Kodi Community Forum

If one plans to run XBMC ONLY is there any advantage running XBMCbuntu over OpenELEC?
TIA

(2014-04-22, 16:49)xbs08 Wrote: [ -> ]If one plans to run XBMC ONLY is there any advantage running XBMCbuntu over OpenELEC?
TIA

I believe that there are builds available for vanilla Linux that fix problems that won't be fixed in mainline OE in this release cycle. Newer decoder libraries that fix problems like bad VC1 decoding are one such thing fixed in some builds for Linux that aren't fixed in OE/regular-XBMC.

Is there a way to buy 2820 nuc in USA? Says out of stock on sites

Hi been running this nuc for a while now using Openelec from a usb stick. I'm using beta 4 version and have bios level 28 installed but I still keep getting a crazy problem when I power off. The nuc randomly keeps powering back up without being prompted from me. Anyone else had the same issue? Some advice would be greatly appreciated on how to tackle the problem?

Many thanks,
RLTW

Hey guys looking at one of these for a friend, but I would like to know how it handles SSE4 yadif deinterlacing of 1080i content in linux (most likely openelec), as mentioned in this post http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...pid1593410 (I couldnt find any confirmation of how well it works in this thread on this hardware).

It seems that intel cpu's have been able to handle the majority of payback needs for quite some time, and hq de-interlacing is somewhere where they have been lagging until now.

(2014-04-23, 01:43)teeedubb Wrote: [ -> ]Hey guys looking at one of these for a friend, but I would like to know how it handles SSE4 yadif deinterlacing of 1080i content in linux (most likely openelec), as mentioned in this post http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...pid1593410 (I couldnt find any confirmation of how well it works in this thread on this hardware).

It seems that intel cpu's have been able to handle the majority of payback needs for quite some time, and hq de-interlacing is somewhere where they have been lagging until now.

fritsch will confirm I'm sure - but AIUI the N2820 isn't up to YADIF 2x de-interlacing of 1080i content, but can do it with 576i/480i SD content. With 1080i you're limited to a Bob in current OpenElec builds with SW de-interlacing of VAAPI decoded video.

Another issue is that the N2820 appears to have a very cut-down HD4000 GPU (1/4 the number of execution units of the i3 Ivy Bridge HD4000 GPU). This limits the quality of scaling in OpenElec - so SD content may not look as good as some would hope.

Finally i just received my nuc with 8GB+120GB SSD. Installed Win8 64bit, i test some mkv and it seem to be ok, until i change audio setting from analog 2.0 to HDMI 5.1. When i use this setting the mkv lag and become unwatchable.
So I decide to see what happens with the same setting on a nuc with i5 that i use as work pc, and happen the same, with HDMI 5.1 it's impossible to view movie. Someone know what could cause this problem?

Yes the problem is trying to play with incorrect audio settings.

How is you computer connecting to whatever is playing your sound? Generally there are a few options:

1. HDMI cable from computer to TV, simply playing audio to TV speakers

2. HDMI cable from computer to amplifier, HDMI from amplifier to TV.

3. HDMI cable to TV for video, S/PDIF cable from computer to amplifier

OK that may be simplifying things a bit in terms of options, but it should enable you to tell us what your set up is.

(2014-04-22, 16:48)Fandy69 Wrote: [ -> ]By the way, i can't get the CIR to work. is there some tool i can install to see if it's working?

In case you are on OpenELEC: http://wiki.openelec.tv/index.php/Guide_...Remap_Keys

Matej

(2014-04-23, 12:11)nickr Wrote: [ -> ]Yes the problem is trying to play with incorrect audio settings.

How is you computer connecting to whatever is playing your sound? Generally there are a few options:

1. HDMI cable from computer to TV, simply playing audio to TV speakers

2. HDMI cable from computer to amplifier, HDMI from amplifier to TV.

3. HDMI cable to TV for video, S/PDIF cable from computer to amplifier

OK that may be simplifying things a bit in terms of options, but it should enable you to tell us what your set up is.

NUC ---HDMI---> TV ---S/PDIF---> AMPLIFIER

Nearly no TV can passthrough sound this way (except Stereo downmix of course). You know that?

Greetings
David

For a TV/repeater/AVR etc, to do bitstream passthrough to/through anything other than another HDCP certified device and connection - is in strong breach with HDCP licence and compliance rules (HDCP Licence agreement, Exhibit C - Compliance rules, paragraph 3.3). SPDIF/toslink - optical or coaxial connectivity - cannot be HDCP verified as it does not have the bandwith for encryption, nor the tech for handshake and key verification.

AC3 and DTS can go over SPDIF. These are encoded yes, but not encrypted. The TV, however, receiving the signal over a HDCP connection like HDMI - cannot passthrough this to another device, unless this is also over a HDCP enabled and certified connection. There are some TVs out there that claim they can output AC3 over SPDIF. For this to work, it would be highly dependant on the signal source and connectivity (most likely NOT a HDMI source).

I have experimented with "forcing" a DTS signal to TV for SPDIF passthrough. 2 different results: Either it fails at the source (video playback is garbled/choppy/doesn't play/player crashes etc) - or you get a HORRIBLE and loud "static" noise out.

If you need SPDIF connectivity, you'll need to take this straigth from the NUC to the AV receiver. I am also in this boat (my AVR does not have HDMI connectivity) - and I have had large success with this USB sound card: http://dx.com/p/15746
The Cmedia CM106 is quite a decent DAC, at a very affordable price. This unit also has 5.1 analog outputs if needed (You can have XBMC do software decoding, outputting HD audio over analog). Added bonus: Its one of the few cheap usb solutions that has updated drivers, including Windows 8.1 drivers ( http://www.necacom.net/index.php/cmedia/...8-0-8-2163 )

(2014-04-23, 13:38)darkf3d3 Wrote: [ -> ]

(2014-04-23, 12:11)nickr Wrote: [ -> ]Yes the problem is trying to play with incorrect audio settings.

How is you computer connecting to whatever is playing your sound? Generally there are a few options:

1. HDMI cable from computer to TV, simply playing audio to TV speakers

2. HDMI cable from computer to amplifier, HDMI from amplifier to TV.

3. HDMI cable to TV for video, S/PDIF cable from computer to amplifier

OK that may be simplifying things a bit in terms of options, but it should enable you to tell us what your set up is.

NUC ---HDMI---> TV ---S/PDIF---> AMPLIFIER

You need to go from the NUC directly to your AV receiver if you expect 5.1 to work properly.

I really don't understand why with a Popcorn hour with the same connection type i can use also dd and dts and with this computer no.

That depends on the Popcorn hour and your TVs capabilities. Most, if not all, Popcorns can decode AC3 and DTS, and output this as PCM (over HDMI). If your TV by some chance happens to have the capability to transcode multichannel PCM to AC3, then this could in theory be passed on to the reciever over SPIDF/toslink. I haven't looked into this capability in TVs before, but I don't see any actual limitations - theoretical or technical - prohibiting such a function to exsist. Might still be VERY dodgy in regards to PCM licencing- but LPCM is a diffuse "gray area" in terms of encryption, licencing etc in HDCP eyes.

Now, if the connection for AV transfer from Popcorn hour to TV was not HDMI, ... this would be a whole different ball game. That takes HDCP out of the equation.

There is also the possibility that the AV reciever does not perfectly detect the recieved signal -> what you really got from you TV was a Dolby Digital /AC3 signed stream, with only 2-ch audio - AV doing upmix to 5.1. A test track with clear audio panning and isolated channel tests should give you an indication on wether you're actually getting 5(.1) separate channels. or 2ch that is upmixed. In the first case, there should only audio in the active speaker. In the latter (upmixed) instance, there will be some sound in one or more ot the other speakers - upmixing does far from ideal channel separation.

If you want any clearer indications as to why - we'll need bot exact model of TV and Popcorn Hour, and exact settings for Audio/video connectivity and processing - for both those units.

Please note: I'm not saying that exlusively there are NO tv's that will pass through DD/DTS over spdif. There are indeed sets that do this. But this is clearly breaching the HDCP licence agreement, and as manufacturers are subject to fines for this - VERY few actually implement this feature. Have a read here: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1389050/tvs-wi...i-to-spdif