I'm using Kodi 15.1 on Linux (Openelec) on a Zotac zBox AD02 system booting from an SD card, and I've been having a constant problem with either the audio dropping out for 2-3 seconds or (less often both the audio and video dropping out). This happens seemingly at random. Some times I can play a movie and it drops out once, other times I play the exact same movie from the exact same source and it drops out 10-15 times in the first few minutes.
I've tried using multiple ripping packages, and I still have this problem. I also have the problem with DRM free digital downloads (from a totally legal source with no hacking, cracking or funny compression).
I've tried a clean install a couple of times, and have the same problem on every version of Kodi going back till it was XBMC.
I have the same problem when viewing files from my NAS, and from the local disc.
I've changed my HDMI cable, and have tried different sockets on my amp, but this hasn't resolved the problem. My amp behaves itself perfectly with every other device that I've connected to it.. Including 2 previous DVD players, 3 different set top boxes, and hardware based media player. So the amp itself doesn't seem to be the problem.
The display on my amp tells me that the audio\video dropped out at the source, so Kodi stopped transmitting sound\pictures for a couple of seconds.
I've posted the log files to several other forum, but everybody that I asked came up with nothing, except to suggest that maybe it's a problem with my amp (which, as stated above doesn't have this problem with any other devices)
Any ideas about what I could do to find the cause of this?
Log file pending.
We cannot help you without a
Debug Log, sorry
(2016-12-30, 19:36)fritsch Wrote: [ -> ]We cannot help you without a Debug Log, sorry
Would it help If I said that this error doesn't show up in the debug log, which is why I'm looking for other possibilities.
(2016-12-30, 20:51)Perfect_Blue Wrote: [ -> ] (2016-12-30, 19:36)fritsch Wrote: [ -> ]We cannot help you without a Debug Log, sorry
Would it help If I said that this error doesn't show up in the debug log, which is why I'm looking for other possibilities.
Option 1)
You think you can interpret debug logs as good as Kodi developers: You can fix bugs by your own and likely get an invitation to join the team.
Option 2)
Provide the log, if requested.
(2016-12-30, 21:06)FernetMenta Wrote: [ -> ] (2016-12-30, 20:51)Perfect_Blue Wrote: [ -> ] (2016-12-30, 19:36)fritsch Wrote: [ -> ]We cannot help you without a Debug Log, sorry
Would it help If I said that this error doesn't show up in the debug log, which is why I'm looking for other possibilities.
Option 1)
You think you can interpret debug logs as good as Kodi developers: You can fix bugs by your own and likely get an invitation to join the team.
Option 2)
Provide the log, if requested.
I think that maybe I've hit a nerve, yes?
This is a problem that's been going on since Kodi was XBMC, and I posted the log files back then, but nobody could find anything useful in them. I'll dump the log files as I haven't done them for this version, if you like.
In the meantime, are you aware of any known issues that cause problems like this, such as issues with codec, ripping software, amps that don't play nicely with Kodi, brands of HDMI cable to avoid?
Given the length of time that this has been going on, and the number of versions that I've had the problem with, I'm a little skeptical that this is a "problem" with kodi.
I can't generate a log file right now, but I''ll be certain to note your views on it.
No nerves hit except the one about people without a
debug log (wiki).
As it has occurred on several generations of kodi I would try several things:
1. Swap out hdmi cable
2. Cut avr out of the equation.
Also, does it always happen at the same place in the same video?
(2016-12-30, 22:16)nickr Wrote: [ -> ]No nerves hit except the one about people without a debug log (wiki).
As it has occurred on several generations of kodi I would try several things:
1. Swap out hdmi cable
2. Cut avr out of the equation.
Also, does it always happen at the same place in the same video?
I've tried a couple of different HDMI cables, and it happens are random. I can watch the same video 10 times and it will drop out at different times each time I view it.
If it drops out, and I rewind and watch the same spot again 10 seconds later it won't drop out.
It's almost as if there is some other factor interfering, but I'm running an absolutely minimal version of Linux from an SD card. It "should" be as close to an identical experience as possible.
I've uploaded the logs before and they didn't help, I'm not convinced that this is a bug\problem with Kodi as it's just so random.
If you plug direct from your pc to tv, does it happen.
Also SD cards can be plain flaky.
Perhaps also try libreelec from a usb stick?
(2016-12-30, 23:22)nickr Wrote: [ -> ]If you plug direct from your pc to tv, does it happen.
Also SD cards can be plain flaky.
Perhaps also try libreelec from a usb stick?
I've tried a couple of different SD cards, ranging from class 4 to class 10. I have the same problem with all of them. Both with clean installs and with upgrades from previous versions.
I've ruled out the possibility that my amp is damaged, or that it is malfunctioning, as I've tried different sockets on the amp and I've tried connecting different devices to it. I've tried two different DVD players, 3 different cable TV set top boxes, and a hardware based media player and a desktop PC. The only device that displays this problem is my Kodi box. This means that either the Kodi box has a problem (maybe a hardware problem on the box itself?) or that the box is sending out a signal that's damaged\corrupted\incompatible in some way that means that my amp doesn't understand it.
I'd like to fix the problem so that I can use my amp, rather than simply bypassing it by taking the amp out of the equation.
Right now, all of the cables are routed and tied back, so I'd like to concentrate on other possibly problems right now. If they don't help then I'll try bypassing the amp.
I'm not dismissing this as an avenue to explore, I'm simply looking at other ones first.
Here is the log file.
2 dropouts (audio and video) around the 17:40 time stamp.
https://paste.ubuntu.com/23718222/
Boblight is running, but the dropouts first started before I installed it.
Here is a third log:
https://paste.ubuntu.com/23718268/
The dropout happens at 17:53:55, but there are no log entries for that time code.
17:53:30 T:139986389161728 DEBUG: CDVDPlayer:
rocessSubData: Got complete SPU packet
17:54:00 T:139987172255808 DEBUG: Previous line repeats 12 times.
17:54:00 T:139987172255808 DEBUG: LIRC: Update - NEW at 1273458:80 0 KEY_STOP devinput (KEY_STOP)
I pressed the stop key a coupe of seconds after the dropout and it is recorded correctly. Giving us a good break in the log to use.
Please try v17. The issue may have been fixed already.
(2017-01-02, 11:03)FernetMenta Wrote: [ -> ]Please try v17. The issue may have been fixed already.
With all due respect, is this based on something that you have seen in the log file, or is it just a standard recommendation to upgrade?
I have had this issue since version somewhere around version 12 (Version 11 was OK), and it doesn't seem to be a common problem that a lot of people have, so it's not likely to have been high on the agenda for fixing.
If it's all right with everybody I would prefer to find root of the problem and then look for a fix, rather than risking introducing new variables and new problems.
Right now, for all we all know, this might be a problem with a setting that I'm using. In which case upgrading wouldn't solve anything, but could introduce more issues.
I am the main developer of this code and v16 is long out of my head. I can very well match behaviour against the current development branch but not against something that is 2 years old.