[NEWS] OpenATV 8.1.0-beta: GLES and WQHD enter public testing

OpenATV 8.1.0-beta: GLES and WQHD enter public testing

Hello everyone,

following the first GLES alpha images this summer, development is moving forward: The public openATV 8.1.0-beta images mark the start of our next testing phase. We have continued work on graphics rendering, revised memory and texture management, and added new animation options that can be configured individually.

GLES stands for OpenGL ES. It lets Enigma2 use the receiver’s graphics chip to draw the user interface, including menus, images, transparency and animations. Performance depends on the receiver, its drivers, the skin and the selected effects.

WQHD means a skin resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. It requires a supported receiver and a suitable skin, such as Metrix with its WQHD setting. This is independent of the TV programme’s resolution; the interface is scaled to match the HDMI output. FHD remains available and uses fewer graphics resources.

Which receivers?

GLES and WQHD are currently planned for models including:
– Dreambox DM900, DM920, Dream One and Dream Two.
– Vu+ Solo 4K, Uno 4K, Uno 4K SE, Ultimo 4K, Duo 4K, Duo 4K SE, Duo 4K LITE and Zero 4K.
– GigaBlue Quad 4K, Quad 4K Pro, UE 4K and X3 4K.
– Edision OS mini 4K, OS mio 4K and OS mio+ 4K.
– AX/Mutant HD51, AX/Mutant HD60 and AX HD61.
– Zgemma H7 and supported H9 and H11 models.
– Further HiSilicon/Mali receivers, such as the Octagon SF8008 and uClan Ustym 4K Pro.

This is a selection of intended models, not a list of fully tested receivers. Selected older models also receive GLES support, including the Dreambox DM520/DM820/DM7080 and Vu+ Duo2/Solo2/Solo SE. GLES support does not automatically include WQHD on those receivers. Available features depend on support in the beta image for each model.

What animation options are available?

Under Menu > Setup > Usage & GUI > OSD Animation Settings, you will find:
– Window animations: Basis, Modern adaptive, fade in/out, Dialog pop, Toast slide, Side sheet, and Zoom and fade. There are also 14 classic variants with fade, zoom, slide, grow and stripe effects.
– Separate profiles for dialogs, popups and toast notifications, with adjustable speed or duration.
– Separate TV InfoBar and Media InfoBar settings: disabled, fade in/out, slide into view from below and back out through the bottom edge, or slide combined with fade.
– Smooth movement of the selection bar in lists.
– Optional crossfades when text, picons or images change, wizard step transitions and PicturePlayer image crossfades.
– Optional content fades on supported front displays, an adjustable memory limit and a preview using the blue button.

Effects can be disabled individually. Some options require an advanced setup level or suitable hardware.

Please remember: This is a public beta!

Many receivers and combinations of skins and plugins are still untested. Initial internal testing does not cover every everyday use case. Rendering issues, stuttering or crashes may occur. Please back up your current installation before testing. One known issue: The optional PicturePlayer crossfade can cause a black interval before the first image appears; this option is disabled by default.

If something goes wrong, please explain exactly where and how it happens. A report saying only “doesn’t work” is difficult to reproduce. Please use this template where possible:

Receiver / exact model:
Image version and build date:
Skin, skin version and resolution (HD/FHD/WQHD):
Affected plugin and version:
Enabled animations / affected option:
Steps to reproduce and exact menu or plugin screen:
Expected behaviour / actual problem:
Does it also happen with animations disabled or with Metrix in FHD?
Debug/crash log, screenshot or short video:

Thank you for testing and for your detailed feedback!