We’ve already written about future processors that will support 8K video decoding, such as Rockchip RK3588 that is expected to launch in early 2020.
But I’ve just read claims that Amlogic A311D and S922X-B processors could also decode VP9 8K at 30 fps. So let’s have a look at Amlogic A311D datasheet first:
Amlogic Video Engine (AVE-10) offloads the Cortex-A53 CPUs from all video CODEC processing. It includes dedicated hardware video decoder and encoder. AVE-10 is capable of decoding 4Kx2K resolution video at 75fps with complete Trusted Video Path (TVP) for secure applications and supports full formats including MVC, MPEG-1/2/4, VC-1/WMV, AVS, AVS+, AVS2 RealVideo, MJPEG streams, H.264, H265-10, VP9 and also JPEG pictures with no size limitation. The independent encoder is able to encode in JPEG or H.265/H.264 up to 1080p at 60fps
There’s only mention of 4Kx2K decoding at up to 75fps, and further down in the document, we can see VP9 maximum resolution and framerate:
VP9 Profile-2 up to 4Kx2K@60fps
So is that fake news? Apparently not, as adamg managed to play an 8K 30 fps video with CoreELEC on Amlogic A311D powered Khadas VIM3 SBC, and he has a video to prove it.
The VP9 video has a 7680×4320 resolution and a 29.970 fps framerate. It appears to play relatively smoothly. While Amlogic A311D supports HDMI 2.1, I doubt it can output 8K, so I’d expect 8K video decoding to work, but not 8K video output. I asked whether the video output in the video above was 1080p or 4K, but I did not get an answer to that specific question, and instead was told Amlogic S922X-B SoC, the faster version of S922X, can also handle 8K VP9 video decoding.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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I have difficulties finding meaningful 4k content. At this stage I suspect 8k is a conspiracy by the vendors of flash storage : )
There’s a test satellite channel running on Astra 28.2 in Europe. 75Mbs 7680×4320/50p HEVC 10 bit with HLG EOTF and Rec 2020 gamut. There is also a full time service running in Japan now. Whether 8K is sensible for consumer size displays is a different question.
Format : HEVC
Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile : Main 10@L6@Main
Codec ID : 36
Width : 7 680 pixels
Height : 4 320 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 50.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 10 bits
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.2020
Transfer characteristics : HLG
Matrix coefficients : BT.2020 non-constant
NHK does have a dedicated 8K channel (dish only) but it’s really a test channel as well. Only 12 hours a day and even then only some of the content is 8K. NHK is working the kinks out before they make their big push with the Olympics next year.
https://www.nhk.or.jp/bs4k8k/assets/pdf/bs8k_program.pdf
>NHK does have a dedicated 8K channel (dish only) but it’s really a test channel as well.
And all of the content NHK has isn’t worth watching at SD resolution let alone 8K.
Japanese conglomerates are pushing 8K, particularly in medicine, so there is more visual real estate and details of live moving cells can be obtained…e.g. in travelling blood clots etc. I am no expert on how this would look in 4k, but they are hawking 8K for medical purposes, I surmise top hospitals dont care the cost, they want the best. No hospital wants to say their patients died because the clot scrolled off screen.
If you could record a short clip and share with us, we’d like to test it out and see how it works on the S922X B and A311D.
This was just a proof of concept, to show that it was possible.
Both 4K and 1080P output resolutions work and are able to play the 8K video.
The 4.9 vendor kernel doesn’t support 8K output, but even HDMI 2.0 should be capable of delivering 8K@30FPS.
This is something we’re looking into, and will attempt to make happen when we get the chance.
Here’s my original post about the S922X revB’s capability of decoding 8K video. Note that in the video you linked, it’s actually playing directly from YouTube, it’s not local content.
https://discourse.coreelec.org/t/s922x-bee-link-gt-king/5334/325
We confirmed that both VP9 and HEVC work with 8K @ 30FPS, at least.
I am running patagonia 4K on youtube and youtube provide video in AV1
It is kind of heavy 4K AV1 decoding on my computer 🙂
AV1 decoding not supported by hardware. Youtube provides VP9 which is decoded by hardware on these SoCs.