15 replies to this topic

[doglover]

We are confronted these days with increasing amount of streaming services.

BBCi player, Netflix, VRT Nu, VTM go, NLziet, ITVplayer,  etc. etc.

 

All work on a phone, tablet or even on a PC.  However when you want to watch the stuff on your TV screen, there tons of hurdles to overcome.  Like using the provider own castrated hardware.  In several streaming services you can use Chromecast.  Which also has its problems, but at least it works most of the times.

 

I would like to see that these streaming providers could be watched on TV via our enigma2 receivers.

Some TV's have this already built in, but you are relying on the continued support of the manufacturer to keep this working.  This support is mostly 2 years after which updates seizes.

 

One solution would be to install a maintained browser on the enigma2 machines.  The modern 4K models have a processor which is fast enough to run a browser.

There is the OpenOpera for enigma2, but that is not maintained anymore, and consequently does not play most of the steaming stuff anymore.

So a version of Chrome or Firefox for enigma2 would be welcomed.

The problem of navigation with the remote control can be circumvented by added a wireless keyboard and mouse to the receiver.

However providing a enigma2 version of Chrome or Firefox is maybe asking too much.

 

Another solution is a plug-in in enigma2, which takes the role of Chromecast.  So you use your phone or tablet to select what you want to see.  And cast the stream to the Chromecast inside your enigma2 receiver, instead of a a real Chromecast.
This is probably not realistic, because you run into problems with DRM rights, which cannot easily be implemented.

 

As an alternative to Chromecast, maybe there can be looked at AnyCast/MiraCast which cast the screen of your phone or tablet to your receiver.  The advantage is, no problems with DRM rights.  These are handled by the app on phone/tablet.
The disadvantage is that phone/tablet has to remain powered up.  Pause the phone/tablet = no streaming.

 

Any further thoughts about this?

 

Willy

[betacentauri]

Netflix content is DRM protected afaik. For Mipsel Boxes there is no solution at all. For ARM boxes there are libraries available, but then everything is decoded in software and so only latest boxes may can handle it. And then you only get SD quality. E2 can't handle that at the moment and would need a (major) change.

 

-> Playback of DRM protected streams will be a big problem on e2. I see no real good solution for it. Only the workaround with the lib which would show only show SD quality(if at all).

 

Chromecast maybe an option. I don't know it. But isn't the implementation a secret like for AirPlay?

[Erik Slagter]

This is more generic. Content providers are actively preventing open environments from accessing their content. I think it's obvious why. In some cases this only means extra hurdles to take, in other cases it's plain impossible. It has little to do with the STB hardware or software (even though in some cases a hurdle can be an unsupported codec).

[doglover]

This is more generic. Content providers are actively preventing open environments from accessing their content. I think it's obvious why. In some cases this only means extra hurdles to take, in other cases it's plain impossible. It has little to do with the STB hardware or software (even though in some cases a hurdle can be an unsupported codec).

 

You are trying to use it directly.  I propose not to bother to do that.

The open environment should not have to try to access it.

Let a full browser do it.  Or let you phone/tablet do it.  Just send the picture after it received all the necessary treatment to the receiver/TV.

Edited by doglover, 6 October 2019 - 15:35.

[betacentauri]

In normal case the DRM protected data will be processed in the hardware and from drivers which don’t allow to access the unencrypted data. The whole data flow is protected.
So you cannot send the picture data to the receiver as you don’t get it.

Full browser also use the from me mentioned lib. So only soft decoding with low quality. Or the box hardware and OS offer DRM framework to process such data. Eg Android offers such things.

[bacicciosat]

For many services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Dazn edd we can have DRM protected contents in E2 with qtwebflix  ( https://github.com/gort818/qtwebflix )

It seems that a plugin for Octagon was made in these days.

 

Another solution is to port kodi 18 under E2 that include plugins for these services.

This is the solution we recently adopted for openblackhole and we have beta images with Netflix Dazn and Amazon Prime working : https://www.vuplus-c...3-beta-2.39672/

 

But the internal kodi player have not video hardware aceleration so now we need to use GST under kodi and to adapt it to work with inputstream adaptive. We are trying.....

[betacentauri]

Yes, it's now possible, but they still use software decoding. So you need fast ARM CPU and only up to 720p is possible at the moment.

[littlesat]

So somehow for primary Netflix you still need a real genuine ‘alternative’

[bacicciosat]

Yes, it's now possible, but they still use software decoding. So you need fast ARM CPU and only up to 720p is possible at the moment.

 

It works with all vu+ arm box. We have tested. But now we want video aceleration for better quality and we are trying with GST.

Here is with standard kodi internal player:

 

 

Edited by bacicciosat, 23 October 2019 - 17:18.

[littlesat]

Would be Nice when openblackhole does port it to openpli

[bacicciosat]

What ?

The porting ok kodi 18 will be public when we will complete the work, of course.

In the meanwhile if someone want to help with GST let us know

It is driving us crazy

Edited by bacicciosat, 23 October 2019 - 17:53.

[littlesat]

You mean with gst gstreamer?

Edited by littlesat, 23 October 2019 - 18:42.

[bacicciosat]

You mean with gst gstreamer?

 

Yes, we patched GST to work as kodi player and it is fine and acelerated. Much better than internal player. But it works only with files. Now we need to pass Widewine output to GST.

But dpeddi can explain bettter because he is the author of the work on kodi.

[betacentauri]

You get the output of the widewine lib? I thought that's impossible.

[dpeddi]

For many services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Dazn edd we can have DRM protected contents in E2 with qtwebflix  ( https://github.com/gort818/qtwebflix )

It seems that a plugin for Octagon was made in these days.

 

I started from this approch as well (https://github.com/o...d234cb726840e48) that's why i've prepared such commit... but qtwebengine doesn't support video acceleration for brcm cpu.... vuplus chromeos make use of broadcom trellis... but we havent' access to souch sdk...

So, at least for us, qtwebflix isn't affordable.

 

Yes, it's now possible, but they still use software decoding. So you need fast ARM CPU and only up to 720p is possible at the moment.

 

widevine use software decoding.. 720p would be better then nothing... however i hope to reach 1080p when we will be able to use at least hardware assisted rendering.

 

 

You mean with gst gstreamer?

 

Yes, we patched GST to work as kodi player and it is fine and acelerated. Much better than internal player. But it works only with files. Now we need to pass Widewine output to GST.

But dpeddi can explain bettter because he is the author of the work on kodi.

 

Thank you bacicciosat, however i've just ported all the patch to get kodi 17 on stb to work on kodi 18. We plan to release the source after some time the image will be available the final image... just the time to clean up the commit, debug code and bad words :-) i've written here and there.... Lot of work because about two year of commit between the patch and the actual Leia branch.

 

We get most of plugin using widevine working.... it seems that without the huge chromium (qtwebengine is based on chromium), widevine works better.. it make use of the internal kodi videoplayer.

 

I have some idea to get gstplayer to render widevine stream... if you think you can help us we can share with you the code we have. I need coder with some experience on gst and/or kodi.

 

 

E.

[dpeddi]

You get the output of the widewine lib? I thought that's impossible.

 

On kodi, inputstreamadaptive plugin, pass the stream to the kodi internal video player.