general I'd expect a much smoother experience.

    My old Mede8er has 3D image file support (.mpo - just like my LG TV has built-in), custom aspect ratio adjustment and zoom, and a much better image viewer (by much better, it's basically the same - except it allows simple options to zoom in on the image to pan and scan, and playing the image at its full resolution). Plus it can be customized. Don't like the annoying pop-up playback icons that appear as it plays the next video file in the folder, or when you pause the video? No problem - you can customize it to remove those annoying pop-up icons. And it cost less than my x10. I thought my x10 would be a step up, but it's been a step back in most ways due to the bugs and lack of customization and options.
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2018
  14. OlivierQC

    OlivierQC Well-Known Member

    Dear ursiel,

    The Dune HD Pro 4k is the equivalent of Zidoo x9S, i do not know why you're talking about the X10.

    The Mede8er is the creme de la creme...as usual.

    As I say above, we will see when they will be available, and i'll be happy for you if I'm wrong :)

    Your messages about the Dune make me think of those who said that the zappiti would be better…than Zidoo.
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2018
  15. ursiel

    ursiel Active Member

    The x10 and the x9s are virtually the same except for the HDD and the front VFD display. Same exact playback, same exact firmware functionality, same exact bugs. You know this. So the Dune HD Pro 4k will be a direct competitor to both the x9s and the x10. The Dune HD Pro 4k won't have the HDD slot inside like the x10, so in that respect, it's close to the x9s. But otherwise the x9s, x10 and Dune HD Pro 4k will all be very similar in class. The x10 does have a much nicer front VFD display, so the Dune HD Pro 4k may have a front display closer to the x10 than the x9s, but it's too early to tell. The x10 has a much more readable front display and gives more information, compared to the x9s. The Dune HD Pro 4k will retail for around $200. The Zidoo x10 cost me $230 on Amazon, direct from Zidoo. Again, similar in class.
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2018
  16. ursiel

    ursiel Active Member

    Update -

    I have discovered that the player can, in fact, play all video files sequentially in a folder! To select this, hit the menu button on the remote while playing a video, select "Play mode", then select "Repeat all". That will enable sequential playback for all video files in a folder. It's a global setting, so once you do it once, it's done. You don't have to to do it for each video or folder you play.

    The only thing that's annoying about the implementation is:

    Just like when you are first starting playback of a video, the player seems to switch framerate and resolution in-between files, except it does it even if the next file is the same resolution and frame rate as the currently playing file. That's annoying because the pop-up icon in the upper-left corner appears at the start of each video. To make it more annoying, an annoying pop-up message appears in the center of the screen in-between each file, with a spinning circle, saying "Loading Video", which appears quickly for a brief moment during the resolution change.

    zidoo -

    Could you please eliminate the "Loading Video" pop-up message and the spinning circle? It's unnecessary in general and just adds another annoyance during the frame rate/resolution switch. We already know it's loading the video. It's obvious. Also, if the next file is the same frame rate/resolution as the currently playing file, can you make it so the player just plays the next file without trying to switch the frame rate and resolution, as it is unnecessary? It should only need to switch when the frame rate or resolution needs to change. When they are the same, it would be a smoother transition to the next file if it didn't have the pop-up message and switching. Imagine playing a folder of short clips or trailers, all the same frame rate and resolution - they should just play from one file to the next without any interruptions, making a nice, clean transition to the next video, with just a brief black screen between videos (no pop-up messages). It should be like you're in a theatre, with a bunch of trailers or short films playing, not a pop-up message and screen switching to black between each one unnecessarily.

    I think that would make video playback a much smoother and more pleasant experience with the x10 and x9s.

    Note:

    This is a great example of the lack of communication and documentation, as well as some menu options being in sub-optimal locations. I have been complaining for a while about the lack of this basic feature, but all along it was available and I had no idea, even after going through all the quick settings over and over again. If Zidoo had just come in and responded that the player can do this, and explained how, I would have known about this.

    The "Repeat Once/Repeat All" option should really be in the "playback" quick setting menu. Currently it can only be seen when hitting the menu key during playback. Zidoo has been making some improvements in the menu layout, from what I've seen in v2.0.15 for my x10, so hopefully they will move these options to a place where it's easier to find for users.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2018
  17. godalmighty

    godalmighty Active Member

    dear @ursiel
    i think that is you found to many imperfection for your purpose
    no offense, why you still stick with this box, i know you thought that this box have a such potential but maybe the ziddo teams did not saw it or care
    maybe the best thing for you is buy a new box with a diff soc like hisilicon or other brand like Dune or zappiti
     
  18. ursiel

    ursiel Active Member

    Zappiti is out of the question - no 3D mkv/mvc.

    I'm looking into the Dune HD Pro 4k, but that may also not play 3D mkv/mvc from what I've heard. And that isn't even out yet. It would be nice to have a player now that works, not wait until summer. I keep hoping that Zidoo addresses some of these issues. There aren't a ton of good choices out there, especially when I need both 3D and UHD support, plus a decent music/image player. My LG TV is a pretty solid media player honestly but it's a 3D TV and since they don't make them any more, I need this one to last me hopefully until the next wave of 3D TVs hopefully hit (I know I'm being hopeful). So I hate to use my TV as a main media player. And the TV player doesn't support playback of lossless audio formats either.

    Some of my issues have been resolved. For whatever reason, my X10 does not have the start-up corruption with 444 12bit, like the x9s did. I found the player does play all video files in a folder sequentially (though switching to the next file is a bit sloppy). They have improved the placement and descriptions of some of the Quick Settings options. I have made a thread in the x10 section outlining some of the issues I hope they can check out. Mirror said he'd pass it along and look into them, so I'm still trying to remain hopeful that Zidoo can iron out the big issues. The sloppy way file playback starts is one of bigger gripes, after the obvious frame stutters of course.
     
  19. godalmighty

    godalmighty Active Member

    what about E-great A10 or himedia Q10pro

    i realize that v.2.0.13 make me easily notice the stutter or maybe my eyes already became sensitive now :(
    coz before that i cannot see any diff when i used auto switch frame rate with all my 23.976fps movie
    but now i should set auto switch on if i dont want to get dizzy :(
    just really dont like the process with this auto switch, very annoying
     
  20. PacoRabanne

    PacoRabanne Well-Known Member Beta test group

    ursiel, the framerate/resolution switch happens because after any video playing it resets framerate/resolution to the previous one. Even I don't like this, but...
    For my personal point of view, if Zidoo find a way to do all framerate/resolution change BEFORE starting playing videos (on black screen) is enough.
    Of course, if "Repeat all" is set, it shouldn't go back to selection interface, even for a fraction of time (else it may change again framerate/resolution uselessy), but must go diretly to next file, changing framerate/resolution as needed but always before playing adn in a black screen.
    About the "Loading Video" popup, I agree that having a loading feedback is useful (else you don't know if its hang or not), a nicer and non invasive way could be something appearing on the front panel display, only during loading (LOAd, or an animation like rotating segments ?).
     
    JohnS and godalmighty like this.

Share This Page