[mythtv-users] 2021: Good cheap frontends for sports?

[Jim Abernathy]

On 1/29/21 4:21 AM, Paul Gardiner wrote:
> On 28/01/2021 02:26, Tom Harris wrote:
>> On Wed, Jan 27, 2021 at 9:38 AM Josh Rosenberg <mythtv at desh.info 
>> <mailto:mythtv at desh.info>> wrote:
>>
>>     Hey, all. My Zotac ZBOX-ID84 that I bought used 4 years ago might be
>>     biting the dust, so it's time for a new frontend again. Since I
>>     watch a fair bit of sports, I don't think Raspberry Pi or the
>>     Android-based frontends give quite the oomph I need for 720p/1080i
>>     sports, let alone higher quality. (See my previous thread at
>>     https://lists.archive.carbon60.com/mythtv/users/626703
>> <https://lists.archive.carbon60.com/mythtv/users/626703> .)
>>
>>     My instinct is to buy another ZBox and use VDPAU again, but I
>>     haven't kept up on the latest developments with VAAPI or NVDEC. From
>>     a quick search, it seems like buying hardware with a plan to use
>>     VDPAU might not be the best option in 2021. Does anyone have any
>>     specific suggestions for something that's Zbox sized or smaller and
>>     would make a good frontend for a sports fan in this day and age?
>>
>>
>> I also had a Zotac Ion frontend that I used for years with VDPAU.  It 
>> was very good, but crapped out on me.   I tried a few alternatives, 
>> including the Pi 3, which was pretty good but had noticeable judder 
>> on sports panning views.
>>
>> I ended up with the Nvidia Shield Pro -- the version that was updated 
>> last year, and I find it to be excellent.  Using the Mythfrontend 
>> app, it's very snappy and has excellent video playback.  My 
>> perception is that it's as good as the Zotac, but without comparing 
>> side by side it's hard to say 100%.  Much of my viewing is HD sports, 
>> and I have no problems with the Shield.  Also, the Shield gives you 
>> access to all the streaming apps (Netflix, Prime Video, HBO, etc.) 
>> which makes it the ultimate frontend in my opinion.
>
> I'm interested in the Shield, not so much for mythfrontend (I have 
> that covered), but for Amazon Prime, Netflix and iPlayer. I have a 
> fairly new Fire Stick 4K, but it's terrible for frame rate matching. 
> It's shockingly bad. I have to make the "Match original frame rate" 
> setting every time I turn it on, and also if I power cycle just my 
> AVReceiver. Worse, the Netflix and iPlayer apps don't respond to the 
> setting, so I have to use the special engineer's menu to find the 
> right rate before entering the app. It's probably not affecting most 
> people because modern TVs have all sorts of horrible smoothing 
> algorithms that can hide this, although at a price of making some 
> video motion look artificial. I'm wondering how the Shield fares for 
> frame rate matching.
>
Frame rate matching on the Nvidia Shield TV box is terrible even with 
the beta feature of forcing the frame rate matching. I first started 
using the beta when watching The Crown on Netflix. If you can get it to 
work the frame rates were matched. But there is no fix for Prime Video. 
It's been over a year and several patches but still nothing.  If I watch 
USA produced content, it matches of course, but anything produced in the 
UK is a problem for me. Luckily I have a Samsung Smart TV and their 
Prime and Netflix apps have no issue with frame rate matching. I even 
have my development PC in the closet hooked up to the same Home theater 
TV and can use that for all the services, but it's got better things to do.

Jim A