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1080p Support suggestion

ProudXPhil

May 21, 2018 03:51

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Dear cummunity and devs,

the current maximum resolution for recording is 720p. I'd like to suggest a feature that allows you to record in 1080p with a high bitrate at this resolution. Some kind of a little less compressed recording. Of course not as default quality, just to have that option for the quality freaks like me (huge files wouldn't be a problem).

The reason why 720p is the maximum resolution is probably the restriction of Netflix and Amazon which only allows 1080p in the Edge browser or the Windows App on a PC, right? (I guess that's probably because of some kind of agreement with Microsoft.)

I've just found some Addons that allow 1080p playback in other browsers. Maybe there's something that could be used for the Playon System or integrated. It would literally make Playon perfect.

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39 comments

• 0
  
  Michael July 19, 2018 16:50

  Most streaming providers stream at a maximum of 720p. Netflix makes 1080p streams available via the HTML5 player and specific browsers. Amazon recently allowed 1080p streaming in specific browsers using the HTML5 player. Hulu doesn't make 1080p streams available via browser. Also note that real-time transcoding of 1080p video is a very CPU intensive.

• 0
  
  Jerry Stevens November 17, 2018 18:13

  I don't know if anyone has seen that you can use your GPU for encoding.  I have a GTX960 and I'm sure it can handle 1080p just fine. I've done 1080p from test streams in Twitch while playing a GPU intensive game without stuttering.  I have an i7-4770s so I'm not suffering for cores, but even then a GPU is more than enough even a few generations back.

  The other limitations are a different story and I hope they figure something out soon.

• 2
  
  David Campeau May 03, 2019 18:11

  This is the same answers customers have been getting for a decade...  Takes a "beefy CPU" or the "most stream providers blah blah blah". 

  Bottom Line: IMHO, It has never been been a priority for PlayOn to support higher resolutions. Last I looked PlayOn still uses the I.E. browser, and who knows what issues/limitations that creates.

  BTW -- M.S. Edge is going being canned (going away).  Microsoft has decided if you can't beat them, join them. Microsoft will be using opensource Chromium and putting a Edge looking "wrapper" around it. However, all chrome extensions will be available to users using the new Chromium Edge.

  I highly recommend playon look into migrating off of I.E. if that is what it is still using. 

   

   

   

• 0
  
  Jack Grimes September 14, 2019 13:09

  I'm sorry, the "beefy CPU" excuse isn't really valid anymore. Most of the CPUs released over the past few years wouldn't begin to have problems with this task. I'm using an Intel i7-8700k and right now streaming off of my own Amazon account my CPU usage is 9% and gpu is 4%. Most people who have up to date PC's would have no problem with 1080p let alone 4k. Playon would do well to entertain this suggestion, that would be a huge selling point.

  I used playon to download my own Amazon purchases because I was tired of using bandwidth to watch stuff I "own." It's disappointing that the quality is still inferior to the online copy, I'm kicking myself for not buying the discs themselves. 

• 0
  
  Michael September 14, 2019 18:50

  @David Campeau

  @Jack Grimes

  I don't make any assumptions, therefore I won't assume that everyone that uses Playon has an new processor. At any rate, it is a fact that transcoding is CPU intensive. Even Plex recognizes that. According to Plex, single 4K transcoding would require, at a minimum, an Intel Core i7 3.2GHz. Single 1080p transcoding would require, at a minimum, an Intel Core i5 3.0GHz.

  https://support.plex.tv/articles/201774043-what-kind-of-cpu-do-i-need-for-my-server/

  Like it or not, if the stream isn't in 1080, it does not matter what processor you have because you'll not get a 1080 recording unless it is upscaled.

• 0
  
  David Campeau September 14, 2019 19:31

  @Michael,

  Really, at this point it just isn't a concern anymore. Playon is involved in maybe 5% of my viewing, and has been marginalized by so many streaming services, devices, and competitors.

  Yeah, I used to get a bit worked up about it, and it's mainly due to the absolutely obstinante in direction the company went when so many customers where yelling for them to do different things (If people didn't care they would not say anything)... Of course some good and probably mostly bad, there has always been a rigid direction, and that has completely baffled me. 10 years ago this product had so much potential, and not that it still doesn't have some to give, but from my viewpoint the window has closed.

  Anyhow, if they ever support 1080p or higher, I really don't care, because It does what I need for the shows I watch.

   

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  Michael September 14, 2019 20:51

  Again. Whether or not they support it is not relevant if not all streams are 1080.

  Personally, I couldn't give a rats ass. I am fine with streaming from my HTPC at 720p. Moreover, a couple of my TVs are only capable of 720p, so it wouldn't matter. If I want something higher, I'll watch live OTA or stream directly from the service provider via Roku.

• 0
  
  Scott B September 14, 2019 23:01

  Mythtv does 1080 with a GTX 780 and i7-920 (from 2008) 2.4 ghz.  I use Hauppauge HD-PVR connected to cable box.  I had an E6300 at 1.86 ghz  that was doing 1080.  They should be able to do it.

• 0
  
  David Campeau September 15, 2019 04:30

  @Michael,

  I don't know that I buy the not all streams are 720p argument. Not all streams are 720p, so what then?

  Bottom line is years ago people should have had the option to transcode higher resolutions for those shows that are offered in higher resolutions. Instead everyone got canned answers.

   

• 0
  
  Michael September 15, 2019 18:39

  I never said not all streams are 720p. I said not all streams are 1080, and that includes streams from the streaming TV services like fubu, Philo, Sling, etc. Most of them stream in 720p. Not all services stream at 60fps either. So, it sucks to be a sports fan.

• 0
  
  Jeff October 15, 2019 14:37

  The argument that transcoding/encoding 1080p on the fly takes a beefy CPU does not matter.  PlayOn has a PC Processor Performance test built right into it.  If your processor can't handle 1080p, PlayOn should detect that and only allow the highest resolution your processor can handle.

   

  The argument that some streaming services don't stream in 1080p again shouldn't matter.  PlayOn should detect the resolution of the stream, and encode at that resolution.  If the stream is 720p, encode at 720p, if the stream is 1080p then encode at 1080p.  It isn't rocket science.

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  Michael October 15, 2019 17:15

  No matter how you look at it, it is a fact that transcoding is CPU intensive. You can spin, flip or flop and the fact will still remain that transcoding is CPU intensive.

   

  https://support.plex.tv/articles/201774043-what-kind-of-cpu-do-i-need-for-my-server/

  https://www.zdnet.com/article/ripping-vs-transcoding/

  http://www.ipvideotrans.com/live-video-transcoding.html

  https://journalofcloudcomputing.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13677-019-0132-0

• 0
  
  Robert Shepherd October 20, 2019 23:40

  Transcoding may be expensive, but that only matters if you're trying to do it in realtime. There's no reason PlayOn couldn't download whatever format a service streams to disk, then transcode to MP4 after the fact. Or, if the programmers are any good, they could use one thread to download and save to disk, and another lower-priority thread to follow along behind and transcode to MP4 using whatever processor cycles are left over. Either way, the transcoding gets to take whatever time it takes, and gets the job done.

  Sorry, there's no way to "spin, flip, or flop" the fact that 1080 (and 4K, for that matter) capture is entirely feasible.

• 0
  
  Jeff October 21, 2019 11:54

  Michael, 1080p encoding was CPU intensive a few years ago.  Today, even the lowest desktop CPUs can do it.  I have a Celeron that can do real-time 1080p encoding with H.264.  But, like I already said, this point is 100% moot.  PlayOn already has a mechanism in place to detect if the CPU is capable of encoding at the required resolution.  If PlayOn detects the computer can't encode at 1080p, then it should drop to a lower resolution.  Just like it currently does if it detects that a computer can't encode at 720p.

   

  Robert Shepherd, PlayOn has to encode in real time because of how it records the video.  PlayOn literally just plays the video in the video player and then records the screen.  It is screen recording software, basically. It just hides the player and screen recording so you can't see it.

• 0
  
  David Campeau October 21, 2019 22:22

  @Jeff,

  You might as well be yelling at a wall.  We were screaming 7 years or longer ago about 1080p, and it was always the same song and dance from support.

• 0
  
  Michael October 22, 2019 18:54

  @Robert
  Who told you it wasn't feasible?

  @Jeff
  Whether or not your CPU can handle it does not change the fact that it is still CPU intensive. Playon can use up to 100% of the CPU. If that isn't intensive, then I guess I don't know what intensive is.

  Also, Jeff, you seem to have the impression that PlayOn does not do any transcoding. It does.

  2. Video Performance

  Changing Maximum Video Quality will affect how hard the PC’s processor will have to work when transcoding a video. The default—and recommended—setting is Auto. When set to Auto, PlayOn will choose the best setting for your PC based on PlayOn’s CPU test under the System Check tab.

  If you notice videos stuttering and/or excessive buffering when streaming to your TV, then the problem may be high CPU usage. Try lowering the setting to reduce CPU usage. You can also do this if you just need to reduce CPU usage to make it easier to use the PC while streaming or recording a video.

  https://www.playon.tv/user-guide/playon-settings

  @David

  I kind of feel like I am talking to a wall.

  Not all services offer 1080 streams yet. You are asking for something that they can not yet provide. So, what you want is cookies with your milk when few are offering cookies. Want in one hand, crap in the other, and see which one fills up faster.

• 0
  
  Jeff October 23, 2019 12:34

  @Michael

  When literally the weakest desktop CPU on the market today can handle it, I no longer consider it CPU intensive.  It just is not a valid argument anymore. On top of that PlayOn already supports using the video card in the system to accelerate video encoding.  Even the integrated Intel GPU including in the last few generations of Intel processors is capable of 1080p encoding in real time. Plus, as I've already pointed out, there is already a mechanism in place in PlayOn to detect if your computer is capable of it or not.  Those of us with computers capable of recording in 1080p should be able to.  You #2 address this directly.  The auto setting you talk about should handle a PC that isn't capable of 1080p recording and automatically drop the setting down to 720p or lower if necessary.

  Also, we aren't talking about streaming to TVs here.  We are talking about recording video directly from their sources.  Transcoding to play on TVs is a completely different topic from what we are asking for.

  Finally, who cares if not all services offer 1080p streams?  Why does that make what we are asking for something they can not yet provide?  Not all streams are even 720p.  So tell me how they allow use to record in 720p?  How is that option available when not all the streams offer 720p?  They same would be true with 1080p if PlayOn devs weren't lazy.  We don't want 1080 from every single service on every single stream, we want to be able to record in 1080p when the stream we are recording is provided in 1080p.  This shouldn't be a hard concept to understand.

• 0
  
  Michael October 23, 2019 18:36

  Doesn't much matter what you think is intensive. Try multitasking while recording with that Celeron of yours.

• 0
  
  Jeff October 23, 2019 20:46

  What do you mean by multitasking?  I literally screen record at 1080p while playing games on the system...  It multitasks just fine while recording.  I don't think you have any grasp on how much CPU power we have at our disposal today and how little of it it actually takes to encode video at 1080p in H.264.

• 0
  
  Michael October 23, 2019 21:28

  Out of one side of your mouth you complain that PlayOn doesn't record at 1080, then out of the other claim you are recording at 1080 while playing games.

  I don't think you you know what you are talking about, much less ever monitored processor usage to know how much of it is being used during certain tasks. PlayOn at times can use 100% of the processor, and during H.264 encoding, I frequently see it hit 100% processor usage on my quad core desktop.

• 0
  
  Jeff October 23, 2019 23:52

  I never said PlayOn was recording at 1080p. I said I was screen recording at 1080p, using screen capture software, while playing games.  Is reading comprehension a hard thing for you?

  If you processor is hitting 100% during encoding, then you have an absolute shit processor.  Time to upgrade, because my Celeron is kicking it's ass. Don't try to hold everyone else back because you're too poor to afford a modern PC.  The FACT is we are now in an age were CPUs can encode 1080p H.265 in real-time.  So 1080p H.264, which is what PlayOn record in, is a walk in the park for modern CPUs. Hell, my main computer doesn't even fully wake from low power states when encoding using PlayOn.  I didn't buy an 8-Core CPU just to be told "well Michael is a poor SOB, so we're going to limit everyone to what Michael's computer is capable of."  No, that isn't how the world works.  We move on, CPUs get faster, and software should be adapting to the faster CPUs. Software shouldn't be limited just because some users can't fully use the options.  That's why they are options.  No one is saying force 1080p recording on everyone.  We are saying give those of us that can do it the option.

  I guarantee you there are some people running PlayOn on computers that are so old they can't even encode at 720p(obviously that's why there is a CPU test in the software).  Should we go back and only allow 480p recording because that's all their computers can handle? Your argument is that because there are some users that can't encode at 1080p, then 1080p shouldn't be an OPTION. So why not apply that same logic to 720p? There are some users that can't encode at 720p, so it shouldn't be an option. It's the same logic.

• 0
  
  Jack Grimes October 24, 2019 01:31

  @Michael
  
  Why does it matter if or not Transcoding at 1080p is CPU Intensive? The option is there to dial it down. You're not committing tens of thousands of PlayOn customers to bottlenecking their CPU. If it's that much concern, set the default to 720p, and let the user elect 1080p on their own. Why bother multitasking? There is an incredible option in there to set the transcoding on a schedule for off-peak hours. No need to multitask while you sleep.

  Your argument seems to have no purpose. Why continue to hold back high-end users by withholding a feature requested by many? Just because YOUR processor can't handle it, doesn't mean mine shouldn't be allowed to. We could all be satisfied at the same time. Also, the option being present in the setup doesn't require you to upgrade your PC. It only encourages users to seek other options.

• 0
  
  David Campeau October 24, 2019 03:20

  The logic and reasoning just doesn't make sense, at least to me, but some have bought into it. IMHO, there is something else at play as to why higher resolutions were not implemented 5 years ago.  I don't know what it is, but there has to be reason why, other than the "beefy CPU" argument. We just aren't being told the entire reason.

   

   

• 0
  
  Michael October 24, 2019 20:49

  @Jeff
  You're talking out of your rump, Jeff. I have an 8 core Ryzen that hits nearly 100% when encoding H.264. But see, this is the reason you and other ass hats whining about PlayOn not recording 1080 keep whining. You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Encoding/transcoding are CPU intensive operations that are meant to utilize available processor power. The higher the resolution, the more processing power it takes. Get over it.

  The fact is, that's not the main reason PlayOn hasn't added support, and it has said so numerous times.

  @Jack
  It matters because encoding/transcoding are CPU intensive operations that are meant to utilize all available processor computations. It's the reason why PlayOn has an option to choose a lower resolution.

  PlayOn is not holding anything back. I don't know how many more ways I can say this. NOT ALL STREAMING SERVICES PROVIDE BROWSER BASED 1080. The limitation is with the browser, not PlayOn. So, PlayOn can't give you 1080 if it isn't available.

  @David
  Not all streaming services provide browser based 1080. So, PlayOn can't give you 1080 if it isn't available.

  ...

• 0
  
  Jeff October 25, 2019 00:55

  No Michael, you have no clue what you're talking about, or what we are talking about here.  You're an idiot, and it shows.

  Sure, it is possible to use 100% of your CPU when transcoding.  But you'll also be transcoding way faster than real time.  I can transcode a 2 hour movie in under an hour if I use 100% of my CPU.  But we are talking about encoding IN REAL TIME you moron.  That requires almost no CPU power these days.

  And while we are at it, stop with the bullshit excuse that not all streaming services provide 1080p.  If they don't provide it, then don't record in it.  We get that.  But some do, and the ones that do PlayOn should be recording those streams in 1080p.  Not all streams are in 720p.  So tell, me how are they offering the option to record in 720p?  See, you're argument is total bullshit.  if you can not answer me why they offer the option of 720p when not all streams are 720p, then you can't use the argument that not all streams are 1080p for why 1080p isn't offered as an option.

• 0
  
  David Campeau October 25, 2019 02:02

  @Michael
  "Not all streaming services provide browser based 1080. So, PlayOn can't give you 1080 if it isn't available."

  I don't believe I've ever heard anyone say playon would or will. It certainly never came from me.

  I know you know this, but people are saying for years "if available", and "the processor can handle it", then allow PlayOn to transcode/record in that resolution.

   

• 0
  
  Michael October 25, 2019 15:52

  @Jeff

  Cry to the company providing the stream. Demand they provide 1080 via browser so you can record their copyrighted content. You're wasting your time here.

• 0
  
  Jeff October 25, 2019 17:51

  Wow, I seriously think you might be one of the dumbest people I've ever experienced on the internet.  You are either severely learning disabled or have absolutely no reading comprehension skills.

• 0
  
  Michael October 25, 2019 17:59

  Yet you keep boohooing.

  Q: What is the definition of doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results?

  A: Jeff.

• 0
  
  Jack Grimes October 25, 2019 22:53

  If that is true, then what specific browser does PlayOn use? If Chrome, here is a Chrome/Mozilla Extension that allows you to play Netflix at 1080p. Couldn't extensions like this one be integrated into the browser used by PlayOn?
  
  https://www.thewindowsclub.com/watch-netflix-1080p-resolution-chrome-firefox