HD-Audio HiMedia H8 (RK3368)

[futeko.com]

We received stock yesterday and have been testing.

* Using the hardware media player app:

Everything we've tested passes through HDMI. Settings - Playback - HDMI - 'HDMI'. So DTS, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD all play normally using an receiver that can decode these streams. We don't have the facility to test ATMOS.

By changing Settings - Playback - HDMI to 'LPCM' everything is downmixed to 2 channel stereo and passed as PCM.

*Using Kodi (either pre-installed 14.2 or 15):

Regardless of changing settings to 7.1 channel and enabling passthrough everything is downmixed and passed as 2 channel stereo. I presume Kodi is doing the downmix internally. 5.1 channel DTS or Dolby Digital is either passed through or downmixed according to how your Kodi settings.

[futeko.com]

This result is better than I expected based on what HiMedia had told me and on their site specs.

Exactly why they are withholding the true capabilities of the box could only be speculated on.

If HiMedia or a user could create a playercorefactory.xml (wrapper) that called the hardware player for certain video then it appears that the H8 would be capable of the same 7.1 passthrough and 3D ISO as the Q5/Q10/M3 boxes.

One thing worth noting is that Kodi on the H8 is a bit unstable. Whereas on the Q5/Q10/M3 crashes are extremely rare, on the H8 we had several in just an hour or so of testing. This will improve but at the moment the H8 firmware is fairly raw.

[looun]

Audio HD  7.1 passthrough work himedia player and/or kodi internal(dvdplayer) ? 
If a/v reciver  not support ATMOS passthrough work like simple true HD ? ( same player with atoms no sound passthrough )

[futeko.com]

Audio HD  7.1 passthrough work himedia player and/or kodi internal(dvdplayer) ? 
If a/v reciver  not support ATMOS passthrough work like simple true HD ? ( same player with atoms no sound passthrough )

Passthrough works using himedia player only. Not kodi (dvd player). In Kodi all audio is downmixed to 2 channel and passed as PCM.

HiMedia have just sent me a new firmware, which I will test more today. Shows they're working on it..

[looun]

Passthrough works using himedia player only. Not kodi (dvd player). In Kodi all audio is downmixed to 2 channel and passed as PCM.

usually andorid support DTS and Dolby Digital passthrough. from andorid 5 should be possible passthrough  if there licence and firmware support like vidon, if must use himdia player i prefer q5 better picture quality( i suppose ).

[MortUK]

Thanks for the update guys...

[skank]

Audio HD  7.1 passthrough work himedia player and/or kodi internal(dvdplayer) ? 
If a/v reciver  not support ATMOS passthrough work like simple true HD ? ( same player with atoms no sound passthrough )

Passthrough works using himedia player only. Not kodi (dvd player). In Kodi all audio is downmixed to 2 channel and passed as PCM.

HiMedia have just sent me a new firmware, which I will test more today. Shows they're working on it..

HD-audio works using himediaplayer? Cool! So it should work in kodi using wrapper right?
That rocks

I hope new firmware kodi is more stable.

How about picture quality, is it true it's  less quality than on Q5?

[futeko.com]

Himedia haven't created a wrapper / wrapper app yet, but if/when they do (or if a user does it, the idea is exactly the same as with Q5/Q10/M3) then yes it will allow 7.1 passthrough in Kodi.

What the H8 lacks are the image enhancement and customisation options of the Q5/Q10/M3. Overall I'd say the Q5/Q10/M3 are better for video image quality, but the image on H8 looks pretty good to me.

[skank]

Himedia haven't created a wrapper / wrapper app yet, but if/when they do (or if a user does it, the idea is exactly the same as with Q5/Q10/M3) then yes it will allow 7.1 passthrough in Kodi.

What the H8 lacks are the image enhancement and customisation options of the Q5/Q10/M3. Overall I'd say the Q5/Q10/M3 are better for video image quality, but the image on H8 looks pretty good to me.

So for video playback you definately prefer Q5 cause image quality is noticeable better?
Damn!
Will wait for audio stutter fix then

[futeko.com]

The Q5/Q10/M3 will always be better for quality than anything else because the Hisilicon chipsets were built from the ground up for media playback.

[MortUK]

I take it the current himediawrapper.apk won't work.?

Mort

[futeko.com]

The only thing that would need changing is the name of the hardware player app, otherwise it would work.

Hopefully I'll have more time tomorrow and can have a look at it.

[MortUK]

What does kodi do with "Normal non HD" DTS and Dolby Digital audio.?  Is it passed through.?

Mort.

[futeko.com]

What does kodi do with "Normal non HD" DTS and Dolby Digital audio.?  Is it passed through.?

Mort.

5.1 audio is either passed through or downmixed according to Kodi settings. I've just added this info to the opening post on this thread.

[MortUK]

Sorry to change the subject slightly but 3D ISO.?