Beta version v1.0.52 for Z9X Pro/Z20 Pro/Z2000 Pro/Z2600/UHD5000 release

Hmm - I can't remember what I did to make that file - probably strapped on an RPU to an HDR10 test pattern... things have moved on since then.

I did make a v2 that works fine, but again, no idea what I did differently :

https://mega.nz/file/JDZQQQQb#WtiTesPN2udTeAjizAHG8_q1VJU9ESPbuu1nBJRoGBI

Probably the best "free" pattern to use is this one:

https://www.biaslighting.com/products/shadow-detail-patterns-with-bias-lighting-reference

It's produced by Spears & Munsil and will cost you the grand total of 95p to download (75c if you use a VPN...) - it used to be free but now they charge a nominal amount to stop spam.

 

Microstutter is something we used to have back in the stone age of media players when frame rates were off. In fact Zidoo were the first company to squash them (and I'll blow my own trumpet a bit here - it was after I made an almighty and prolonged fuss about it on AVS )

These days it just doesn't happen - can you be a bit more specific?

 

You mean that you don't experience it anymore......reading in this and other forums I am not the only one experiencing micro stutter during playback since the latest two firmware updates.

I am in the process of ruling out reasons for micro stutter....using different codecs, different external and or internal hard drive to see what happens and try to narrow down the exact problem.

Each and every file that shows signs of micro stutter while playing with the Z2000 Pro plays flawlesly with my Z9X.....

My gut feeling says that the firmware for the Z2000 Pro still has some bugs in the video playback engine.

 

Most definitely there are bugs - I have a whole bunch of them in a PDF with the devs at the moment, but I can assure you that microstutter isn't one of them.

Microstutter is essentially a repeated frame because the playback framerate is greater than the file framerate and it occurs in frequency in accordance with the following formula:

1/60(x-y) where x = playback framerate and y = file framerate, assuming x>y

eg. if a 23.976 file is played back at 23.978, the microstutter will occur every 8.43 seconds approximately.

I can assure you this does not happen with these devices, I've been testing them for months, which is why I asked you to be more specific - whatever you're experiencing, it isn't microstutter.

 

Well wether you call it micro stutter or not the fact remains that playback is not smooth and suffers from little moments of playback slowing down.

Could this be a video buffer problem ?

Automatic frame rate and resolution on or off does not make a difference.

What could this be in your opinion then?

 

For it to be a buffer problem you'd probably need to be using damp seaweed instead of cat5 for your network wiring...

Really difficult to know what the problem is without being there - but assuming file integrity is good, usually this kind of thing is network related - IP conflict maybe??

 

I am using a USB 3.0 WD external drive connected to the USB 3.0 port on the z2000 pro.

The same setup as with my previous player.

How do you check for mkv file integrity?

 

Perhaps you can try to take a short video (micro stutter that you mentioned) and share here, from there they can understand your issue further.

 

I will try if the problem exists exactly at the same time stamp as the previous time.

Otherwise....if it is at random time stamps during playback i will have to film the entire movie with a camera.....

 

So the problem can't be replicated at the same time stamp. I replayed the chapter multiple times wich gave problems last night.....now it plays fine.

I have the feeling that only after a certain amount of time the player has played a file this problem occurs.

Tonight I will try a version of the same movie wich I have remuxed with mkvtoolnix and used the function repair bitstream timing.

I will watch the entire movie.

Fingers crossed....

 

@Markswift2003

Hi Mark ,

I've been testing the Z9X Pro for about 1 week, it's a nice and fast device.

Regarding this, I opened a new topic in the forum I wrote in Turkey.

https://forum.donanimhaber.com/zido...ayer-kullanicilari-realtek-1619bpd--156374682

But in a movie or two I watched, the image froze on the screen during the stop-start commands on the remote. I could not exit with the back button on the remote. I could only return to the main screen with the Home button.

So sometimes this software has a problem with the image freezing. Because when I test the same videos on the Z9X, there is no problem.

( Zidoo Z9X Pro Firmware : v1.0.52 )

Best regards

 

I think I'm seeing the same problem. It's like it's occasionally dropping a frame or maybe duplicating a frame. It's very hard to nail down as it doesn't seem to happen consistently or that often but it definitely feels like something is off.

 

It happens with VC1, MPEG2 and AVC encoded files....testing HEVC file later this week.

I have tried a handbrake remuxed file of the same movie wich had issues with bitstream timing repaired tonight.....did not make a positive difference.

Later this week I will try a MP4 H264 version of the same movie just to rule out if a different codec container than MKV makes a difference.

If you are right about the occasionally frame drop is the source of the problem then the player is not displaying the correct framerate or there are framerate inconsistency problems within the file we are trying to play.

Reencoding the same file with handbrake should eliminate framerate problems within the original file because now you have a new encoded file.

I hope my reasoning makes sense

The frustrating part is that every file that I tested plays fine on my Z9X and on my pc wich makes me think the files are fine and the video player engine of Zidoo needs further optimization.

 

Yeah the same files play fine on my ATV or Plex app on my TV. Hopefully firmware will sort this because it's a great device otherwise.

 

Hello, I'm new to Zidoo (UHD5000, here) and I love this product, except for the SMB issue that annoys everyone, including me.

I have a beginner's question: is it normal that the hard disk I plugged into the internal bay (and correctly formatted) is detected and appears in the File Manager as an "external" drive, like a USB key? Or is it another firmware error to report?

Thank you for the very helpful topics and discussions here!

 

Yes, it is. No issue here.

 

I noticed that Sd movies are still displayed as 4k even when original aspect ratio is selected.

 

Is your TV doing the upscaling?

 

I think these boxes have always done that - after all something's got to upscale unless you're using a wind up telly, and the Zidoo is rather good at it.

 

I have problem with mkv with double HDR and DV layer. Even though my TV can only do HDR/HDR 10 (Samsung), I always get DV output.
I change from Auto to HDR in Display/HDR settings. Then the output is correct, but the image is distorted everywhere.
Everything was fine in my old Z10Pro. Also with settings Display/HDR: Auto.