Gray Bars on Sony AF8 after being updated to version 21.

[Kristijan1001]

Bug report

Gray Bars on Sony TV after v21

Describe the bug

Here is a clear and concise description of what the problem is:
Playing videos shows Gray Bars and Washed out UI instead of Black Bars. Enabling Dolby fixes it but video lags hard.

Expected Behavior

Here is a clear and concise description of what was expected to happen:
Movie to have black bars.

Actual Behavior

Movie has Gray Bars.

Possible Fix

Apparently this was already fixed long time ago but for some reason reverted to fix some issues other people had. The thing is you can't just remove something that has been working for 5 Years. You just made the reverse now, we are having issues and this "other" people don't have them. How about a middle ground. Don't push fixes until both groups are satisfied or an option is introduced to enable the fix.

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=376806&pid=3189708

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=371557&pid=3189636#pid3189636

#22561

To Reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Play a HDR/Dolby Movie
2. Look at Gray Bars

Debuglog

The debuglog can be found here:
Not doing that sorry, Issue is well known.

Screenshots

Here are some links or screenshots to help explain the problem:
Gray vs Black

Additional context or screenshots (if appropriate)

Here is some additional context or explanation that might help:
https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=376806&pid=3189708

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=371557&pid=3189636#pid3189636

Your Environment

Used Operating system:

• [X ] Android

• Operating system version/name:

• Kodi version: 21

note: Once the issue is made we require you to update it with new information or Kodi versions should that be required.
Team Kodi will consider your problem report however, we will not make any promises the problem will be solved.

[fritsch]

The "some reason" is that this Sony workaround broke Dolby Visions on multiple other devices ... good enough for "some reason" I'd say ...

[Kristijan1001]

The "some reason" is that this Sony workaround broke Dolby Visions on multiple other devices ... good enough for "some reason" I'd say ...

We need a way to enable it back, it kinda sucks it worked for 5 years, now all of a sudden it doesn't. Maybe add an advancedsetting so people with the Hardware can enable it. You don't really fix an issue if you remove something that hasnt caused people issues for the last 5 years.

People can live without Dolby vision and stick with normal HDR until a middle ground is found. But those with SONY TV is basically unusable can't watch any HDR Stuff...

[fritsch]

Middle ground as in: Ask Sony to fix it? Your device was very expensive, right?
Or middle ground as in: use v20 as Dolby Vision is of no interest for you?

[fritsch]

For the record:
jellyfin/jellyfin-androidtv#2967
https://ap.community.sony.com/s/question/0D54O00006o7JY2SAM/grey-bar-randomly-showing-up-at-the-bottom-of-the-screen-xbr43x800d?language=en_US
google/ExoPlayer#8803
https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/57838-hdr-grey-bars/

And also for the record: Painting it "black" caused issues for everyone else.

As can be seen from above links: it's a Sony firmware bug, the vendor does not care.

[Kristijan1001]

For the record: jellyfin/jellyfin-androidtv#2967 https://ap.community.sony.com/s/question/0D54O00006o7JY2SAM/grey-bar-randomly-showing-up-at-the-bottom-of-the-screen-xbr43x800d?language=en_US google/ExoPlayer#8803 https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/57838-hdr-grey-bars/

And also for the record: Painting it "black" caused issues for everyone else.

As can be seen from above links: it's a Sony firmware bug, the vendor does not care.

Yes i know of this, and i know it is Sony fault, yes the TV is also expensive 2k $ 5 years ago. And Yes Sony doesnt care and i dont think they will ever fix it. They have moved on.

Is there no way to make this toggable through a config no hope for the future ?

[fritsch]

I will look at it tomorrow and see. I made the original fix. The transparency we basically added there cause even a performance issue for some machines. After all the FireTV devices started to appear - the workaround even caused active issues with not only the performance.

Fun-Fact: It even killed some LiveTV experience for other Sony users who need to watch LiveTV with SW decoder + deinterlacer - but I cannot remember all details - as you already said: it's 6 years ago.

Will check once more, if we can "actively" alter the View's background color and make it dynamic. While I check again - I remember that this exactly was the issue. It's either one or the other.

@quietvoid I think you had a look at this as well, we basically could not change the color?

@Kristijan1001 there is one new setting for "OSD brightness" when playing HDR content - it's an overlay menu which tunes the shaders used for GLES output. Does changing this bar change the grey color?

[fritsch]

Okay - I read it up: xbmc/libandroidjni#43 <- theoretically based on this, we could create such an advancedsetting.

@quietvoid what was your intention back then? Expose a setting?

[quietvoid]

Okay - I read it up: xbmc/libandroidjni#43 <- theoretically based on this, we could create such an advancedsetting.

@quietvoid what was your intention back then? Expose a setting?

It was an attempt at setting the background at runtime and it worked.
It should be usable for a setting.

[Kristijan1001]

@Kristijan1001 there is one new setting for "OSD brightness" when playing HDR content - it's an overlay menu which tunes the shaders used for GLES output. Does changing this bar change the grey color?

I will have to try that and report back. Also just to mention again , its not only the black bars that are gray, the whole menu washed out like the whole OSD pause play buttons etc. It looks like HDR is being applied to the movie but not to the UI.

[fritsch]

Yes, that is what that new setting is for - so please report back if that makes a difference / changes the color tones - screenshots are welcome.

[Kristijan1001]

Yes, that is what that new setting is for - so please report back if that makes a difference / changes the color tones - screenshots are welcome.

I tested it this morning before work i didnt see difference between 0% and 100%. When i get back i will test it again and take photos and compare to make sure.

[fritsch]

First testbuild: https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6548/artifact/kodi-20240509-62ad1ec2-decorview-armeabi-v7a.apk - please backup your stuff, this is master based.

Use:

<advancedsettings>
  <gui>
   <transparentguilayout>true</transparentguilayout>
 </gui>
</advancedsettings>

for testing. I am currently travelling (public holidays in Germany) I did not runtime test / debug it ... it might crash on start right away.

[Kristijan1001]

First testbuild: https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6548/artifact/kodi-20240509-62ad1ec2-decorview-armeabi-v7a.apk - please backup your stuff, this is master based.

Use:

<advancedsettings>
  <gui>
   <transparentguilayout>true</transparentguilayout>
 </gui>
</advancedsettings>

for testing. I am currently travelling (public holidays in Germany) I did not runtime test / debug it ... it might crash on start right away.

OK Tested. Gui Stuff for HDR doesnt change the Gray Bars.

The build you provided crashes Kodi on startup, the start up bar filles up then crashes. Then crashes instantly on every boot.

Here is picture of how it looks:

[fritsch]

Debuglog would be great from the testbuild. But yeah - I expected that ;-) but luck would sometimes be great. I will change the position when I change to transparency.

[fritsch]

New test:
Good: https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6556/artifact/kodi-20240510-7f87bcec-decorview-armeabi-v7a.apk - runs for me.

[Kristijan1001]

New test: Good: https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6556/artifact/kodi-20240510-7f87bcec-decorview-armeabi-v7a.apk - runs for me.

No changes, Unless the advanced settings xml structure is wrong, Here it is just to check and make sure , Placed in userdata. HDR10+ Disabled and Dolby disabled in KODI, Still Gray borders.
advancedsettings.txt

[fritsch]

Post your debuglog please.

[Kristijan1001]

Post your debuglog please.

https://paste.kodi.tv/voposobomu

[fritsch]

2024-05-11 09:19:27.508 T:10471 info : No settings file to load (special://xbmc/system/advancedsettings.xml)
2024-05-11 09:19:27.509 T:10471 info : No settings file to load (special://masterprofile/advancedsettings.xml)

[Kristijan1001]

2024-05-11 09:19:27.508 T:10471 info : No settings file to load (special://xbmc/system/advancedsettings.xml) 2024-05-11 09:19:27.509 T:10471 info : No settings file to load (special://masterprofile/advancedsettings.xml)

Sorry rookie mistake had it as .txt. still gray tho here is log

https://paste.kodi.tv/opozefogom

[fritsch]

Yeah - here - I am still blindly building. As Android start is partly asynchroneous I want to find the sweet spot to trigger it without running into issues: https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6595/ <- please try the resulting APk once it is finished - it will print something.

It might crash again - due to setting the value on display change ... let's find out. Thanks.

https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6595/artifact/kodi-20240511-65db38bc-decorview-armeabi-v7a.apk <- here

PS: Starting next week I have my environment back - and won't send blind changes ;-)

[Kristijan1001]

Yeah - here - I am still blindly building. As Android start is partly asynchroneous I want to find the sweet spot to trigger it without running into issues: https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6595/ <- please try the resulting APk once it is finished - it will print something.

It might crash again - due to setting the value on display change ... let's find out. Thanks.

https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6595/artifact/kodi-20240511-65db38bc-decorview-armeabi-v7a.apk <- here

PS: Starting next week I have my environment back - and won't send blind changes ;-)

Crashes on Startup

[fritsch]

logfile please :-) - after that I create a new one.

[fritsch]

And the weekend's final: https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6619/artifact/kodi-20240512-b23c7186-decortest-armeabi-v7a.apk

[Kristijan1001]

And the weekend's final: https://jenkins.kodi.tv/job/android-arm-docker/6619/artifact/kodi-20240512-b23c7186-decortest-armeabi-v7a.apk

Sorry for late reply. Gray bars still. Thanks.

https://paste.kodi.tv/uquqaqequx

[fritsch]

Okay - too bad - code is called. Let's wait for the others input in the Pull-Request.

[quietvoid]

I'm still able to reproduce the #22561 issue on my device with Kodi 20.5 Nexus.
It doesn't happen with the build from #25171, so the background is set differently it seems.

I might try to figure it out if I can find some time.

[fritsch]

So - you meean - the PR works for you? I am personally not yet happy, cause of yet another ifdef in application - but - it's not so easy to find the right spot, right after gui and splash is initialized ...

[quietvoid]

So - you meean - the PR works for you?

No, it doesn't work.

[Kristijan1001]

So this cannot be fixed?

[fritsch]

Did Sony answer this to your support request? Please do so and post their official reply here, then it's at least documented and we have a public official statement to see if they "can/ want" fix it or not ...

Kodi cannot fix it in general, it can only workaround / mitigate it for Sony ... work week here -> busy.

[Kristijan1001]

Did Sony answer this to your support request? Please do so and post their official reply here, then it's at least documented and we have a public official statement to see if they "can/ want" fix it or not ...

Kodi cannot fix it in general, it can only workaround / mitigate it for Sony ... work week here -> busy.

I never posted a support request to Sony, This is not an issue that also appeared recently. It has been like this for years. There have been many people that have asked about this and it has never been fixed. Me asking is just another needle in the stack. If they wanted to or could fix it, they would have already. This is a 5 Year old TV. Even if they answered, you would get the Typical PR answer, they will never say if they can fix it or want to fix it. Anyways i know it is a workaround i really hope this gets implemented. Thanks for your work so far it is appreciated.