Android 4.4 KitKat Reportedly Degrades Video Playback

For the most part, receiving software updates is something to look forward to because this usually involves bug fixes, performance improvements, and sometimes even new features as well. Unfortunately it seems that Android 4.4 KitKat might not necessarily be the update the video lovers might be looking forward to. According to a study conducted by OptoFidelity, it has been found that video playback on Android 4.4 KitKat is actually worse compared to playback on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

The study was conducted with two tablets, the original Nexus 7 and the 2013 version of the Nexus 7, both which were compared before the update and after the update, with videos playing back at 30fps and 60fps at 720p and 1080p resolutions. Interestingly enough the study found that the original Nexus 7 tablet managed to offer the best playback running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and that both tablets had suffered a degradation of video playback after updating to Android 4.4 KitKat. While OptoFidelity does not know why updating to Android 4.4 KitKat results in worse video playback, they did state that this is something users need to take note of. Anyone with Android 4.4 KitKat can attest to their claims?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Android