[Lock]

Hi guys,

I installed since some days the 17.3 Kodi version from Google store on my Minix U1.

On average everything works but I've some h264 videos in .mp4 containers done with Handbrake and they all freeze the whole machine as I attempt to play them.

No idea if i could be related but I've set the auto refresh rate in Minix settings and disabled it in Kodi.

Do you have any idea about how to solve the problem? Minix guys are developing a special Kodi version called XBMC, based on version 16 and that works well, but I recently switched to official Kodi because it had issues with info scrapers.

I'd really like to have Kodi as main media player.

Thanks.

[wrxtasy]

I strongly suspect you have the exact same issue as the user in this thread:

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=317423

That being poor Mediacodec only hardware acceleration when using AMLogic Android Lollipop Firmware and Kodi Krypton

You have three options:
Stick with XBMC For MINIX v16.x as this uses Amcodec hardware acceleration
Hassle MINIX for an Marshmallow Firmware OS upgrade

Or the ultimate fix - use LibreELEC Kodi Krypton if you want a superior Kodi . This also uses Amcodec Hardware acceleration.

[Jeffers24]

I strongly suspect you have the exact same issue as the user in this thread:

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=317423

That being poor Mediacodec only hardware acceleration when using AMLogic Android Lollipop Firmware and Kodi Krypton

You have three options:
Stick with XBMC For MINIX v16.x as this uses Amcodec hardware acceleration
Hassle MINIX for an Marshmallow Firmware OS upgrade

Or the ultimate fix - use LibreELEC Kodi Krypton if you want a superior Kodi . This also uses Amcodec Hardware acceleration.

Is it the 'Bug Busted Amlogic Marshmallow Firmware' version of the OS that you say works good on Minix that we need to ask Minix to release?

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2610276

[wrxtasy]

There is confusion in that thread @m0rbid actually has a MINI MX S905 box not a MINIX S905 U1.
See how the cheap Chinese sellers have decided to confuse customers and use someone else's Brand name !

Here are the instructions for getting LibreELEC Kodi Krypton on to your S905 U1:

AMLogic S905(x) - LibreELEC / OSMC - Kodi Krypton - 4K Options

and here is the thread where you can hassle MINIX for a Marshmallow OS upgrade for the U1 (Good luck!):

MINIX U1 Marshmallow

I suggest you outline the H264 Kodi Krypton playback issues in that thread as well.

AMLogic Lollipop Firmware that has poorly implemented Mediacodec hardware decoding is now not a good combo for smooth Kodi Krypton video playback. This is a known issue - that Android Kodi devs. do not have any responsibility to fix.

[Lock]

Thanks for the answers, guys, I tried to disable the hardware acceleration and everything works well. Of course, beside h265 movies that became slideshots.

I'm open to every solution but I'm not a technical guy, so I'm looking for the simper solution. I was using XBMC 16 beta, the one developed for U1 but lately it seems nobody is working on it anymore and look abandoned, with some unresolved issues.

So, in short words, the problem is the bad implementation of Android (5.x in my case) Mediacodec drivers, right? As it seems Minix has no intentions of upgrade its devices to 6.x I guess Android version of Kodi is no more viable, right?
Or is there some (any) addon/hack or other to "force" the old Amcodec acceleration?

Now I'm going to read the link you posted, in the hope I can undestand something. Many thanks.

[Martijn]

Minix relies on amlogic to update the drivers so there's little they can do

[wrxtasy]

Yes MINIX relies on AML for bug fixes in Lollipop 5.1 drivers but...

If MINIX want to devote resources to upgrading the S905 U1 to Marshmallow Firmware it is possible with some time and elbow grease.

Exactly like WeTek have done with their S905 Hub and Play2 and the Ugoos company has done this recently as well:
http://www.cnx-software.com/2017/06/20/w...-tv-boxes/

Just takes skills, and developer resources.

The ultimate solution as I keep repeatedly saying is LibreELEC Kodi Krypton running from a SD card. It honestly is not that hard at all to get up and running.
Flash SD card with LE image, copy correct U1 dtb file to it. Plug in power cord, Hold down power button - wait till LibreELEC logo appears and that is it !

[Martijn]

i meant with "relies" not doing a shitload of work theirselves

[Lock]

Ok, I'm trying LibreELEC and so far so good.

My first problem is that somehow I'm not able to import my exported library (Kodi 17.3 as well, Android version) because the "OK" button stays gray.
Now I'm trying a more drastic thing, just overwrite my userdata folder with the old one...

Another "problem" is that with version 8 the quick menu "suspend" seems gone. It was very useful in 7 (that I installed for mistake). This means having to do a full boot every time, forcing Minix to boot from USB.

[wrxtasy]

All LibreELEC support belong in that thread linked to - those are all specific @kszaq support questions.

I can answer the suspend one. It was removed because generic AML S905 boxes were unreliable with that function included apparently.

[Lock]

All LibreELEC support belong in that thread linked to - those are all specific @kszaq support questions.

I can answer the suspend one. It was removed because generic AML S905 boxes were unreliable with that function included apparently.

Thanks Wrxtasy, and sorry for the OT. Overwriting the default userdata with my old one worked. Of course I had to redo the initial wizard but everything worked perfectly.

I see about suspend, thanks.