Black screen because TV is slower then Beebox

1st Official Post

    I recently bought an Asrock Beebox N3150 and have the following problem. My Samsung TV has a very slow startup and when I use my Harmony remote to start both the TV and Beebox, the Beebox is faster then the TV and Libreelec v7.0.2 does not seem to get the correct EDID string each first boot. So I see a black screen (No signal). When I connect to Libreelec with VNC, I see that the resolution is 1024x768p, which my TV does not seem to understand. After I reboot Libreelec with the TV on, everything works fine. But I would like not to have to do that.


    I already followed the procedure described here:
    Configuring a Custom xorg.conf - OpenELEC

    Since I could not find extlinux.conf, I changed syslinux.cfg to:

    Code
    DEFAULT linux
PROMPT 0
 
LABEL linux
 KERNEL /KERNEL
 APPEND boot=LABEL=System disk=LABEL=Storage  quiet initrd=/edid.cpio drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=HDMI-A-3:edid/edid.bin video=HDMI-A-3:D

    And above combined with what I found here:
    Forcing a resolution when no TV is connected - Phoronix Forums
    this is my current xorg.conf file:

    Does someone know how I can force Libreelec to a resolution my TV understands even if my TV is off when Libreelec is started?

    Edited once, last by Bloksel (July 20, 2016 at 8:34 AM).

    • Official Post

    Since you already tried the EDID solution, I'm not sure if anything else helps other than simply turning on the TV first and the htpc later on. It's just one of those 1st World problems IMO. How old is the Samsung TV ?

    Quote from Klojum


    Since you already tried the EDID solution, I'm not sure if anything else helps other than simply turning on the TV first and the htpc later on. It's just one of those 1st World problems IMO. How old is the Samsung TV ?

    It is a Samsung UE37D6500 from 2011.

    I also just tried this
    LibreELEC

    Found the edid string in /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0/drm/card0/card0-HDMI-A-3/edid, which I copied to /storage/.config/edid.bin and changed xorg.conf to:

    With same result

    Edited once, last by Bloksel (July 20, 2016 at 10:35 AM).

    Quote from Bloksel


    I recently bought an Asrock Beebox N3150 and have the following problem. My Samsung TV has a very slow startup and when I use my Harmony remote to start both the TV and Beebox, the Beebox is faster then the TV and Libreelec v7.0.2 does not seem to get the correct EDID string each first boot...

    Does someone know how I can force Libreelec to a resolution my TV understands even if my TV is off when Libreelec is started?


    Can't answer the second question, but as a workaround you can configure a delay on the harmony. It's a bit hacky - I'd do it by removing the 'power on' command from the harmony device settings (eg set it to 'none' or a fake command), then after starting the activity sticking in a delay (to let the tv fire up) and lastly powering on the Beebox.

    Quote from trogggy


    Can't answer the second question, but as a workaround you can configure a delay on the harmony. It's a bit hacky - I'd do it by removing the 'power on' command from the harmony device settings (eg set it to 'none' or a fake command), then after starting the activity sticking in a delay (to let the tv fire up) and lastly powering on the Beebox.

    I will try that, but it is a bit annoying when you switch activities, since power on/off is one button on the Beebox. I can't understand why I can not get Libreelec to just always start in 1920x1080 with output enabled on HDMI3. I am sure there is a way, only I haven't found it yet.

    Edited once, last by Bloksel (July 20, 2016 at 10:57 AM).

    Yep, that would be a much better solution.
    If you're often switching activities you could always just make a 'switch on' activity that just powered on the tv and Beebox with the delay (using just tv from devices and learning the Beebox power-on command), then switch to your real Beebox activity.
    Still not ideal, obviously, but then it's at least just one extra button press, and after that everything works normally.

    Quote from Bloksel


    The problem seemed to be my receiver. After connecting the HDMI1 directly to my TV and the HMI3 to the Pioneer VSX-527 it seems to work!

    I was celebrating my victory too fast. After a couple of hours off, the problem was there again. Guess I just have to build in a delay in my Harmony.

    Edited once, last by Bloksel (July 21, 2016 at 10:27 AM).

    Quote from nickr


    Did you collect the edid with the avr, or direct connection to the TV? Try with the direct connection if you haven't already.

    Both. At the moment I have the Beebox N3150 HDMI1 connected to the receiver (Pioneer VSX-527) and the HDMI3 directly to the TV (Samsung UE37D6500). The EDID is collected with a direct connection. I changed everything to HDMI3 in the syslinux.cfg and xorg.conf. I also resetted the Samsung HDMI ports.

    For some reason I need a 5 seconds delay in my Harmony sequence before the Beebox startups (TV has to be on for at least 5 seconds), otherwise it never seems to work. But still it now sometimes works and sometimes not. If I get the no signal message on my screen, I can unplug the power of the TV for ten seconds (Keep everything else on and connected), after which it works?

    I am totally lost where the problem lies. Is it the Beebox, TV, receiver or Libreelec?

    Edited once, last by Bloksel (July 22, 2016 at 9:08 AM).

    Quote from Nailig


    I have a Beebox and set it to fast boot in the bios. Then i had the same problem. Have you checked that fast boot is disabled?

    Fast boot is disabled.

    I am pretty sure I tried all combinations and finally found one that worked. I always did a reset of the CMOS and all HDMI ports on all devices between all my tests. I now have not seen a black screen the whole day and do not need a delay.

    I have the receiver connected to HDMI1 of the Beebox and the receiver connected to HDMI2/ARC on the Samsung TV. I use the edid string I collected while it was directly connected to the TV. I do not need a delay anymore.
    As soon as I use HDMI3 on the Beebox, things become unpredictable. After one to ten restarts or normal startups it will give the black screen. If I connect the TV to the receiver and then to HDMI3 on the Beebox, it works as long as I use a delay?

    The HDMI handshaking on the Beebox is pretty unreliable in my opinion.

    Another thing (Nothing to do with the black screens), I had to add <minimumsamplerate>48000</minimumsamplerate> to the audio section of the advancedsettings, because suddenly my receiver is unable to play audio with a lower sample rate. If I use my old Asrock ION 3D with Libreelec connected to the same receiver, it will play them?

    Edited once, last by Bloksel (July 24, 2016 at 4:52 PM).

    Quote from Nailig


    Who knows... You will have to try that out yourself I think.

    LOL, I meant I did not understand why it would play them on from the Asrock ION 3D (Same version and fresh install of Libreelec) and not from the Asrock Beebox N3150. It looks like it is a Beebox thing.

    Can you play and hear audio files with a sampling rate of 44.1 on your Beebox? And did you have any HDMI handshaking problems when not on fast boot?

    Edited once, last by Bloksel (July 26, 2016 at 7:53 AM).