iPhone 5 and 10-bit MKVs

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by ImperialX

There are posts like that floating all over the place, so I decided to dispel the rumours. Many other people have also asked me about 10-bit MKV decoding on the iPhone 5. Thus, I have made a video showing the iPhone 5 handling these 10-bit files like butter. It will decode any 10-bit MKV you throw at it without any colour defects, framerate drops, typesetting problems or sluggish rendering. In fact, it's the only smartphone I've tested that does so.

I have owned many devices, and even with flagship Android devices such as the SGS3 and the Nexus 7, I still occasionally see a hiccup or colour defects when it comes to 10-bit files. No such thing on the iPhone 5. And Windows Phone...don't even start talking about it.

Files tested:
[UTWoots]_Sword_Art_Online_-_09_[720p][0B30EF7C].mkv
[Commie] Psycho-Pass - 01 [F4BCFB1E].mkv
[gg]_Chuunibyou_Demo_Koi_ga_Shitai!_-_03_[F0F2EAFB].mkv
[gg]_Code_Geass_Akito_the_Exiled_-_01_[B785F404].mkv
[UTW-Mazui]_Little_Busters!_-_03_[720p][D04E264A].mkv

No.

ipod all can't handle mkv well. Only VLC app claimed to do it, but it was terrible and unwatchable.

You'll need to reencode. I had a method but I'm sure it's obselete now.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Kudryavka

No.

ipod all can't handle mkv well. Only VLC app claimed to do it, but it was terrible and unwatchable.

You'll need to reencode. I had a method but I'm sure it's obselete now.

This isn't a thread talking about iPods, but rather iPhone 5. Multiple people have posted testimonials confirming that it works with certain software in that scenario. So I'm not sure what the point is in saying that it "doesn't work" when people can confirm that it does on the indicated hardware.

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

This isn't a thread talking about iPods, but rather iPhone 5. Multiple people have posted testimonials confirming that it works with certain software in that scenario. So I'm not sure what the point is in saying that it "doesn't work" when people can confirm that it does on the indicated hardware.

OP posted a video as proof of something once impossible, then didnt even explain how he did it?? I didnt believe it when i postted that.

And I thought iPhone was the same as ipod touch and ipad.

[TheFluff]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

This isn't a thread talking about iPods, but rather iPhone 5. Multiple people have posted testimonials confirming that it works with certain software in that scenario. So I'm not sure what the point is in saying that it "doesn't work" when people can confirm that it does on the indicated hardware.

I'm still convinced he's wrong though. The most likely explanation by far is that there are artifacts that people just aren't noticing; a lot of the artifacts caused by decoding 10-bit as 8-bit are apparently pretty hard to see for many people (see for example this video where some video player company's representative is going "HEY LOOK 10-BIT SUPPORT" and then showing a video with blatant blocking and smearing caused by decoding 10-bit as 8-bit) and phone screens are really small. Another plausible explanation would be the player doing some funny post-processing to hide the decoding artifacts or something like that. Software decoding of 10-bit 720p and subtitle rendering on top of that on an ARMv7 is not really feasible, unless someone went and wrote a lot of extremely highly optimized NEON assembler, and I find that highly unlikely.

I only have a 4S so I can't really test it myself, but this is the classic 10-bit bork detector file. Very visible artifacts around the logo, among other things.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Kudryavka

And I thought iPhone was the same as ipod touch and ipad.

The latest iPod Touch has the same CPU as the iPhone 4S, i.e. it's one generation behind the iPhone 5.

EDIT EDIT: a lot of encoders are also pretty incompetent and probably aren't even bothering to dither the 8-bit input properly so there's nothing really using the two extra bits, and that usually results in few or no visible artifacts in the output when decoded as 8-bit.

[Drkz]

Originally Posted by TheFluff

EDIT EDIT: a lot of encoders are also pretty incompetent and probably aren't even bothering to dither the 8-bit input properly so there's nothing really using the two extra bits, and that usually results in few or no visible artifacts in the output when decoded as 8-bit.

Its not that their incompetent its more like who in their sane mind would want to watch 10 bit anime on a iphone? Why waste your time encoding for something that very few people would want. Most people already have problems trying to get 10 bit to work on their computers. The fact that you expect someone to encode it for a iphone is hilarious.

[Random32]

Originally Posted by Drkz

Its not that their incompetent its more like who in their sane mind would want to watch 10 bit anime on a iphone? Why waste your time encoding for something that very few people would want. Most people already have problems trying to get 10 bit to work on their computers. The fact that you expect someone to encode it for a iphone is hilarious.

I can do Hi10p on my laptop in low performance power saver mode. The problems are from netbooks and old computers. If you have a reasonably modern computer that isn't a netbook, it really shouldn't have any problems playing 10bit anime.

Also, image quality and small file size are two very nice things. What's wrong for wanting that?

[gsilver]

I downloaded HD Player Pro, and it worked great with a variety of 720p files, and even a few 8-bit 1080p files.

Still, it did miss some lines of Subtitles on the Jojo's and Precure episodes that I tried. With the Precure eps, it was strangely just in the opening, clearing out the subtitles almost instantly, and they worked fine in the show's content.

Still, for working with most files that I tried, without any recoding, it's rather impressive.

I only tried animated content, which is less noticeable for any frame rate issues.


Edit: Tested on an ipad 3

[mistress_kisara]

Originally Posted by gsilver

I downloaded HD Player Pro, and it worked great with a variety of 720p files, and even a few 8-bit 1080p files.

Still, it did miss some lines of Subtitles on the Jojo's and Precure episodes that I tried. With the Precure eps, it was strangely just in the opening, clearing out the subtitles almost instantly, and they worked fine in the show's content.

Still, for working with most files that I tried, without any recoding, it's rather impressive.

I only tried animated content, which is less noticeable for any frame rate issues.

It worked on Zetsuen no Tempest 720p as well , but it was still lagging when I was watching K in 720p

[gsilver]

I'll be curious to see how much the remaining speed issues (1080p 10-bit, et al) get smoothed out when the next iteration of the ipad comes out. I'm really regretting getting the 16GB version now

[gsilver]

Ok, so I pulled out my old first generation ipad to see how that worked, and unlike the ipad 3, the first generation really isn't suited for HD Player. It doesn't have the hardware for HW-based decoding, and even SD content is laggy.

It's too bad that it doesn't work better. I use the 1st gen ipad to watch video at the gym, and the internet there can be spotty.

[milkmandan]

Originally Posted by ImperialX

There are posts like that floating all over the place, so I decided to dispel the rumours. Many other people have also asked me about 10-bit MKV decoding on the iPhone 5. Thus, I have made a video showing the iPhone 5 handling these 10-bit files like butter. It will decode any 10-bit MKV you throw at it without any colour defects, framerate drops, typesetting problems or sluggish rendering. In fact, it's the only smartphone I've tested that does so.

I have owned many devices, and even with flagship Android devices such as the SGS3 and the Nexus 7, I still occasionally see a hiccup or colour defects when it comes to 10-bit files. No such thing on the iPhone 5. And Windows Phone...don't even start talking about it.

Files tested:
[UTWoots]_Sword_Art_Online_-_09_[720p][0B30EF7C].mkv
[Commie] Psycho-Pass - 01 [F4BCFB1E].mkv
[gg]_Chuunibyou_Demo_Koi_ga_Shitai!_-_03_[F0F2EAFB].mkv
[gg]_Code_Geass_Akito_the_Exiled_-_01_[B785F404].mkv
[UTW-Mazui]_Little_Busters!_-_03_[720p][D04E264A].mkv

Thanks for the post OP, I was previously using AVPlayerHD, while it also played 10bit 720p MKV anime flawlessly, it didn't support SSA.

Well now with HD Player Pro, it does! my iPhone5 is not the best anime player on the market,

AVPlayerHD does have AC3 audio support though, guess i can keep it around.

[yindesu]

Originally Posted by TheFluff

I only have a 4S so I can't really test it myself, but this is the classic 10-bit bork detector file. Very visible artifacts around the logo, among other things.

Hey TheFluff, what do you make of this screenshot? (Decoded as 8-bit? Does this qualify as blocking and banding? I have a shit LCD on my laptop so I honestly can't tell if what's on my Android device isn't what I should see on my laptop.)

Taken from (Android) DICE Player's software decoder on a Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064. I know 720p 10-bit is too much for this player, but this video seems to keep up, although the vertical pans are obviously not smooth.

[TheFluff]

That looks right enough to me. In that particular clip the artifacts are really obvious if you decode it as 8-bit. I also went and paid a whole THREE DOLLARS for the player mentioned in the OP just to prove someone wrong on the internet, but the joke was on me since it actually does seem to decode correctly. I only have a 4S though so the decoding is pretty jerky for me.

[Farplaner]

Is it just me... or is the HD Player Pro app not available in the US app store at the moment?

[milkmandan]

Originally Posted by Farplaner

Is it just me... or is the HD Player Pro app not available in the US app store at the moment?

hmm i just checked, from the looks of it, it is currently unavailable.

[gsilver]

So, I decided to buy an iPad air. With the episodes and players that I've tried, iMedia Player comes the closest to smooth playback of 10bit 1080p files, and it's much better than AV Player.

[Tristan971]

Heya!
I read this and saw the doubtful people around so I tried it myself.
Using HD Player on the App Store and my iPhone 5S on iOS 7.0.4.
I was able to decode (flawlessly) 10-bit 720p AAC Lucky Star with subs (Encoded by Elysium and downloaded from AnimeBytes for the skeptical ones) and also (with around 2 secs of "loading" delay when I started or played after pausing it) 10-bit 1080p FLAC with Subs of Clannad : After Story from Doki, downloaded on AnimeBytes too.

Maybe it's time to try for yourselves instead of being skeptical?

Also as a remark I also was able to read on my Droid DNA (Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset) some 720p 10bit files some months ago with MX Player and S/W decoder (HW of course wouldn't work). Didn't try 1080p at the time so I don't know for 1080p Hi10bit on android phones.
The 720p at the time was Joseole's endoe of Zero No Tsukaima's first season. Downloaded on animebytes once again.

[0utf0xZer0]

It's not so much that I'm skeptical as my carrier keeps its monthly rates down by not giving a phone subsidy and I'm not about to shell out $720 for a 5S to test on. Might get a Nexus of some kind at some point though.

I'd be far more concerned about compatibility with various advanced subtitling tricks (karaoke, signs typeset to blend into the scenery, etc.) than compatibility with 10 bit. Last I heard the iPhone 5 would sometimes choke on those, not sure about the 5S.

[sneaker]

Even Core i7s sometimes choke on subtitle effects. Since ASS is just some homebrewn format without limits/levels, some groups go way overboard with the effects.

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by sneaker

Even Core i7s sometimes choke on subtitle effects. Since ASS is just some homebrewn format without limits/levels, some groups go way overboard with the effects.

For me, it's not even that, it's that software seems to have such an enormous impact on subtitle decoding. I know from past experience that some UTW subs would lag during complex subs on my Core 2 Quad desktop (2.4ghz) yet would run fine on my much less powerful Thinkpad X120e (AMD E-350 dual core, 1.6ghz) using xy-vsfilter. So glad CCCP switched over to using xy-vsfilter so I don't have to bother with such things anymore.

I have no idea what the speed or stability of the various mobile playback solutions are like, aside from having asked around and learning that some of those same UTW subtitle effects could crash HDPlayer Pro on the iPhone 5 (non-S) while the rest of the episode played fine. That could have been improved by software updates though.