Which software and video format seems to be the most compatible across devices

[poofyhairguy]

Geez that is weird.

What happens when you turn off hardware decoding for h264 in the advanced options for Videos in Settings? Does the green go away?

 

[mvbighead]

Geez that is weird.

What happens when you turn off hardware decoding for h264 in the advanced options for Videos in Settings? Does the green go away?

I disabled all acceleration and still saw the same. Granted, I did not reboot the device and check again.

In checking the codec this morning, I used the Raspberry Pi which did not have this issue. Nor did the FireTV. Not sure if I need to try and reload the software, but I did update to 5.0.8 to see if it would help but it was all the same.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Thx

 

[mvbighead]

I'll see if I can.

 

[mvbighead]

PM sent.

 

[mvbighead]

Still not sure about the green lines.

I did recently receive a FireTV stick after signing up for SlingTV (wanted to try it out just to see if it was worth it... thinking I'll cancel when my 3 months are up).

That said, my review of devices:

FireTV Stick - For XBMC/Openelec - Not suitable when you need to deinterlace your video. Fairly quick otherwise. Wireless network seems to not have great range.

FireTV - Not bad for XBMC. Video quality not as good as ChromeBox. Much more versatile - Netflix/Amazon/SlingTV/etc. Great box to have all features in one appliance.

ChromeBox - Best video quality. Not as versatile as FireTV, you only get what you get with XBMC, which is still quite a lot. No netflix/amazon/etc.

RaspberryPi (not the latest) - Good quality video, but slow interface. Same as chromebox... just XBMC.

 

[LoveMachine]

ChromeBox - Best video quality. Not as versatile as FireTV, you only get what you get with XBMC, which is still quite a lot. No netflix/amazon/etc.

You can get Netflix/Amazon/etc if you go the KodiBuntu route and configure some add-ons. It's FAR more work than FireTV, but it can be done. I'm a complete Linux virgin, and started with OpenElec/Kodi. I changed over to KodiBuntu and it wasn't any harder going that route to get a basic Kodi setup working well. It's just when trying to get all the other features like those listed above that it gets complex (for noobs like me at least).

 

[mvbighead]

You can get Netflix/Amazon/etc if you go the KodiBuntu route and configure some add-ons. It's FAR more work than FireTV, but it can be done. I'm a complete Linux virgin, and started with OpenElec/Kodi. I changed over to KodiBuntu and it wasn't any harder going that route to get a basic Kodi setup working well. It's just when trying to get all the other features like those listed above that it gets complex (for noobs like me at least).

Hmmmm... I'll have to look into that. May try that on the new one I just ordered from Newegg, and then check and see if the Ubuntu video driver works better for me than what is in OpenElec (green line mentioned in earlier posts).

Thanks for the info, I'll be looking into that for sure.

 

[LoveMachine]

Hmmmm... I'll have to look into that. May try that on the new one I just ordered from Newegg, and then check and see if the Ubuntu video driver works better for me than what is in OpenElec (green line mentioned in earlier posts).

Thanks for the info, I'll be looking into that for sure.

ChromeLauncher and NetfliXBMC are the add-ons to look into. Lifehacker wrote up a few articles on it, though they are slightly dated now.

I haven't had any green line issues with either OpenElec or KodiBuntu on any video type using an Asus Chromebox.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I haven't had any green line issues with either OpenElec or KodiBuntu on any video type using an Asus Chromebox.

I have been running those clips through my box and I haven't seen anything. But I have the newest most updated Openelec.

 

[mvbighead]

I have been running those clips through my box and I haven't seen anything. But I have the newest most updated Openelec.

I did update mine recently, but still saw the same things. May need to check again and see what happens. Either that or reload the whole thing.

I have another ChromeBox in route thanks to a deal at newegg, so I'll start with that one first and see what happen. May try the Kodibuntu route or something as it would be nice to integrate Netflix and Amazon streaming services.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I did update mine recently, but still saw the same things. May need to check again and see what happens. Either that or reload the whole thing.

I have another ChromeBox in route thanks to a deal at newegg, so I'll start with that one first and see what happen. May try the Kodibuntu route or something as it would be nice to integrate Netflix and Amazon streaming services.

I am sorry I can't nail it down. I feel pretty bad about that.

 

[LoveMachine]

May try the Kodibuntu route or something as it would be nice to integrate Netflix and Amazon streaming services.

ProTip: Get the NetflixBMC add-on from the authors' repo NOT the standard Helix repo. I spent the better part of a day banging my head against a wall thinking I had the latest release. Link to the forum discussion (at the bottom of the first post) here

ChromeLauncher here

I had to change ChromeLauncher's default path to where Chrome auto-installed itself to (not where ChromeLauncher thought it would be). Something like /usr/bin/chrome-stable-release iirc. I haven't tried Amazon, but there is some discussion in the above thread about it.

 

[mvbighead]

I am sorry I can't nail it down. I feel pretty bad about that.

I definitely appreciate you trying. The fact that you had no problems leads me to believe that I may have a problem with the TV. It is several years old, so it may be behaving differently with certain files.

As I only have the one Chromebox, and it is hooked to what is now becoming my primary TV, I've not wanted to tear it down and try something else. When the new one arrives, I'll have no problem swapping things around with the new one and testing different releases between the two. When I find the best of all worlds, I work on swapping the Pi out from my other TV.

 

[mvbighead]

Received the new Chromebox last night. Loaded it up with OpenElec to do a like for like test vs the other one. No green lines on the one video.

However... it appears the load process now uses the latest beta (5.95.x) of OpenElec, so there are quite a few different features. I may try to load that on the old one and see if it resolves my previous issues. I didn't test for a long time, but long enough to see that everything appears to be working well, and much quicker than the Pi.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Glad to hear the new one doesn't have the issue. Might have been a weird driver problem with the old version since the drivers are rolled into the OS.

 

[mvbighead]

Yep, that's what I was guessing. On yours, are you running the beta releases or the stable ones? I am thinking I'll switch my other one to 5.95.x from the 5.0.8 that it is currently on. I've noticed the fast forward option now has the ability to skip through to the middle of a 3 hour movie pretty quick whereas 5.0.8 was pretty much always a 30 second skip ahead/back, which meant a LOT of clicking.

 

[mvbighead]

Went ahead and loaded 5.95.1 on the other one. Re-watched the clip, and initially didn't see the green line, but as soon as I said something it had come back.

I'm guessing HDMI cable or something with the TV. May swap devices around and try again. Another fun note, it looks like the PVR plugin is now missing and I am having a heck of a time trying to find the PVR plugin section in Kodi right now after the upgrade.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I always stick to stable builds, if nothing else for plugin compatibility.

If you are only seeing it sometimes try it on another HDMI port on that TV. They go bad sometimes.

 

[mvbighead]

Yeah, this TV is wall mounted with the cables behind the wall. I'll be trying the other cable and port and see what happens. If I get the same thing there, it's going to be something with the way the TV handles the signal.

May try to force 720p resolution to see if that changes anything.

EDIT: I may be switching them both to stable builds. Tested the new one last night, and the video was flickering on and off for one recording, but not for another. May have been the recording I suppose. I may also try KodiBuntu on one to see how that is. Also to see if that affects the video playback at all.

 

[poofyhairguy]

If you go the Kodibuntu route be sure to do all the updates after install.

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

I use Kodibuntu on the box with the MySQL setup because it is also doing a ton of other stuff for me. But I have been using Ubuntu since 2004 so me and it are buddies.

 

[mvbighead]

If you go the Kodibuntu route be sure to do all the updates after install.

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

I use Kodibuntu on the box with the MySQL setup because it is also doing a ton of other stuff for me. But I have been using Ubuntu since 2004 so me and it are buddies.

Yeah, I use Ubuntu quite a bit myself. My mythtv DVR is a MythBuntu build. My fileserver is Ubuntu, etc.

Only worry is that the OS is quite a bit larger than the openelec OS's. That and I do not typically keep a keyboard/mouse hooked to these so anything done in Ubuntu would possibily involve dragging a keyboard/mouse over to it. I should just invest in one wireless K400 from logitech and call it a day...

 

[poofyhairguy]

Yeah, I use Ubuntu quite a bit myself. My mythtv DVR is a MythBuntu build. My fileserver is Ubuntu, etc.

Then you should be fine. A lot of people in this hobby have no Linux experience, but for you it should be easy.

Only worry is that the OS is quite a bit larger than the openelec OS's. That and I do not typically keep a keyboard/mouse hooked to these so anything done in Ubuntu would possibily involve dragging a keyboard/mouse over to it. I should just invest in one wireless K400 from logitech and call it a day...

16GB is plenty for Ubuntu and a small swap space. I don't think Kodiubuntu installs unity. It uses a lighter WM.

The keyboard/mouse thing is the hardest. Soon as those come into play (the Logitech included) the WAF goes out the window.

My advice is get a flirc. That little bad boy can take a remote signal and turn it into a keyboard press. Most of the interfaces for things like Netflix can be completely driven by keyboard, which means with flirc they can be driven by remote.

A flirc plus some good Harmony programing has hidden a lot of that stuff from my family. I personally don't do a ton of streaming stuff, but I do have emulators loaded in Kodi and the only sane way to control them (and exit them to get back to Kodi) is via a flirc.

 

[mvbighead]

Then you should be fine. A lot of people in this hobby have no Linux experience, but for you it should be easy.



16GB is plenty for Ubuntu and a small swap space. I don't think Kodiubuntu installs unity. It uses a lighter WM.

The keyboard/mouse thing is the hardest. Soon as those come into play (the Logitech included) the WAF goes out the window.

My advice is get a flirc. That little bad boy can take a remote signal and turn it into a keyboard press. Most of the interfaces for things like Netflix can be completely driven by keyboard, which means with flirc they can be driven by remote.

A flirc plus some good Harmony programing has hidden a lot of that stuff from my family. I personally don't do a ton of streaming stuff, but I do have emulators loaded in Kodi and the only sane way to control them (and exit them to get back to Kodi) is via a flirc.

For the keyboard/mouse, they'd simply be good to have when I need to work/tinker with things. I do have a Flirc on both Chromebox, and they are by far the best remote receiver I have used yet. They JUST work. I had some other media center remote type deals I tied to the Harmony, but they were slow and had flashing lights and just were mediocre for me.

 

[poofyhairguy]

For the keyboard/mouse, they'd simply be good to have when I need to work/tinker with things. I do have a Flirc on both Chromebox, and they are by far the best remote receiver I have used yet. They JUST work. I had some other media center remote type deals I tied to the Harmony, but they were slow and had flashing lights and just were mediocre for me.

Sorry man, I should have known that. You are right, everyone in this hobby needs a utility keyboard. This is the one I use:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005C71L5Y/ref=pd_aw_sim_147_9?refRID=0P7W6TQDYHS09A3SFQ30

Is pretty nice actually, I have given another away as a gift for a friend to use on a smart TV.