RK kernel & mpp updated yesterday, maybe some changes that can improve things?
The latest kernel and mpp seems to improve starting of video playback, I am seeing less stuck busy indicators in Kodi.
There is a new patch for mpp for mpeg2 deinterlacing for Linux, maybe it can help?
I will update mpp in next build to include this, I still think there may be an issue with AR for mpeg2 video because rkmppdec in ffmpeg do not set any SAR/DAR value.
Having similar audio problems where audio is not always enabled when starting a video, investigating this before I push a new test build.