MPEG-H/360 RA Player app for Android TV " iRZ MPEG-H Player "

[humprof]

I wrote to Frauhofer IIS the developer of MPEG-H. They responded and told me about this app

I wonder why Fraunhofer isn't yet making their own (confusingly named) "VVPlayer" freely available on a wider basis. Right now you can only get it as part of their MPEG-H developer suite, which is also free, though you have to "apply" to get a license.

 

[mandrix]

I wonder why Fraunhofer isn't yet making their own (confusingly named) "VVPlayer" freely available on a wider basis. Right now you can only get it as part of their MPEG-H developer suite, which is also free, though you have to "apply" to get a license.

...and why it is so limited.

 

[Lucanu]

Just an update for you all

I had to buy a Nvidia Shield TV, thanks to @Evanesco suggestion because actually it's the only way to play with this iRZ MPEG-H Player.
As you may already know I bought a Marantz SR7015 which is told to be able to manage MPEG-H audio via a Firmware Update since 2020.
It works as you can see from this picture I took

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Just an update for you all

I had to buy a Nvidia Shield TV, thanks to @Evanesco suggestion because actually it's the only way to play with this iRZ MPEG-H Player.
As you may already know I bought a Marantz SR7015 which is told to be able to manage MPEG-H audio via a Firmware Update since 2020.
It works as you can see from this picture I took
View attachment 88281

and, what is it that you're playing?

 

[Lucanu]

and, what is it that you're playing?

In iRZ MPEG-H Player there are two videos available to test it out

 

[woody]

How many people ca nvouch that the firecube works.? None of the descriptions mention support for MPEG-H in product details and most of the features beyond a firestick have no use for me.

 

[Albert Dagger]

supposedly, the Amazon FireTV Cube (3rd Gen) should also work, marantz ans Amazon support told me that me. but 150 bucks only for 360RA is a bit overpriced for me…

It seems we have evidence that it works. See here: https://www.avsforum.com/threads/th...hread-read-the-1st-page.3261194/post-62965047

The picture shows a Fire TV Stick working with Amazon Music. I'd be curious to know if it also works with a Tidal subscription, but I doubt it.

 

[HomerJAU]

Excellent find Alberto! Amazon streams RA360 (MPEG-H 3D) so the latest Fire Cube TV support is not unexpected.

I will buy a Fire Cube TV to test and see how Kodi goes if it gets a special price for Black Friday. I’ve been looking twice a day since Monday but still at full price. It was 50% off a month or so ago.

 

[Albert Dagger]

Excellent find Alberto! Amazon streams RA360 (MPEG-H 3D) so the latest Fire Cube TV support is not unexpected.

I will buy a Fire Cube TV to test and see how Kodi goes if it gets a special price for Black Friday. I’ve been looking twice a day since Monday but still at full price. It was 50% off a month or so ago.

There's a 50% off on Amazon AU at the moment. I might get one and give it a try.
I am not sure it will work with Tidal, though.

 

[woody]

There's a 50% off on Amazon AU at the moment. I might get one and give it a try.
I am not sure it will work with Tidal, though.

It works. I have one. The format is very lackluster though. Only benefit is accessibility to non-Atmos albums- of which there are few. I rarely use it.

 

[Albert Dagger]

It works. I have one. The format is very lackluster though. Only benefit is accessibility to non-Atmos albums- of which there are few. I rarely use it.

Thanks for confirming. There are a few albums in 360RA that I love, such as Alicia Keys' Songs in A Minor, Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and David Bowie's Space Oddity. I did listen to them in 5.1 downmixed format, and I have been looking forward to hearing the original 360RA mixes. The cost of a Fire TV Stick is minimal compared to some expensive box sets, so even if I use it for 5 or 10 albums, it still makes sense

 

[Lucanu]

I also tested my "old" Chromecast 4K with iRZ Mpeg-h player and it also works fine.

Actually only Fire Cube supports mpeg-h stream over Amazon Music Unlimited with an issue though. When playing back Mpeg-H or Atmos stuff you will get only a 5.1.2 stream

Fun thing about TIDAL on Apple TV/Chromecast/Fire Cube is it doesn't support any 360RA but it shows up "360" when it's available, It looks like TIDAL should see and play 360 stuff but it's still not possible and switches to MQA/Hifi stereo stream

 

[HomerJAU]

Actually only Fire Cube supports mpeg-h stream over Amazon Music Unlimited

Maybe the new Firestick Max only recently released will work. I believe Kodi can output Dolby Vision on the new Firestick and Cube models. I will test sometime soon I hope.

 

[HomerJAU]

There's a 50% off on Amazon AU at the moment

Just the Firestick models on sale. 4K Max is the one to get (latest) but it has no usb port. The Fire Cube has a USB port but it won’t power a non powered usb drive (it may power a SSD drive like the Samsung T7).

 

[MrSmithers]

It works. I have one. The format is very lackluster though. Only benefit is accessibility to non-Atmos albums- of which there are few. I rarely use it.

Amazon (not Tidal) offers the L3 MPEG-H which offers a much higher bitrate (1600kb/s) than streaming Atmos (EAC-3-JOC - 768 kb/s). So even with the albums that are on Apple Music, there is a considerable uplift in fidelity.

There is a catch though, in that a few of the newer albums seem to have got a wonky channel map conversion - Foo Fighters and Cyndi Lauper have the main vocal in the rear channels?!

I have the non Atmos albums as this so far... (May have changed since I last checked...)

David Bowie - Blackstar
David Bowie - The Next Day
David Bowie - “Heroes”
David Bowie - Heathen
David Bowie - Reality
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Duran Duran - Future Past
The Vaccines - Back In Love City
Haim - Women In Music Pt. III
The Soul Rebels - Poetry In Motion
Teddy Pendergrass - Selected Greatest Hits
Dandelion - Carolina Story
Biffy Clyro - A Celebration Of Endings
Dua Lipa - Dua Lipa (Unique discrete mix, Warner so bizarre to be in 360)
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia (Unique discrete mix, Warner so bizarre to be in 360)

Perhaps, these posts should be moved to this thread? As this one is about the iRZ MPEG-H player? I've mistakingly put stuff in that thread that I should have put here...
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...nd-other-mpeg-h-ready-receivers.32566/page-10

 

[HomerJAU]

non Atmos albums as this so far... (May have changed since I last checked...)

Spandau Ballet - 12” Remixes (10 hit singles) is another RA360 only (was on Deezer @1600kbps, not sure if it’s on Amazon, it’s not on Tidal)

 

[MrSmithers]

Spandau Ballet - 12” Remixes (10 hit singles) is another RA360 only (was on Deezer @1600kbps, not sure if it’s on Amazon, it’s not on Tidal)

Oh cool! Thanks, will have a look...

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Just the Firestick models on sale. 4K Max is the one to get (latest) but it has no usb port. The Fire Cube has a USB port but it won’t power a non powered usb drive (it may power a SSD drive like the Samsung T7).

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd gen.) has a micro USB port for power. I wonder why they didn't take advantage of USB-C?!

 

[dabl]

So with all the posts of success from people using an Amazon, Chromecast 4K or Nvidia Shield TV hardware device and getting 360 surround content delivered for playback it's a given that on the other end is a recent model AVR with MPEG-H 3D hardware decoding correct? I just want to make sure I have a grasp on the concept of trying to do this.

 

[AYanguas]

Fun thing about TIDAL on Apple TV/Chromecast/Fire Cube is it doesn't support any 360RA but it shows up "360" when it's available, It looks like TIDAL should see and play 360 stuff but it's still not possible and switches to MQA/Hifi stereo stream

Fire TV Stick cannot play Dolby Atmos from Tidal when is connected to a non-Atmos EDID output. It switches to the Stereo version.

It looks there is the same behaviour for 360RA, if AVR does not decode MPEG-H