I have recently (Saturday 10th January) bought a OTT TV box running XBMC Gotham. It is connected to our TV via a good quality HDMI cable. To access the internet, it is plugged in via an ethernet cable to a TP Link plug.
During video playback, it occasionally just shows a black screen for anything up to about 7 seconds - when the video shows again, the film has moved on (so the film is still streaming). It'll do this 3 or 4 times and then continue to stream normally. It will do this several times when viewing a film. The periods between each 'blackout session' are not fixed, the number of blackouts per session is not fixed, and the number of blackouts per film viewing is not fixed either.
I do not have a keyboard to use with the box, only the remote.
I've Googled for answers but I've not found an answer - possible solutions to similar problems seem to involve writing/amending .xml files, which is rather beyond by technical knowledge!
What kind of files are you playing back?
I don't know - they're just the films you access via the 'star' icon after selecting 'Videos' in the XBMC interface.
Kodi/XBMC doesn't come with any content.
This must have been installed by your box vendor, and we don't give support to that. I suggest to seek support from them.
Thanks, I've messaged them.
I have had issues in the past like that with my old jesurun dx05. I learned to do a factory reset deleting all app data. When I reboot I uninstall the version that is on the box and use my file explorer and delete any xbmc files that are there. Then I do a new install and set it with the addons that I want without all the junk that comes with the software version. My box plays good. Now I have a EBK328 tv box which is the same box you have and did the same with it except I used kodi and it works great. One thing I learned with my jesurun is that I put xunity main on it and every couple of days or if the box was doing strange things I wiuld use xunity and clear my cache and video library. Also sometimes I would unplug the box and let it boot and it worked fine. Also do to system-settings-video and at the bottom change from standard settings to advanced, on acceleration I have decoding method to hardware and have libstagefright and mediacodec with the blue dots showing below it. Tech support is really bad with these boxes, can't get a decent response. I also use a wireless mouse which works great.
I have the same box. I did a factory reset deleting all data and app data. After reboot I uninstall the xbmc on the box (it has too much unwanted junk). Next I go to file browser and delete any xbmc files that are lagging. Then I do a clean install with kodi and set it up from scatch. I install the addons I want which arn't many. Then open xbmc and go to system-settings-video-(at the bottom left change the settings to advanced)-accerlation, make sure decoding method is set to hardware and below that make sure libstagefright and mediacodec both have the blue dots showing. You don't have to change the gotham to kodi but you do need to check the video acceleration in system settimgs. This is a double response but I put something in the last one I wasn't suppose to but the mods removed it for me.
Thanks firstforme, but I really don't want to have to start fiddling around with resets and reinstalls - I've only just got the box and I didn't get it as a techy/learning project. It specifically says in the (limited) instructions that came with the box NOT to do a factory reset (I'm presuming it will invalidate any warranty I get with it) - so I shall wait and see what the vendor comes back with.
Open xbmc and go to system-settings-video-(at the bottom left change the settings to advanced)-accerlation, make sure decoding method is set to hardware and below that make sure libstagefright and mediacodec both have the blue dots showing. You don't have to change from gotham to kodi. It does not void the warranty.
Thanks firstforme - I checked those settings and they were already set like that.
I've tried a different HDMI cable too, as I've read elsewhere that this could be an issue. No change.
I'm still waiting to hear from the vendor...