MMAL performance (on RPI2) - perfect in Openelec, unusable in Libreelec

aabyssx · January 19, 2019 at 7:43 PM

Here is a shot of the debug OSD.

Is this memory usage normal?

aabyssx · January 20, 2019 at 10:06 AM

Beside the log of a clean install and default settings I posted yesterday, is there something I could check or provide?

aabyssx · January 24, 2019 at 8:37 PM

FYI I got a PI3 and my videos play fine now.

So my issue is resolved but it might be worth to investigate why the performance is bad on a PI2.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

a_view · June 8, 2020 at 9:10 PM

The problem still present on:

LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-8.2.5

LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-9.0.2

LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-9.2.3

OSMC_TGT_rbp2_20200607

XBian_2020.06.05_rpi4

These builds play 1080p60 videos fine using MMAL:

LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-8.0.2

OpenELEC-RPi2.arm-8.0.4

Test video can be taken there:

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a_view · June 10, 2020 at 7:56 AM

Hey! Is this really a tech support forum?

My last findings: the problem was caused by videocore firmware.

When I used videocore firmware from LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-8.0.2(9469ea3706e34c4de62f38a5008f69a429b4b43e (clean) (release)), 1080p60 video playback became fine on LibreELEC 8.2.5 and 9.0.2.

Note: I'm using a Raspberry Pi 2 Model B Version 1.1 based on Broadcom BCM2836

**Klojum** · June 10, 2020 at 9:20 AM Official Post

Quote from a_view

Hey! Is this really a tech support forum?

No, this website all is just a cover up for a shoarma and kebab sandwich shop.

Don't piss off the volunteering people who could help you. Things might backfire on you.
And to be clear, we have no obligation to respond within a certain time limit.
We are also not a commercial company with 9-5 working hours.

"Hey!" is also not the term we normally respond to.

a_view · June 10, 2020 at 9:45 AM

I just counted several messages from the author of the topic, to which no one answered for the whole year. In my opinion, this looks a little strange.

No one else is using the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B Version 1.1?

**Klojum** · June 10, 2020 at 10:00 AM Official Post

Quote from a_view

I just counted several messages from the author of the topic, to which no one answered for the whole year.

The opening poster started with having a shitload of piracy add-ons on his Kodi setup.

That is never a good begin/moment to ask support for.

After that he ultimately moved on to a RPi3, which no long had the troubles.

For all I know, he could have thrown the RPi2 into a garbage bin.

Hijacking an outdated topic with your own RPi3 troubles is not recommended.

It's better to create your own new forum thread.

a_view · June 10, 2020 at 10:27 AM

Quote from Klojum

The opening poster started with having a shitload of piracy add-ons on his Kodi setup.

As well as the topic starter, I can confirm that the problem can be reproduced with a clean installation.

Quote from Klojum

Hijacking an outdated topic with your own RPi3 troubles is not recommended.

I use the same hardware(Raspberry Pi 2) and have the same issue as the topic starter. Do I need to create new forum thread?

**Klojum** · June 10, 2020 at 10:48 AM Official Post

That is the preferred method, as a user's circumstances can still vary.

But now that you already started here, we might as well continue here.

Have you also tried Milhouse's nightly build over on the Kodi forum?

Perhaps the outcome is different.

a_view · June 10, 2020 at 11:41 AM

Quote from Klojum

Have you also tried Milhouse's nightly build over on the Kodi forum?

Perhaps the outcome is different.

Just tried LibreELEC.tv Matrix build #0609 installed over LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-9.2.3.img

LibreELEC (Milhouse): devel-20200609231751-#0609-g423f3bd (RPi2.arm)

LibreELEC:~ # uname -a

Linux LibreELEC 5.4.44 #1 SMP Tue Jun 9 23:18:59 BST 2020 armv7l GNU/Linux

LibreELEC:~ # vcgencmd version

Jun 6 2020 15:52:37

version 198560b99ae3eb70a9f137c7524e14e0315708fb (clean) (release) (start_x)

LibreELEC:~ # lsb_release

LibreELEC (Milhouse): devel-20200609231751-#0609-g423f3bd [Build #0609]

LibreELEC:~ # Kodi version

-sh: Kodi: not found

The problem still present.

**HiassofT** · June 10, 2020 at 5:40 PM

You need to overclock your RPi2 if you want to play 1080p60 videos. H264 is specced at max 1080p30 on RPi1 and 2. RPi3 and newer run the H264 block at higher clocks per default, so 1080p60 works out of the box there.

See also this old thread: Pi 2 1080p@60fps videos out of sync with omxplayer and Kodi - Raspberry Pi Forums

so long,

Hias

a_view · June 10, 2020 at 6:09 PM

Quote from HiassofT

You need to overclock your RPi2 if you want to play 1080p60 videos.

But why it works fine without overclocking when I use this videocore firmware:

May 15 2017 17:01:07

version 9469ea3706e34c4de62f38a5008f69a429b4b43e (clean) (release)

**HiassofT** · June 10, 2020 at 7:25 PM

How are you testing this?

Just tried that firmware on LE 9.2.3 and kodi didn't even start (which I was expecting as that firmware is ancient and not matching what current kernel/kodi expects).

so long,

Hias

a_view · June 10, 2020 at 7:55 PM

I just extracted two files(start.elf and fixup.dat) from LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-8.0.2.img

Then I copied this two files to SD card by replacing original files. Probably the replacement is important.

I did it on LE 9.0.2 and LE 8.2.5 ~~and assume that it should work on LE 9.2.3~~

Tried LE 9.2.3 - it doesn't start. Only logo and version(at left upper corner) is displayed but it possible to connect via SSH.

**HiassofT** · June 10, 2020 at 8:35 PM

Thanks for the info, I did some more testing with LE 8.2.x.

Since the Mar 13 2018 firmware (which went into LE 8.2.4) the H264 block is clocked at the officially documented frequency (250MHz) - see Overclocking options in config.txt - Raspberry Pi Documentation

In the Mar 9 2018 firmware (and lots of earlier firmwares) the H264 block was overclocked at 300MHz by default - this is what makes the difference between working and non-working 1080p60.

Simply do a slight H264 overclock to 300MHz, this worked fine here both on LE 8.2.4/5 and 9.2.3

Code

h264_freq=300
h264_freq_min=300

so long,

Hias

a_view · June 10, 2020 at 9:37 PM

Thanks. Now modern LE builds work fine at 300 MHz.

Why the dynamic frequency clocking doesn't work correctly with h264_freq_min=250 ?

Probably there need to enable overclocking for 1080p60 videos somwhere in KODI GUI...

**HiassofT** · June 10, 2020 at 10:04 PM

Anything overclocking-related is quite tricky and you are pretty much on your own if you need/want to do that.

Achievable overclock settings are highly dependent on the silicon in your specific RPi and allowed/stable settings may also change with firmware versions as they often modify internal voltage/clock switching logic (eg to reduce power consumption/temperature).

so long,

Hias