[8.95.3 Wetek Core] Missing multichannel audio output

fertigp · January 30, 2019 at 1:50 PM

As soon as I update my Wetek Core from 8.2.5 to 8.95.3 the available audio devices change:

Going to settings/system/audio - audio ouput device

8.2.5 shows ALSA: (Default) AML-M8AUDIO S/PDIF

8.95.3 shows ALSA: (Default) AMl-M8AUDIO Analog

As a result there is now way to output 5.1 sound to my Onkyo AVR, which is connected via HDMI cable. Especially passthrough is not working.

I tested this issue also with a fresh installation of 8.2.5 without any addons or major changes in settings and then update to 8.95.3. It is still the same.

Attached you can find the logfiles from both libreelec versions.

Looking at the kodi.log file of 8.95.3 the audio device is specified as: "No passthrough capabilities"

**Iridium** · February 2, 2019 at 6:31 PM Official Post

As you're running a later alpha build can you try LE 9 and see if the same problem exists.

powerarmour · February 3, 2019 at 11:27 AM

It's a known Amlogic issue unfortunately fertigp, and something that won't be fixed until probably 9.2 or 10, so your choices are to stick with 8.2.5 or switch to CoreELEC.

**chewitt** · February 3, 2019 at 5:22 PM Official Post

One of the first things CE did was drop support for 3.10 kernel devices like the WeTek Core, so that's not a valid recommendation.

fertigp · February 7, 2019 at 3:07 PM

Thanks a lot for your advice.

Just for fun, I tested also LE 9 and as expected it shows the same behavior.

My decision is to switch to a Raspi.

The Wetek Core has never been a good choice, if you want to run new LE versions very early.

twitch · February 8, 2019 at 6:22 PM

Quote from chewitt

One of the first things CE did was drop support for 3.10 kernel devices like the WeTek Core, so that's not a valid recommendation.

CE never did any releases for devices using the 3.10 kernel in the first place to be able to drop them...

I think you need to get your facts straight rather than spreading misleading fud 👊

HiNRG · November 2, 2019 at 8:20 PM

Bringing this back to life to find out if there are any plans to address this issue in the newer versions ... For all of the WeTek Core users out there, we would all really appreciate the digital audio as otherwise the new 9.x build works flawlessly! Without the audio feature we're stuck on 8.2.5 with no Netflix support

HiNRG · January 14, 2020 at 2:58 AM

Any more updates on this?

mancio61 · March 24, 2020 at 10:04 AM

Yesterday I try to install the last official LibreELEC version on my Wetek Core. All it works... except multichannel audio. In the list of audio device the SPDIF option is still missing. I had only three devices : (Default) AMl-M8AUDIO Analog, AMl-M8AUDIO Analog and Pulse. So the "Pass-through" section in the lower part of the Audio option pane is still empty.

AFAIK it seems that the issue is still not solved in LibreELEC 9.2.1. I try to install the old 8.2.5.

I don't know if is related to the audio issue (the Core is connected to a non-HDMI enabled AVR through optical cable), but some movies are not shown correctly (they freeze..), while obviously the ones that are played, send only stereo audio to the AVR....

mancio61 · March 26, 2020 at 9:18 AM

8.2.5 installed, and the multi-channel audio issue is solved. The SPDIF device audio magically appears, and now I'm able to hear 5.1 audio stream from my AVR.

HiNRG · May 2, 2020 at 4:06 AM

Yes, 8.2.5 is the last version that works for audio (which is what I'm using), but that's a very old version already. Did anyone get any newer version to work, or any word if/when this could be fixed?

**chewitt** · May 3, 2020 at 12:25 PM Official Post

Sometime this year we will probably release a mainline kernel image (LE10) that runs on WeTek Core, subject to the current rate of progress continuing. Until then the 9.0.2 image is latest, but 8.2.5 avoids the audio issue, which is known but nobody ever came up with a fix before we abandoned all work on Amlogic BSP kernels.

HiNRG · May 4, 2020 at 2:45 AM

Excellent, thank you for the response

Ionman · May 9, 2020 at 11:40 AM

Just wanted to chime in and add my fulsome thanks for any future support of the Wetek Core.

**chewitt** · May 12, 2020 at 5:16 AM Official Post

WeTek posted me a Core box the other day and have share their u-boot sources so I can start to look at what might be required to support the boxes again in the future. There's still a lot of work to be done for Meson8 support though, so it will be a lower priority thing to track.

Ionman · May 12, 2020 at 10:22 AM

An actual Core? That's pretty cool, I'd have thought Wetek had long stopped caring about the Core (and run out of stock).

It's a little long in the tooth but it's been a rock-solid performer for me with LE 8.2.5 and it has optical out - without which I'd have to replace a whole heap more of my system. Only problem now is that Kodi 17.6 doesn't get the newer InputStream and DRM components required to consume ever-more-common encrypted content.

**chewitt** · May 12, 2020 at 11:03 AM Official Post

Core boxes are long out of stock but vendors normally have some support spares and I made it clear anything they unearth in the back of a cupboard will be fine for my/our needs. Hardkernel also posted a C1+ when they shipped a C4 sample so now I have a couple of Meson 8 things to play with over the summer.

Junoxe · May 12, 2020 at 12:17 PM

Quote from Ionman

LE 8.2.5

I have Core with 9.0.2 working on NAND. For my needs one of best boxes. I tried Balbes alpha images with Leia. Works as well but from SD not NAND.