4.0.0.7 Apple TV+ new way

[hart7]

I see in 4.0.0.7 for Apple TV+ it downloads rather than recording while it's playing. However, the video quality is much lower than in 4.0.0.6 and getting frame stutter. Also, CPU hits 100% while parsing. 4.0.0.6 is still better for Apple TV+.

[Mona]

Please post the drmDownloader log file first, thank you.

[hart7]

Attached is the log file. Thank you.

[hart7]

Attached are 2 new log files. Not sure if the first log file I sent had the info on the show I downloaded.
The first log file is from my computer with an Intel GPU that did NOT kick in while parsing so GPU maxed out at 100%.
.The second log file is from my other computer with a Nvidia GTX1060 and GPU did kick in but still get frame stuttering and video quality seem much worse that in 4.0.0.6.

Thank you.

[twhiting9275]

100% right there with you. This is MUCH worse than before, and post download 'parsing' takes 15 minutes.
Is this even tested before release, or just thrown out there and we're told to just accept it? This is HORRIBLE quality here
Netflix
Amazon
Apple TV +

ALL of these suffer the SAME problem. Regularly poor quality, massive conversion and 'parsing' times, all after being supposedly "updated".
How many times do we have to bring this up before it's FIXED???

I swear, it's like a broken record around here. At LEAST, they could have fixed the KNOWN bugs with Apple TV+ instead of just throwing out pathetic nonsense.

[Movies99]

I agree that parsing now takes much, much longer than prior to v.4.0.0.7. I don’t know if that gives us a better file at the end as I do not know the technical side of how the processing works.

On Netflix, with version .6 I downloaded the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and I received an output file of around 750mb. To me that was a very small output file for this movie length.

I then tried it again using .7 and was suprised to get a file of 6.1gb. Quite a change!
I then looked at Gunpowder Milkshake and using version .7 received an output file of 13.1gb???

It appears, to me, that some of the updates being pushed through are changing things that, in some cases, do not need to be improved while sites like Amazon “work” but are not useable unless you are happy to get a vhs or laserdisc quality output file.

I worry that things may be getting out of control.
Personally, I think all “hands” need to be applied to getting Amazon to work to at least a 720p standard.
If that cannot be achieved within ,say, three weeks, drop Amazon from the platform until it can work at this level.
I would be quite happy to get 720p on all outputs, 1080p would be great, but 720p should be the lowest standard tolerated.
Just my 5 cents worth, or as I’m in Canada, my 4 cents worth.

[FredH]

I am not having success with Apple TV+ in the new method, either. The download portion seems to work fine but the parsing part goes very slowly and then gives up around 30 minutes. StreamFab reports that the file was downloaded successfully but the resulting file is only about 8-10 minutes long and there is no audio. I tried episodes of Ted Lasso, Physical and Morning Show and had the same results with all. Log file attached.

[twhiting9275]

Personally, I think all “hands” need to be applied to getting Amazon to work to at least a 720p standard.
If that cannot be achieved within ,say, three weeks, drop Amazon from the platform until it can work at this level.

720p isn't a 'standard'. It's a joke. Seriously, that's what it is, a joke.
As I've mentioned previously, there are other programs out there that overcame this, quite quickly. The staff behind Streamfab though, have no clue what's going on. This much is evident
I shouldn't need a backup download program, but apparently, that's what it's come to, since we cannot rely on the software we paid good $$$ for to do the job we paid for.

I am not having success with Apple TV+ in the new method, either. The download portion seems to work fine but the parsing part goes very slowly and then gives up around 30 minutes. StreamFab reports that the file was downloaded successfully but the resulting file is only about 8-10 minutes long and there is no audio. I tried episodes of Ted Lasso, Physical and Morning Show and had the same results with all. Log file attached.

if the parsing takes as long as you're saying it does, it is likely your PC cannot handle the new method they're using.
Not defending them, at all, but this is the unfortunate reality
Even with a Ryzen 9 3900X, 64 gig system with a Geforce 1650 OC card (a pretty robust system, really, which handles almost anything), the video card is pegged @ 50% during processing for a good 15 minutes. I can only imagine what it's doing to lower end systems

[KidJoe]

I downloaded Greyhound from Apple TV+ as a test with 4.0.0.7.

I didn't have any issues with high CPU or GPU usage, nor did it seem to take very long. That being said I didn't sit there with a stop watch timing it either.

I did see download rates staying in the 2-4MB/s range, however it went as LOW as 300KB/s and as high as 16MB/s on my 1.2Gbps cable (my PC is wired). I'm not very surprised that I'd get slower download rates from Apple because when I download movies with iTunes the speed seems to vary (one time I'll download a movie in 6 minutes, another it will take 25 minutes to download). Greyhound took about 20-25 minutes to download and complete processing so its slower than Netflix, but certainly better than the former "1X" speed.

My problems are with the resolution and bit rate being lower (see below), *AND* I do get stuttering/jittery playing back via Plex on my Roku Ultra (wired ethernet to my server) or directly on my PC (using DVDFab MediaPlayer Pro 3). Logs are attached for 3 downloads I did that all have the stutter/jitter during playback.

StreamFab said 720p while downloading. BUT the files are an odd resolution (1186x496) and PLEX identifies this file as 576P, not 720p.

Here are the specs for Greyhound downloaded with 4.0.0.7 NOTE: I downloaded it twice, just to make sure the download speed fluctuation didn't have an impact on the resolution and bit rate. It did not, as both were the same. I also downloaded Palmer, it too came down without issue but was this odd resolution (1186x494, 1971kb/s bit rate), and also shows as 576p on Plex.

Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1 h 31 min
[B]Bit rate mode : Variable[/B]
[B]Bit rate : 2 022 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 2 141 kb/s
Width : 1 186 pixels
Height : 496 pixels[/B]
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Minimum frame rate : 23.974 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 23.981 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.143
Stream size : 1.30 GiB (94%)
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 3
[B]Format : AAC LC[/B]
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 1 h 31 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
[B]Bit rate : 127 kb/s[/B]
[B]Channel(s) : 2 channels[/B]
Channel layout : L R
[B]Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz[/B]
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 83.1 MiB (6%)
Title : Core Media Audio / English
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1

Compared to the download done back in early April (I forget which version of DRM Downloader/StreamFab it was) which was a 1x (Download while watching) process....

Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1 h 34 min
[B]Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 5 259 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 5 500 kb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 802 pixels[/B]
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Minimum frame rate : 11.990 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 23.981 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.142
Stream size : 3.46 GiB (98%)
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
[B]Format : AAC LC[/B]
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 1 h 34 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
[B]Bit rate : 124 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels[/B]
Channel layout : L R
[B]Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz[/B]
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 83.1 MiB (2%)
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1

As you can see, the download from April was 1080p with over DOUBLE the bit rate. Its hard to judge the difference in video quality between that, and today's downloaded with 4.0.0.7 with the stutter in the video. The April and my downloads with 4.0.0.6 and lower are all 1080p, good bit rates, play smooth and look great.


The audio on the downloads is about the same between the one from April, the TV shows (Ted Lasso and The Morning Show) I did with 4.0.0.6 and these 3 movies I did today with 4.0.0.7. 124kb/s vs 127 kb/s is a negligible difference. Both are 2 channel AAC


I for one would like to know if this "update" to StreamFab was necessitated by a change on Apple's part? or Is it the DVDFab team just trying to give us faster downloads? And will 5.1 audio be a feature of this new download process?

Because if I'm stuck with 2 channel AAC audio, and the only reason to make this change is faster downloads, I'd almost rather have 1080p and higher bit rates back! Or at least an option to select 1x 1080p vs faster 720p.

[twhiting9275]

I for one would like to know if this "update" to StreamFab was necessitated by a change on Apple's part? or Is it the DVDFab team just trying to give us faster downloads? And will 5.1 audio be a feature of this new download process?

I have one at 4.0.0.6 and Apple still works just fine. Tried a download this morning , no problem

As far as the resolution:
Again, we get inferior quality , without a 'choice' here. I didn't even notice that on the first run through. This is not something you pay a premium price for.

Yes, the streaming method takes longer. Maybe it provides lower quality audio. Who cares!!!!!! It's not the audio that's important. It's what it LOOKS LIKE! 720p is garbage on up to date systems. Stereo is just fine.

[Mona]

Hi all, the playback issue will be fixed in the coming version. Please wait for the update and then have a try, thank you.

[hart7]

4.0.0.8 appears to fix most of the stuttering issue and my Intel GPU is being used. Thank you. There is still some minor stuttering in fast panning shots. But watching video is much improved although it was super smooth in 4.0.0.6.

Could you please explain why since 4.0.0.7 Apple TV+ downloads are in 720p and not in 1080p like in previous versions? The bit rate seems much lower than before. In previous versions it did take longer to download but we were getting 1080p. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

[twhiting9275]

Could you please explain why since 4.0.0.7 Apple TV+ downloads are in 720p and not in 1080p like in previous versions?

I'll take a pretty decent stab at this, given what's already been stated here in the forums regarding other providers. 10:1, I'm right

It's likely that Apple has done the same thing as Hulu, D+ and others, and limited the downloading capabilities to 720p . The reason we were (are, if you're still lucky enough to have 4.0.0.6 and find it working) getting 1080p? The video was streamed, rather than downloaded.

I'm all for choice here. Let the user choose between waiting for the video to complete streaming (I have no problem with this, as I have a PC that I can use specifically for this), and take (theoretically) lower quality audio, or choose a slightly faster, much lower quality download. Sadly, most seem to be willing to sacrifice quality for speed and convenience of late.


Unfortunately, the devs have made the choice for us. Lower quality wins.