MT5891: 32 or 64 bit SoC?

[Jecht_Sin]

Can anyone explain this?

I mean, is the MT5891 a 64 bit SoC and yet it has been restricted to run at 32 bits only? Also what about the ABI? Why isn't it using the ABI v8a? Are they going to be supported in Android 7? I see them available in my Xperia X Compact with Android Nougat, 64 bit ABI v8a included.

[Kuschelmonschter]

The TVs simply run the 32-bit OS (Linux+Android). That's why the CPU can only run in 32-bit mode. I am not sure whether it makes a ton of sense to go to 64-bit. CPU and memory are just undersized anyway.

[Jecht_Sin]

Well, at 64 bit it's supposed to be faster generally speaking. It may use some more RAM, but not always. An array in memory doesn't change its size because we run the CPU at 64 bit but some operations on it can get much faster. Then sure, it also depends on how well the the code is optimised. Still, even if it is only a 10% gain in performances I wouldn't say no to it.

[kinggo01]

Generally speaking, not necessarily. Just by running 64bitt OS does not mean better overall performance. Anyway, the same was with desktops, we got 64bits CPUs and then we waited..........and waited...........for years to get propper 64bit OS with 64bits apps. I think that first AMD64 came out in 2003 and I think that I switched on 64bit linux somewhere arround ubuntu 10 which was 7-8 years later and still with a bunch of 32bit libraries. A very long way to go, particularly for manufacturers with bunch of different android devices. And as long SONY plans to support TVs with 32bit SOC I don't see this happening. Their development is kinda weird and lags behind a lot in some aspects. While they really do provide pretty decent support, one of the better OEMs in that regard, Nougat brought us kernel 4.4. And SONY stll using 3.10 or 3.18 which are or will be OEL soon. And developer preview of O is already out.

[Jecht_Sin]

@kinggo01 Oh.. You're right. My Xperia X Compact with Android 7 is stuck at kernel version 3.10.84. Not that I am sure which benefits will bring Linux version 4.4. Actually I don't know much about different Linux versions. All I know is my X Compact is hyper snappy, though!

Still, when Apple introduced OS X at 64 bits (with Leopard, I think) they first started only with the user space at 64 bits, the kernel in most Macs was still at 32 bits because of EFI being at 32 bits. And I remember quite clearly Apple claiming (with charts) that going 64 bits (recompiling the apps) there was a perfomances improvement of at least 10%. With Java there isn't even the need of recompiling the cource codes, it's all managed by Android itself.

I mean, given the state of these disgraced SoCs every little really matters.

[Darkrenzo]

Sorry to necro an old post, but how did you get this info on your TV?

I have been trying to find exactly this so I can find out wich app version I need to side load for my X9300E and cannot find it anywhere. Are you using an app on the TV or is it native to it already?

[Kuschelmonschter]

You can use AIDA64 for example. Sony ATV to this date is 32-Bit. So you need armv7a builds.

[Darkrenzo]

Awesome. That app worked a treat @Kuschelmonschter 
Thanx very much. Now hopefully plex will get their app sorted soon.

[Kuschelmonschter]

What‘s your problem with Plex?

[Darkrenzo]

The last couple of versions have this bug where the player thinks the device cant play multi channel AAC (5.1, 7.1, etc.) and it is forcing a transcode. Which leads to other errors as well.
In my files, by the bug transcoding the audio, it was messing with the video, shrinking in the image and putting black bars on the left and right.
Tested it on my TV, Shield, phone and tablet. Shield worked fine, but the rest had the same issue.
Other complaints have been that if you use subtitles on a video and the bug is forcing the audio to transcode, it forces the video to transcode as well, making it pretty much unusable for alot of people that rely on direct play.
Like most, my pc cannot handle a 4k transcode, so I cant watch ony of those atm either.

Plex said they had fixed it with the last update, but alot of people have come back saying that their fix has not worked.
So we all have had to roll back to the last stabel version, being 7.10.

To top it off we are still waiting for the 8.0 app to be released here in AUS by Sony, so I am still getting the green line issue we discussed in the German thread 😞