[erdie]

Hello forum, long time xbmc/kodi user here:

Just registered to post about this issue, i'm having the exact same problem as @Timbu, some details:

- Similar atom z8300-based hardware just from a different OEM ( http://minix.com.hk/en/products/neo-z83-4 )
- Same behaviour: with refresh sync ON no audio + video stops using directsound
- Same behaviour: with refresh sync ON video runs but desync/choppy audio using wasapi
- Same behaviour: with refresh sync OFF audio/video ok
- Same behaviour: once the fail has happened Kodi won't close gracefully, the process has to be killed.
- Basically, every single assertion made by Timbu happens to me too.


Things i've tried:

- Multiple driver versions for the intel audio / realtek I2S chip: all of them worked OK outside of kodi, but this issue still existind inside kodi.
- Multiple players: MPH-HC/VLC: all of them worked OK outside of kodi.

One thing i've noticed:

If i start the file playback using a bluetooth enabled headset as the audio output, the refresh rate adjusts ok and the audio is perfect through the headset. If I power off the headset while the file is playing the audio jumps to the hdmi output OK and if i turn the headset back on it jumps back to the headset as many times as i want. So it seems @Timbu is right, whatever is happening happens at the refresh rate adjustment, after that is done the audio works ok.

Regards

I just got one of these minix machines a few weeks ago. It worked okay(ish) for a couple of weeks, but I was getting some stuttering on the sound if I paused a video. But over the weekend I started having the same problem, this included kodi sounds when moving around the menus. I have tried almost every setting that on the machine.
One thing that I have noticed that makes the sound stop is if I change from "fullscreen" to "windowed" - trying vice versa doesn't immediately bring the sound back but it does come back eventually.

A friend has a windows machine with similar specs but it has a bay trail chips.He doesn't have these audio problems. I made a note of his settings, but it hasn't cured my problem.

[Timbu]

My Apollo-Lake Mini-PC has no problem with HDMI Audio and Kodi as well.
Compared to the Atom based system it shows the well known "Intel HD-Audio" in the Device Manager and not "Intel SST Audio..."

Something is odd with the audio device/driver/codec on the Atom based machines on Windows.
I read from a user on Amazon he uses OpenElec on the very same machine now and has no Audio Problems in Kodi. like he had under Windows.

However, I'd like to stay with my Windows 10 and Kodi...

Btw I changed the thread topic because it seems to be a problem with the Atom SoC and Windows drivers.

[roliverosc]

It can help you although I also think it may be the fault of the drivers of Realtek.

https://software.intel.com/es-es/forums/...pic/538779

[erdie]

MPC-HC uses Libav Codec Library. Maybe there is a possibility to use this in Kodi as well?

Kodi can be set-up to use your favourite player using External players (wiki) and the first example is cut & paste for MPC-HC. re: "what does MPC-HC do different? Why does it succeed where Kodi fails?" it's a media player for Windows® NOT across multiple platforms. A better comparison is VLC, and if you can get that to run smoothly, then Kodi has a chance.

I think this is probably the way to go. I'm going to try early next week and test a couple of other player to use with Kodi. I will let you know how I get on.

[erdie]

I decided not to try external players (yet). Instead I reinstalled Windows, let it do all the updates that it needed. Then I installed Kodi - I didn't use the Kodi backup that I had created a while - I rescanned and rescraped all of my local content. I just used the sound settings that Kodi installed on setup and I didn't muck about with any of the Windows sound settings. Touch wood I don't have any stuttering on the sound - but I made sure that I had the display set as "fullscreen window".

[Timbu]

So you watch everything in window mode now?

[le_hades]

Hello forum, long time xbmc/kodi user here:

Just registered to post about this issue, i'm having the exact same problem as @Timbu, some details:

- Similar atom z8300-based hardware just from a different OEM ( http://minix.com.hk/en/products/neo-z83-4 )
- Same behaviour: with refresh sync ON no audio + video stops using directsound
- Same behaviour: with refresh sync ON video runs but desync/choppy audio using wasapi
- Same behaviour: with refresh sync OFF audio/video ok
- Same behaviour: once the fail has happened Kodi won't close gracefully, the process has to be killed.
- Basically, every single assertion made by Timbu happens to me too.


Things i've tried:

- Multiple driver versions for the intel audio / realtek I2S chip: all of them worked OK outside of kodi, but this issue still existind inside kodi.
- Multiple players: MPH-HC/VLC: all of them worked OK outside of kodi.

One thing i've noticed:

If i start the file playback using a bluetooth enabled headset as the audio output, the refresh rate adjusts ok and the audio is perfect through the headset. If I power off the headset while the file is playing the audio jumps to the hdmi output OK and if i turn the headset back on it jumps back to the headset as many times as i want. So it seems @Timbu is right, whatever is happening happens at the refresh rate adjustment, after that is done the audio works ok.

Regards

I just got one of these minix machines a few weeks ago. It worked okay(ish) for a couple of weeks, but I was getting some stuttering on the sound if I paused a video. But over the weekend I started having the same problem, this included kodi sounds when moving around the menus. I have tried almost every setting that on the machine.
One thing that I have noticed that makes the sound stop is if I change from "fullscreen" to "windowed" - trying vice versa doesn't immediately bring the sound back but it does come back eventually.

A friend has a windows machine with similar specs but it has a bay trail chips.He doesn't have these audio problems. I made a note of his settings, but it hasn't cured my problem.

As i said, audio stuttering (including kodi sounds) happened to me when using WASAPI sound device instead of DIRECTSOUND device. Make sure to check for that.

[bigtroutz]

Just wanted to pass along another piece of data about this exact problem. I also had the same exact problem tried all the same solutions from within Kodi and gave up, switching back to an old Fire TV Stick. However, the problem began with Kodi 17.1 for me and one long Win10 update fixed the issue in Kodi 17.3 for a long while. Just recently another Win10 update BROKE Kodi 17.4 again. PIA.

I will try the external player solution myself. During all these on again off again stumbles, ONLY Kodi 17.x had the issue. All other sound output, including version 16.x ran fine using DIRECT: default sound. Might also try some Kodi alternate version builds while I'm at it.

[Timbu]

Well I gave up on getting HDMI Audio to work properly.

So I bought a small Soundbar and connected it via the 3.5mm analogue plug to my system and disabled HDMI Audio in Windows. Audio works fine that way.
I didn't want to have extra loudspeakers in my bedroom at first, but it's a compromise I had to take...

[DavidTan]

Even my very old Bay Trail  N3510 support HDMI Passthrough :
DTS
Dolby AC3
DTS-HD
Dolby True HD
DTS:X
Dolby Atoms

Without any issue ;

But I tried everything on the Newer Cherry Trail Z8330 , 0 luck for HD audio ...

[DavidTan]

The N3510 Intel HD only 4 EUs , Z8330 Intel HD 12EUs and Newer ...

[pdoth]

Right with you on all this. Reason for the post is that considering the date of the OP its scary to see that it is still going on in 2019. Exact same issues almost word perfect.

The only thing I'm working on at the moment is the advice given in Wiki concerning use of WASAPI instead of DirectSound for Windows based devices. In v17.6 I had no problems with video or sound. Now in v 18.0 I've all the issues listed above. The only way I can get it 'working' is to use DirectSound but this does not allow me to get HD audio. It 'appears' that some drivers have disappeared, namely - Intel HD audio. So, no HD audio of any type.

[pdoth]

Reading through this thread again plus trying...... I've lost count.... different solutions I am more convinced than ever that the issue causing all these problems lies with the Intel Driver which mysteriously appeared on the Z83 - Intel SST Audio Device (WMD) at some point either during a Windows or Kodi update.

This issue was not there when I originally bought the z83, in fact I am sure it had the Intel Display Audio driver as all the audio worked as it should.

So i suppose the question now is: "How do I revert back to the original Intel driver"?

[schmittty]

I remembered I had come across this thread before as I had a similar issue with a Intel Compute Stick STK1A32SC with the same chipset, for what it's worth I found this: No Audio on Intel  there is a driver package that accompanies the setup app where you should find the correct audio drivers. This worked for me, so I thought I would come back and post hoping it helps someone else.