OpenELEC meets Raspberry Pi - part 1 (XBMC)

[frying_fish]

Classic remote is worthwhile, if you can pick up a SL-6399 (something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Speedlink-SL-63 ... 177&sr=8-1 ) then it should work by default.

Admittedly that looks like a new version of the one I have, but I think it is the same chipset inside.

Remote is useful (I use that and an app, my fiance doesn't have an app on her phone, and it is easier if we have friends round to just hit the remote).

Progress is looking pretty good overall. Am excited to try more of this this week.




Build related:

I just cleared the build dir and target, pulled the latest git and it is exiting with a can't set cache size limit error. This seems to be discussed on the github commits section but I thought I'd add it here too:

Code: Select all

/usr/bin/gcc -O2 -Wall -pipe -I/home/liam/RaspberryPi/OpenELEC.tv/build.OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel/toolchain/include -Wall -W -Wl,-rpath,/home/liam/RaspberryPi/OpenELEC.tv/build.OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel/toolchain/lib -L/home/liam/RaspberryPi/OpenELEC.tv/build.OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel/toolchain/lib -o ccache main.o ccache.o mdfour.o hash.o execute.o util.o args.o stats.o version.o cleanup.o snprintf.o unify.o manifest.o hashtable.o hashtable_itr.o murmurhashneutral2.o hashutil.o getopt_long.o exitfn.o lockfile.o counters.o language.o compopt.o -lm  -lz
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/liam/RaspberryPi/OpenELEC.tv/build.OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel/ccache-3.1.7'
Could not set cache size limit.

[milhouse]

I've tested r10935 and also r10950, and while the latter has slightly improved CPU consumption in the GUI (but apparent playback regressions with some media that now won't play), both suffer from the same problem whereby the system becomes unresponsive after scanning with IMDB for a period of time. For instance, in r10950 after scanning media mounted over NFS for 15-30 minutes the system slows to a crawl requiring a reboot - possible resource leakage in the scanner?

Anyone else seeing the same?

[milhouse]

move PS3 controller support in a own addon

This is interesting - I've got a spare PS3 Bluetooth remote and various Bluetooth USB dongles, has anyone got this working?

[dom]

@milhouse

I wrote this in XBMC forum

"I found latest XBMC had very high CPU usage which led to stuttery playback.
I've fixed it by deleting my database (/root/.xbmc/userdata/Database).
It looks like they've changed the way thumbnails are stored in the database, and I'm guessing it's trying to retroactively convert the database (which hasn't completed in a couple of hours).
I think deleting database and recreating is the way forward."

Are you using a database created with an older build?

[milhouse]

Are you using a database created with an older build?

Yes, r10935 but am about to give your theory a try - will report back soon!

[milhouse]

Are you using a database created with an older build?

Yes, r10935 but am about to give your theory a try - will report back soon!

Yep, that certainly seems to have helped - now ticking over at ~15% (down from 85%+, dirtyregion=3) in the menu, cheers!

[Ydna36]

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I'm a beginner with Linux but liked the look of the Rpi as a media centre. I've managed to get it up and running (v 10947) and it seems to work ok on my 22inch pc monitor via hdmi, but i'm struggling getting it to work properly on my 42 inch tv. I can access menus etc (although i have to lower the resolution) but whenever I play a video, it doesn't play. TV just says 'not supported'.

It's a Hanspree 42" tv, i recognise it's not the best tv but it supports the same resolution as my LG monitor and is full hd 1080p.

Any help would be great, thanks in advance.

[Jancis]

I was impressed that everything indeed works. i messed up with screen calibrations, but other than that - it rocks. even 1080p mkv runs smooth. menus have hickups, but i can live with that.

i was browsing hard trough pages to find out how to install it. once I found it, it was really simple. You should add link to installation instructions on first post: http://wiki.openelec.tv/index.php?title ... spberry_PI

[LastSilmaril]

Build related:

I just cleared the build dir and target, pulled the latest git and it is exiting with a can't set cache size limit error. This seems to be discussed on the github commits section but I thought I'd add it here too:

Code: Select all

Could not set cache size limit.

Yeah I reported this here earlier and started the github thread. Someone figured ~ wasn't being expanded and changed it to $HOME, and it seems to have worked since sraue committed the fix.
I'd like to take this moment to thank him and everyone other openelec dev here for their great work on this project!

[welshblob]

Are you using a database created with an older build?

Yes, r10935 but am about to give your theory a try - will report back soon!

Yep, that certainly seems to have helped - now ticking over at ~15% (down from 85%+, dirtyregion=3) in the menu, cheers!

Hi, I've tried various builds and dirty region settings but can't seem to get a lower cpu usage on the menu with a screen that doesn't go blank! I'm currently using all the files from the 10950 build posted earlier and these are the parameters in my advancedsettings.xml;

<advancedsettings>
<gui>
<algorithmdirtyregions>3</algorithmdirtyregions>
<nofliptimeout>1000</nofliptimeout>
</gui>
</advancedsettings>

Also my HD mkv's seem to fail, which used to work on an earlier build. So what exact build are you using, which elf file and what exactly do you have in your advancedsettings.xml file for dirty regions to get such low CPU usage?
Cheers
Rob

[milhouse]

Hi, I've tried various builds and dirty region settings but can't seem to get a lower cpu usage on the menu with a screen that doesn't go blank! I'm currently using all the files from the 10950 build posted earlier and these are the parameters in my advancedsettings.xml;

<advancedsettings>
<gui>
<algorithmdirtyregions>3</algorithmdirtyregions>
<nofliptimeout>1000</nofliptimeout>
</gui>
</advancedsettings>

Also my HD mkv's seem to fail, which used to work on an earlier build. So what exact build are you using, which elf file and what exactly do you have in your advancedsettings.xml file for dirty regions to get such low CPU usage?
Cheers
Rob

Same as you, but timeout of 0 (zero).

My r10950 build is built by me straight out of git and I'm not using any of the downloads available. I'm using the latest elf etc. provided as part of the build.

Subsequent to seeing improved CPU usage just by deleting the .xbmc/userdata/Database, I'm now booting the kernel and system from SD, but mounting /storage from a USB memory stick (format the USB stick with a single ext4 partition, then change cmdline.txt on the SD card to use disk=/dev/sda1 - you can also remove the second partition from the SD card to prevent /Storage being listed twice in Files). This would allow OpenELEC to boot from a 128MB SD card, with all storage via USB (memory stick, hard disk etc.).

Just for fun I'm also using NFS to store thumbnails by adding the following to advancedsettings.xml - working well so far and avoids hammering the SD (or USB as it is now):

Code: Select all

  <pathsubstitution>
      <substitute>
        <from>special://Thumbnails</from>
        <to>nfs://freenas/mnt/share/media/.xbmc/thumbnails</to>
      </substitute>
  </pathsubstitution>

[welshblob]

Same as you, but timeout of 0 (zero). straight out of git and I'm not using any of the downloads available. I'm using the latest elf etc. provided as part of the build.

Thanks for confirming that. I had tried setting the time out to zero but it didn't seem to make that much difference to the CPU. think I'll do some more testing.

[LastSilmaril]

Thanks for alerting me to the existence of advancedsettings!
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Ad ... ttings.xml

[milhouse]

Seems like I've got high CPU usage again, now that I've populated the database with about 300 movies (IMDB scanner, turn off the option to download cast images or it will take forever).

To explain the high CPU usage, is the xbmc.bin process busy scanning the database after each boot? My CPU is now pegged at about 85% while sitting at the main menu.

My guess is that it appeared like the GUI had low CPU usage after I deleted the database, because it was now "empty" - once you put stuff in it by scanning a media library the CPU usage goes through the roof!

Edit: It seems to settle down after about 5-10 minutes of grinding away... something at startup is hammering the CPU though, I'm guessing it's associated with the database now being populated (and this is the same version of OpenELEC that created it, r10950).

[Tavalin]

For those using dirty region settings, have you managed to get it to work satisfactorily so you don't end up with blank regions of the screen? I tried the first build and no matter which dirty region type or timeout I would always end up with blank sections.

[piprog]

Guys,

I have a Panasonic TX-P42G20E -- is there any chance to use its remote with CEC on the RPi now or ever? I see some of you have success with other remotes that come with their own adapters, but AFAIK the RPi in theory is capable of CEC. Right now I'm using iPad-based remotes, or a wireless keyboard, BTW.

thx/pi

[welshblob]

For those using dirty region settings, have you managed to get it to work satisfactorily so you don't end up with blank regions of the screen? I tried the first build and no matter which dirty region type or timeout I would always end up with blank sections.

Yes setting these in the advancedsettings.xml file do indeed appear to reduce CPU as I've tested it this morning using top in an ssh session. Milhouse pointed out to reduce the nofliptimeout to 0 which stopped the blank screen issue for me.

<advancedsettings>
<gui>
<algorithmdirtyregions>3</algorithmdirtyregions>
<nofliptimeout>0</nofliptimeout>
</gui>
</advancedsettings>

However one thing I have noticed is that when I'm using the iPlayer addon and I've drilled down a few menus and the page is static the CPU load went back up to 85%. Not sure why but this might explain why Addons are quite slow or at least the iPlayer one. Oh also I couldn't get iPlayer to actually play any vids so this might be an issue with this build as it was working fine on an older version yesterday.

Currently using all parts from build 10950 which was posted yesterday and I'm not using any of the database features yet.

Rob

[dom]

Edit: It seems to settle down after about 5-10 minutes of grinding away... something at startup is hammering the CPU though, I'm guessing it's associated with the database now being populated (and this is the same version of OpenELEC that created it, r10950).

Does it do this for ten minutes after every boot?
Do you have "Update library on startup" enabled?

[MoonBuggy]

Guys,

I have a Panasonic TX-P42G20E -- is there any chance to use its remote with CEC on the RPi now or ever? I see some of you have success with other remotes that come with their own adapters, but AFAIK the RPi in theory is capable of CEC. Right now I'm using iPad-based remotes, or a wireless keyboard, BTW.

thx/pi

My TV (Samsung UE40D5000) sees it as a CEC capable device, and connects without a problem, but sending control signals doesn't seem to do anything. I'd imagine it's something lower level than a simple settings change, but I'll see if I can find anything more concrete when I get a chance.

[milhouse]

Edit: It seems to settle down after about 5-10 minutes of grinding away... something at startup is hammering the CPU though, I'm guessing it's associated with the database now being populated (and this is the same version of OpenELEC that created it, r10950).

Does it do this for ten minutes after every boot?
Do you have "Update library on startup" enabled?

It seems to (maybe not quite 10 minutes, but certainly several minutes of hammering), and no I don't have that option enabled. I have got IMDB (scraper), YouTube and iPlayer add-ons installed if that makes any difference.

[frying_fish]

In theory CEC is supported in the hardware. As yet though no drivers to interact with it are present.

libCEC is the place to look for it being worked on though so there is a chance.

[aperry]

1. I have experienced with all builds is that when booting initially the picture will overscan the size of the screen which is running at 720p. I then "fix" that with the calibration within xbmc which works fine for that session. Upon reboot the menu screen then shrinks to so that it has black borders on all sides. When then playing videos the black borders remain but at the very extremes you can just about see the video playing behind it as if its overscanning.

First, big thanks to everyone contributing here. I received my Raspi on Friday and had OpenElec up and running shortly thereafter. It's a very cool combination!

I'm running 10950 and so far it's been pretty good. The biggest issue I have is what's quoted above from another user. I've searched around this thread and haven't been able to determine whether there's a good fix for this.

Anyone else struggling with overscan and/or underscan issues? Do you have fix or workaround? I'm connected via HDMI to a 42" TV, running at 1980x1280 at 60Hz. The calibration tool in system settings seems to produce exactly the effect described above.

Thanks in advance,
Aaron

[malcolmr]

Anyone else struggling with overscan and/or underscan issues?

Yes, I have exactly the same problem using the composite out with default settings (NTSC), it either doesn't remember the overscan setting or it is being reset somehow.

Also, I have tried experimenting with the config.txt overscan settings - but these don't seem to have any effect when using XBMC, I'm guessing it overrides them with it's own values. The OpenELEC startup screen IS affected however, it is definitely using the values until XBMC starts.

So I'm looking for a fix here too, and it seems to be a general thing, not specific to HDMI/composite.

[milhouse]

Anyone else struggling with overscan and/or underscan issues? Do you have fix or workaround? I'm connected via HDMI to a 42" TV, running at 1980x1280 at 60Hz. The calibration tool in system settings seems to produce exactly the effect described above.

Not personally (LG IPS225V monitor works fine at [email protected] with r10950), but is this thread any good to you? Try forcing the correct HDMI group/mode setting in config.txt.

[aperry]

Thanks for the responses malcomr and millhouse. I'll experiment with the "force" method in the other thread. But at first glance it looks promising, especially if other people with similar TV settings aren't having the issue.

Aaron