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arad85 · 2019-12-03, 03:07

OK. I'm a long time kodi user. I work in broadcast a/v so understand (and am very susceptible) to incorrect frame rates. I have 2 (actually 4 in total) kodi boxes. An old shuttle 35GTv2 Nvidia based box and an i3 8th Gen Intel NUC box. They drive an old (but capable) Pioneer PDP. Both run Ubuntu 18.04 plus the standard install of kodi from the ppa. Both are set "identically" in terms of switching frame rates etc... The Shuttle box works flawlessly. The i3 box has problems with frames that are either skipped or played out of order (I'm not sure which just yet). The frame drop/skip/reversal happens once every 5-10 seconds, I can't watch the i3 box, evern though it should be the "better" box. Most of the stuff I play is 23.98 but xrandr/kodi.log says the box is playing at the correct frame rate.

Anyone have any ideas what is going on here? Settings are to change freq. on start/stop, 23.98 is enabled. Hardware VAAPI decode (although I have tried s/w decode). Using Obiaf's drivers (and the standard 18.04) and still the same. Any ideas?

**bossanova808** · 2019-12-03, 07:59

Might be a GPU Hz issue lke this - https://forum.libreelec.tv/thread/14614-...eelec-9-0/ - I know you say Ubuntu. Just in case it has a similar issue...

arad85 · 2019-12-03, 14:24

(2019-12-03, 07:59)bossanova808 Wrote: Might be a GPU Hz issue lke this - https://forum.libreelec.tv/thread/14614-...eelec-9-0/ - I know you say Ubuntu. Just in case it has a similar issue...

Thanks for the pointer, but that doesn't seem to solve it Sad

Having said that, it looks like LibreELEC 9.2 does (although I need an audio offset of , however I'd like to be able to install other stuff (I run desktop apps as well like Brave). Now I know the hardware "works" I can start tracking the issue down... Will start by trying 19.10...

**bossanova808** · 2019-12-05, 01:46

(as another BTW - Libreelec sets a default audio offest in the advanced_settings.xml IIRC correctly - I think because in the past a lot of TVs had mroe significant latency. I remove it personally as I have not found it helpful...)

Good luck with your issue!

arad85 · 2019-12-05, 03:01

Thanks. 19.10 didn't solve the problem.... Not sure where to go from here - whether to just do everything I want via plugins (don't like that idea as the computer is pretty powerful but it may well work...) or to persevere and try and find what is causing the micro-jumps.

noggin · (This post was last modified: 2019-12-05, 12:49 by noggin.)

LibreElec releases often contain quite a lot of optimisation in terms of GPU drivers and the way these are driven. @fritsch used to be incredibly helpful with Intel Kodi installations, though he may well now spend more time on other platforms. There used to be a guide he contributed to that covered optimised Ubuntu installs. I see that guide is no longer a sticky in the Linux forum, but he may still be able to advise.

The reality is that LibreElec is always a much neater solution for most platforms that it is offered on - as boring stuff like video drivers, audio passthrough config etc. 'just works' in LE - whereas you can end up with a lot of additional work in a stock Ubuntu or similar distro. You may find a dual boot solution is an option?

contadino · 2020-01-29, 12:17

Hi arad85,
just a short question - did you solve your problems in the meantime?
I have (at least i think so) the same situation here with a new Intel - ITX-board under Lubuntu. I also see these micro-jumps every 5-10 seconds.
Till now, i did not do a lot of testing - yesterday i tested some 1080p mkv's with a mede8er multimedia-player and there the movies played as soft as butter. So its a problem of the Intel-Lubuntu-combination.

Interestingly i did not realize this jumps with my old projector (Panasonic pt ae 4000). Since a month the new projector (Panasonic pt at 6000) is installed and the stuttering is obvious.
Strange thing... Confused

noggin · 2020-01-29, 16:34

(2020-01-29, 12:17)contadino Wrote: Hi arad85,
just a short question - did you solve your problems in the meantime?
I have (at least i think so) the same situation here with a new Intel - ITX-board under Lubuntu. I also see these micro-jumps every 5-10 seconds.
Till now, i did not do a lot of testing - yesterday i tested some 1080p mkv's with a mede8er multimedia-player and there the movies played as soft as butter. So its a problem of the Intel-Lubuntu-combination.

Interestingly i did not realize this jumps with my old projector (Panasonic pt ae 4000). Since a month the new projector (Panasonic pt at 6000) is installed and the stuttering is obvious.
Strange thing...

What refresh rate is the video content and what refresh rate is your PC outputting? Do you have hardware acceleration and adjust refresh rate enabled?

Have you tried booting into LibreElec?

contadino · 2020-01-30, 01:45

Thanks for you advices!
Refresh rate of the video is 23,976 and the PC is outputting exatly the same. The hardware acceleration is always on - now i tried to playback the video without --> it consumes a little more CPU-power (of course) but does not make any visible difference.
The adjust-refresh-rate is set to "start/stop". When i turn this off, i can see a difference - there are less micro-jumps but instead of that a kind of micro-stuttering all the time. Its getting better, but not good.
Booting into LibreElec seems a little complicated. I can boot with the preperated USB-stick but end with a request to install LibreElec to the HDD, what i really don't want. It seems, there is no possibility to start the system right from the USB-stick. So i have to find an old HDD in the next days and put it inside the PC. Tongue

noggin · (This post was last modified: 2020-01-30, 11:38 by noggin.)

(2020-01-30, 01:45)contadino Wrote: Thanks for you advices!
Refresh rate of the video is 23,976 and the PC is outputting exatly the same. The hardware acceleration is always on - now i tried to playback the video without --> it consumes a little more CPU-power (of course) but does not make any visible difference.
The adjust-refresh-rate is set to "start/stop". When i turn this off, i can see a difference - there are less micro-jumps but instead of that a kind of micro-stuttering all the time. Its getting better, but not good.
Booting into LibreElec seems a little complicated. I can boot with the preperated USB-stick but end with a request to install LibreElec to the HDD, what i really don't want. It seems, there is no possibility to start the system right from the USB-stick. So i have to find an old HDD in the next days and put it inside the PC.

You can usually install to a second USB stick in my experience - if you just want a quick 'does this improve things' check. (So you boot from one USB storage device, and chose the second USB storage device as your installation target.). Using two different sized sticks or ones clearly manufactured by different companies makes selecting the right destination easier. No need to install a new HDD etc.

**whysoserious** · (This post was last modified: 2020-02-01, 23:57 by whysoserious.)

(2020-01-30, 01:45)contadino Wrote: Thanks for you advices!
Refresh rate of the video is 23,976 and the PC is outputting exatly the same. The hardware acceleration is always on - now i tried to playback the video without --> it consumes a little more CPU-power (of course) but does not make any visible difference.
The adjust-refresh-rate is set to "start/stop". When i turn this off, i can see a difference - there are less micro-jumps but instead of that a kind of micro-stuttering all the time. Its getting better, but not good.
Booting into LibreElec seems a little complicated. I can boot with the preperated USB-stick but end with a request to install LibreElec to the HDD, what i really don't want. It seems, there is no possibility to start the system right from the USB-stick. So i have to find an old HDD in the next days and put it inside the PC.

EDIT: I screwed up with the 1st iteration of this post.

Run is the "persistent" USB install, Live is non-persistent. My apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

No need to install to a second USB thumbdrive, what works for me is:

1. Bootup LibreELEC USB thumbdrive created with the “LibreELEC USB-SD Creator” app from the LibreELEC website.
2. After booting I am presented with a menu with 3 choices: Install, Run, or Live.
- Install installs LE on the hardrive of the HTPC, wiping out any existing OS's and files.
- Run installs LE onto the same USB thumbdrive in a "persistent" state, and saves changes such as libraries and add-ons. Additionally, it makes the USB thumbdrive boot to the "Live" condition by default from then on. On a USB 3.0 device in a USB 3.0 port it is as fast as a native installation.
- Live runs LE from the USB thumbdrive but I don't think it is persistent, doesn't save any changes you make, libraries, add-ons, etc.
This method uses the HTPC's ram and hardware, but doesn't make any changes to the device's hard drive.

This is how I have a bootable installation of LE 9.2 Leia to fall back on if my LE Matrix Alpha 1 installation on the internal hard drive breaks during frequent updates.

contadino · 2020-01-31, 23:21

Thanks a lot!!
@whysoserious
Sorry, but when booting with the created stick, i cannot choose between the 3 choices. It is only possible to install the whole thing.

But anyway, i installed it to a second usb-stick and it worked without any problems. Then i mounted one of my servers folders and tried to choose the same settings like the original lubuntu-version.

Yes, and the stuttering is totally gone with LibreElec! Laugh

Now there is just the question - is this good or bad...? Tongue

Does LibreElec use different Intel-drivers? It seems hardware-acceleration is not used at all - at least there is no possibility in the system-settings to enable this.

noggin · 2020-02-01, 00:42

(2020-01-31, 23:21)contadino Wrote: Thanks a lot!!
Does LibreElec use different Intel-drivers? It seems hardware-acceleration is not used at all - at least there is no possibility in the system-settings to enable this.

Hardware acceleration isn't in System settings - it's in Player settings.

**whysoserious** · 2020-02-01, 02:18

(2020-01-31, 23:21)contadino Wrote: hanks a lot!!
@whysoserious
Sorry, but when booting with the created stick, i cannot choose between the 3 choices. It is only possible to install the whole thing.

But anyway, i installed it to a second usb-stick and it worked without any problems. Then i mounted one of my servers folders and tried to choose the same settings like the original lubuntu-version.

Yes, and the stuttering is totally gone with LibreElec!

Now there is just the question - is this good or bad...?
Does LibreElec use different Intel-drivers? It seems hardware-acceleration is not used at all - at least there is no possibility in the system-settings to enable this.

When the menu appears, you have to type "live" within 5-10 seconds or it defaults to the "Install" option.

If the two usb stick method worked for you, all is well. :-)

contadino · 2020-02-01, 11:30

(2020-02-01, 00:42)noggin Wrote: Hardware acceleration isn't in System settings - it's in Player settings.

Of course you are perfectly right.
But here on my system with LibreElec there are no hardware-acceleration-settings at all.
As far as hardware-acceleration does not make a visible difference on my original Lubuntu-system, i would say, thats not very important?!
So, what can be the reason that the LibreElec-system performs perfectly and the Lubuntu-system does not? I do not use any special video-drivers under Lubuntu which may cause such behaviour.