If your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick has received the 5.2.4.1 software update, you may be experiencing poor video playback within MrMC, Kodi, and SPMC. The developer of MrMC has emailed me letting me know that the updated version of Fire OS does not handle switching the video output to a 24Hz refresh rate correctly. This is a feature videophiles use to achieve perfect 1-to-1 synchronization between the frames in a video and the rate at which the display updates, but with software version 5.2.4.1, it results in jerky stuttering video.
Amazon only supports playing video at 50p and 60p with their own Amazon Video streams, but they have added the option for 3rd-party developers to manage the device’s video refresh rate. MrMC was the first app to support the option to switch refresh rates on Fire TV devices so they match the frame rate fo the video being played. Kodi and SPMC later adopted the feature from MrMC’s open source code.
One of MrMC’s developers, Scott Davilla, tells me the problem lies within the Fire TV’s kernel. Playing a video while the device is outputting video at 24Hz results in VSYNC errors constantly being reported by the Fire TV’s kernel. He has verified the issue, which was first reported by a user on the MrMC forum, on a 1st-gen Fire TV, but is unsure if it also exists on other Fire TV and/or Fire TV Stick models.
If you don’t want to lose smooth 24p video playback, your only option for now is to block software updates. All devices are performing fine with 50p and 60p playback, which is what most people use. Since only a relatively small percentage of Fire TV owners use 24p playback, this issue may not be a top priority for Amazon, so we may not see it fixed until the next scheduled software update.
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AFTVnews
Ah, finally a killer reason to have rooted.
Am having this issue on regular apps like WatchTCM and MLB.TV since I received 5241 update earlier this month on my Amazon Fire TV 2. It doesn’t seem to effect most apps just a few but those were fine before the update. Have tried clearing the cache, checking settings on my Amp and TV, have even Factory Re-Set but it hasn’t fixed the issue. Posted on the Amazon forum and another said they had the same issue.
yes I agree
Same with Netflix. It jitters more on certain programs.
Yes… I also own a Fire TV 2 and have unsmooth video playback since updating to 5.2.4.1 software.
This affects Amazon Video, Netflix and probably some other apps and it occurs on normal 60/50Hz modes set with the menu. It looks like the video just slightly hangs or frames being skipped from time to time. This isn’t just the pulldown effect, because this kind of stutter wasn’t there on 5.2.4.0. They must messed something up here and maybe it’s related with the issue with 24Hz playback too, because it really looks like Vsync problems.
Btw, I also tried clearing app data and cache and even a factory reset, but didn’t help in my case too.
Where can we make Amazon aware of this, so there will be a fix soon?
The best way is to get them to give you a call. That can be done by using the Kindle’s own menu system under settings and asking for help.
Or you can use their website, the menu along the top:
Menu
Then scroll down and click, Need more help?
Then click Contact Us
From there you can click, Amazon Devices, then your device.
Using the drop-downs, select your device again, and Other Fire TV issues.
Type in a short summary of the problem, then get them to phone you. Have a chance and explain what’s wrong. Either they’ll try to help directly, or redirect it to someone who does. (Sometimes straight away, sometimes you have to wait for an email/call back.)
The first part should say, HELP.
Yes… Thanks for your HELP. =)
Had found out about this way of contacting them already, but did only choose to send a comment via mail. Described the problem and asked them to forward this to the software team or contact me if they need further information. But haven’t recieved any feedback from them until now.
I’m afraid there is an issue with 5.2.4.1 update causing problems not only with 24Hz output, but with choppy video playback in general. Maybe it depends on the TV you use and how good it can do motion interpolation (or if you use it at all), but everything was still fine with my TV handling the input of the AFTV on previous software version.
Here’s a topic with other users reporting this:
https://www.amazon.com/forum/fire?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx2L8EBNTOXFSA7&cdThread=TxINHUQNPAHXGV
I just spoke to customer services and this is a known issue with Fire TV 2. The tech team have escalated it and are working on a solution.
Maybe this is why the roll out seems so slow. I finally go it on 1/3 devices about 5 days ago, and nothing on the others since.
Loved it for the few months i had it but then it just went black screen.
Fire stick ain’t no good don’t get it I am a prime member I can get them free every day and still don’t want one they raised the price and they got worse when I got mine it was 23.99 they can have it
Can’t agree with you antione, got my Firestick 1 to dip my toe in the water, and it performed so well I jumped on newly released Fire TV 2 that coincided with my discovery.
This latest revelation got me off my butt to finally root my old stick after it had been sitting with updates blocked at 5.0.5. (thanks Elias, donation submitted)
After installing rooted 5.2.1.1 (latest rbox version (donation previously submitted) I installed Netflix and SPMC (donation submitted) Both worked without flaw.
The new update screws around with uploaded video from my phone by not playing the video & temporary freezing of the FTV1. Have not tried on the sticks yet. NOT a happy camper here.
Hi,
I am the guy that reported the issue to davilla (mrmc dev).
The issue persists all over the system. Besides if you switch manually CodecInfo of MrMC or Kodi wont tell you that you drop frames. So you have to use your eye.
You can switch manually to 24hz , like described in an aftvnews article and then head over to Youtube. Play a video at 24 frames and you will see black artifacts from time to time on the lower half of the screen and all kinds of messed up things.
Too bad I updated. Meanwhile I try to get amazon germany to enable MrMC download for the FireTV1, since it shows its incompatible.
I needed help from davilla to compile mrmc from source and sideload it over to the firetv.
Yes. It is ridiculous, because I purchased the app but amazon germany wont let me download it to my firetvs homescreen. Until then.. Same starting procedure as with kodi…
PS: If anyone is still on the old software it would be kind to post the results of the Antutu Video Tester . You can download the APK with aftvnews’ Downloader app.
never heard of mrmc or spmc, what are they??
Kodi is an open source project that supports several different platforms, among them Android, which is what the Fire TV/Stick and the NVidia Shield run on.
The Android maintainer for Kodi, Koying, became dissatisfied with the project and forked the code into SPMC, which is specifically designed for Android, most specifically on the Shield but also on the Fire TV/Stick. Last I heard, the Kodi project itself hasn’t been able to land an Android maintainer after Koying left. Which is weird, because they’ve really been friendly people, and not at all prickly.
MrMC saw the problem of Kodi being useful to pirates selling pre-configured-for-piracy Firesticks and removed Kodi’s ability to use plugins, which is what facilitated the piracy. This enabled him to get Amazon’s approval for his app to be in the app store, something Kodi and SPMC haven’t been able to do. this means you don’t have to side load it. MrMC was then the first of the three to enable refresh rate switching.
I use SPMC myself, but each options serves different priorities.
Since your explanation includes a bit of a history lesson, it’s worth noting that MrMC’s two developers are the original pair who ported Kodi to Android in the first place.
With this new update, i am always getting geographical error of amazon.com prime videos in Canada even though I am pointing my DNS IP address to the states. Is there a solution to this ?
I noticed this issue immediately after the update was installed. Kodi would crash the minute I would launch it. Turns out my custom custom splash image and video intro in my Kodi build had something to do with it.
I was finally able to get the splash screen to show by changing the Fire TV Screen resolution settings from Auto to 1080p 60hz, but the Intro video is still an issue.
I knew it was the Fire TV OS with the issue, as I tested my build on Windows, Mac and Linux – which works flawlessly there. Thanks for confirming this for me though!
BTW – I also have a AFTV2
What problems does the issue cause? Does it depend on the footage, on the chosen output video mode, or both?
Will it affect footage recorded in 24p?
Or will it affect me if I have set video resolution to 24p (I normally set it to 50 or 60 Hz)?
Netflix is unwatchable on the 2nd Gen FTV since this buggy update. It stutters all the time giving me a headache. I now watch NF on the Roku
Amazon video also stutters a bit now too. Hulu plays perfect though.
My fire stick works same as it ever did, no issues so far since the update
At 24Hz display ?
You noticed Vsync errors in logcat with 24Hz … But are there any on the normal 60/50Hz modes too with 5.2.4.1? Because there is definitely something different/wrong with the output of my 2nd generation AFTV since the update that’s causing my TV to “throw up” from time to time causing stutter. On 5.2.4.0 everything was still fine.
Another thing I noticed is that sometimes when I switch from 50Hz to 60Hz or other way aground, I immediately get the confirmation dialog without my TV blanking out for a short time because of switching refresh rates and the output just stays on the previous selected mode. I have to switch back again then and repeat the step, to force the AFTV to really change output mode. So there seems to be an issue although when switching manually with the settings menu. And I wonder if this could be related to the choppy playback and the issue with 24Hz.
Maybe you can investigate further and have some way to tell Amazon developers about it we don’t have. Would be very appreciated.
I just spoke to customer services and this is a known issue with Fire TV 2. The tech team have escalated it and are working on a solution.
yes on 24hz, working same, no changes since update, alexa fire stick
Weird. Amazon specs say that the FireTV Sticks are not capable of 24hz. Only normal FireTV
FireTV 1 with 5.2.4.1 working normally here. Netflix, Kodi, and others still work normally.
How did you get kodi on 5.4.2.1?
watching the cw app for the first time this morning since the update, it seems to have the jittery problem, but netflix, hulu, dtvn, and anything else Ive played seems fine
Now there is prerooted stock image available for FireTV 1, but is it fixed?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/development/prerooted-stock-images-t2882337
Seems like there is already two bricked/dead FireTV1 units after 5.2.4.1_r1 installation (https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72142014&postcount=1072) . Hope this is not gonna be common result for this rom. :(
Also wanted to add that the video output wouldn’t work when I connected the FireTV to my computer monitor (as it previously always did).
In order to get the display to work on my Monitor, I had to connect the FireTV to my HDTV first, and then change the display settings from “Auto” to “1080p 60hz”
Once this setting was changed, video display output started working on my computer monitor again.
So can we not get kodi on the 5.2.4.1?
Can anyone help me on how to stop the buffering and get the streaming working better
Let me know result having same issue
I’m having big problems with 4 or 5 different channels on my Fire TV stick (2nd gen), latest update. When I turn off the hardware acceleration in my app, the problem disappears but the picture then gets a bit laggy and bad. I don’t think it is a 24p problem because when I change the stick to 24hz I still get this problems on a few channels. It is NOT a problem with my provider. Any ideas? So weird because many other FHD channels work excellent, just a few that messes up the codec or something…
I got exactly the same problem…
I have no idea what could be wrong…
Hey! After the update that came two days after me posting this, my problems disappeared! Think it is version 5.2.6.6. Check that your device is updated! It was a small update but it completely fixed by problems.
hey, thanks for your answer.
One day after my reply it worked. maybe it updated automatically, i dont know.