[S812] MIII Plus 2Gb\16Gb eMMC

  • Hi folks - big thanks to balbes150 for bringing newer LE builds to our S812 devices!

    My Device: MXIII-G 2G/8G S812

    I don’t actually know what “brand” it is the box itself and packaging don’t really say so I guess it’s a clone, maybe of a Tronsmart?

    Model: MXIII-G 4K

    Android Version: 5.1.1

    Build: 108L1

    There are several links to original Android firmware available here (some may expire but they seem to replace them):

    download-new-firmware-108l1-tronsmart-mxiii-plus.html

    I was running Wilro’s build LibreELEC-MX3G.arm-7.0.1c, from Freaktab - installed that into Internal storage (not SDCard).

    It ran well, but obviously is an older build and I saw these newer builds by balbes150, and wanted to upgrade due to the subtitle parsing vulnerabilities...

    Installed LibreELEC-S812.arm-17.4_20170822-MXIII_Plus build by copying the tar file into /update dir across the network, rebooted and after replacing the correct remote.conf, things are (mostly) running well!

    Many thanks to balbes150 for all the hard work!

    I have only one issue - the HDMI port will not output sound correctly.

    I plug my MXIII-G into a Yamaha AVR (RX-A3020), which supports DTS-HD MA, DDTrueHD etc.

    Now I realise that I may not get the MA or TrueHD stream with one of these little boxes, but I SHOULD at least get the “core” audio streams being passed through HDMI to my AVR.

    So in the case of:

    DTS-HD MA stream, I should still get the DTS5.1 (lossy core) stream, and, for,

    DD TrueHD stream, I should still at least get the DolbyDigital5.1 (lossy core).

    Under Wilro’s build that’s how things worked.

    With this build (20170822-MXIII_Plus):

    I am (mostly) only getting Kodi GUI navigation sounds.

    Even if a video contains ONLY a single “regular” DTS5.1 (lossy) stream - I get no sound at all.

    I have one exception - a full BD iso image of a movie with multiple audio streams.

    Stream 1/10 is a DD TrueHD Atmos 7.1 track - if I select this one, then I get LPCM 2.1 working audio on my AVR!

    Explain that! (I can’t).

    Anyway, this seems like a driver issue to me.

    I have reviewed the Audio settings, I can choose from the following 3 options:

    ALSA: AML-M8AUDIO (@:CARD=AMLM8AUDIO,DEV=0),S/PDIF

    ALSA: AML-M8AUDIO (iec958:CARD=AMLM8AUDIO,DEV=0),S/PDIF

    PULSE: Default, Bluetooth Audio (PULSEAUDIO)

    I cannot find any difference between the first two options in terms of impact on working multichannel sound (or not), but am I correct that the HDMI port is not properly detected?

    I honestly do not recall what Wilro’s older working build had under Audio devices.

    At this point, I should point out that while I have flashed a few ROMs onto Android phones (so I found the original installation of Wilro’s build onto internal storage easy), I am newish to OpenELEC/LibreELEC in general.

    But from reading this thread, it seems I would be asked for the fw_printenv:

    Also, here is the output of lsmod:

    Code
    lsmod
    Module                  Size  Used by
    hci_uart               41077  1
    bluetooth             194856  2 hci_uart
    8021q                  16147  0
    dhd                   659723  0
    cfg80211              205360  1 dhd
    mali                  161397  5

    And further info from:

    Code
    aplay --list-devices
    **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
    card 0: AMLM8AUDIO [AML-M8AUDIO], device 0: AML PCM dummy_codec-0 []
      Subdevices: 1/1
      Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
    card 0: AMLM8AUDIO [AML-M8AUDIO], device 1: SPDIF PCM dit-hifi-1 []
      Subdevices: 1/1
      Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

    I did also obtain the dmesg output, it’s quite large (probably too big for here!) and I may be wrong but it looks like for some reason the S/PDIF output is being sent to HDMI???

    Or that the system is sending only to S/PDIF port, OR as PCM only.

    I’ve read this whole thread a few times, and see mention of dtb files and replacing one of these with different one for slightly different hardware revisions.

    I’ve looked under the filesystem, but I must be stupid, I can't find these dtb files.

    I also can’t see it mentioned anywhere in the posts WHERE these files are in the filesystem?

    (recall, mine is running from internal storage, NOT SDcard or USB drive).

    Any help gratefully received! :)

    If I can get the sound working I will be super-stoked - donation to the community for sure!

    Everything else about this build is working well for me (I haven't tested Bluetooth, but I don't care about that)

    Cheers,

    tU

  • Yeah, there is something weird with the script that sets up the multiboot for these boxes. Also, the one from the balbes150 image does not work with the demetris image and vice versa, so it looks like there is not a standard approach to applying the multi-boot ?

    On a positive note, the new image did work on a MXiii (S802 chip) by using toothpick method by SD but then inserting into USB to boot up. However, as I said, after doing this, the Demetris image would no longer boot from USB and the whole SD/Toothpick/Then_USB_Boot process had to be done again.

    So I am wondering if the multi-boot thing could be looked at to get the SD card booting up and perhaps at least the method could be standardised ?

    There are several multi-boot options.

    1. The "old" option which strictly prescribes that the loader can run only one system (all parameters and file names as fixed in u-boot). This option is used in the Demetris.

    2. "Universal" - which uses a special script (sXXX_autoscript). In this embodiment, the activation of the multi-boot is executed once and no longer required. You can run external drives any system (Libreelec Linux, Android etc). Each system is composed of the image its a script that takes into account all the specifics of this system. All the necessary data and steps provided therein, on an external drive and not change the boot loader u-boot. This option I use in all my LE systems and Linux (ArchLinux Armbian OpenSUSE etc).

    3. A combined version. Which uses Kszaq. The system activate the multi-boot using the old version, but he, at my request, added to the image script s905_autoscript that allows his images to run in both systems (old and universal). True, he hasn't updated this script and he does not use the new features. To assemble a script that will allow you to run images of Demetris on any-boot options is not difficult, I have laid out a script. I already proposed Demetris to include in his images, this option (to have compatible images), but he did not answer. Perhaps he has good reasons for this.

    I kept getting the 120 second error, so I did what you said here. I wrote the same image to a USB stick and did the toothpick install - GoogleTV logo comes up and after ~30 seconds the box goes into recovery with a message that E: Cannot Load Volume /misc!

    I tried turning off the box, inserting the USB stick and then turning on the box. Google TV logo comes up and the Android boots.

    OK, I exited from recovery (the original MXIII-G recovery) and the box booted into LE. I'm not all that confident yet, but so far so good.

    That didn't last very long. The box now reboots into Android no matter what method I use.

    I have written many times that the activation of multi-boot is possible ONLY WITH SD CARD. After a single activation multi-boot from SD card, you can start the system from USB stick or SD card.

    Only when booting up the device and the bootscreen comes up there is some text on the left side of the screen in the new version this is solved a bit with some less text is it possible to hide this so we have a nice clean bootscreen ?

    Also when you shutdown the device and and you want to power it on again you need to pull out the power cable and plug it in again and then push the power button, is it possible to fix this?

    1. To remove the output of strings when you start possible.

    2. With the support of the right off more difficult. Need to study the code of u-boot and the remote control, try to adapt. Unfortunately I don't have this model TV box that would perform and test these adjustments.

    The last version to work correctly with an SD card was LibreELEC-S812.MXIII_Plus.arm-17.3_20170622 , is there any way you could look to see why this works and later builds do not, you would make a lot of us happy fixing this

    Lately there are many changes in the kernel, maybe they're not all compatible with older models. If I get the chance (time) I will try to study the problem. For reference, I only have one model Tronsmart TV box MXIII Plus, it runs everything, so it is difficult to control the cause of these changes.


    Sorry, I'm not ready yet to determine the cause of this behavior.

  • Thanks balbes150! Installed 20170830 on internal of my MXIII-G and all it's working very fine but libreelect poweroff option doesn't shutdown MXIII-G. TV lost source to MXIII-G but led on this remain blue. To shutdown it I must remove power cable.

    Any fix for this?

  • Sorry, I'm not ready yet to determine the cause of this behavior.

    ... and yet you have fixed it anyway! :D8)

    THANK YOU SO MUCH balbes150 <3

    I can confirm that the HDMI audio output is now working "as expected" on my MXIII-G 4K (2G/8G) box on internal memory, using:

    LibreELEC-S812.arm-17.4_20170830-MXIII_Plus (I just copied tar file into /update dir across the network).

    Audio output options now look correct to me:

    ALSA: Default (AML-M8AUDIO Analog)

    ALSA: AML-M8AUDIO, HDMI

    PULSE: Default, Bluetooth Audio (PULSEAUDIO)


    Using the second option above, the HDMI is outputting DTS and DD 5.1 lossy core audio streams even from files where there is ONLY a single HD audio stream.


    Couldn't be happier with this build, so I will likely not touch it.

    Going to go donate to the community - right now :thumbup:

  • Lately there are many changes in the kernel, maybe they're not all compatible with older models. If I get the chance (time) I will try to study the problem. For reference, I only have one model Tronsmart TV box MXIII Plus, it runs everything, so it is difficult to control the cause of these changes

    I have posted some logs from my box a bit further back, if you find the time and need anything else that would help please just shout :)

    Huge thanks !

  • Hi,

    today i tried to update my akaso s812 box from LibreELEC-S812.LAN1000.arm-8.0.1.img.gz to a Kodi 17.4 libreelec version. I tried all 3 of them:

    LibreELEC-S812.arm-17.4_20170830-LAN_100.tar, LibreELEC-S812.arm-17.4_20170830-MXIII_Plus.tar and LibreELEC-S812.arm-17.4_20170830-X8H_Plus.tar.

    All of them booted and i had Kodi 17.4, but in no image Wifi worked. It worked before but not with the new releases.

    Which module has been removed or what has changed so that Wifi no longer works ?

    Buetooth does not work but it didn't work before also.

  • balbes150

    I installed your latest 20170830 build on my M8S. Everything works as expected, but I noticed the UI was so much more responsive. I thought it had something to do with changes in the kernel, but yesterday I noticed cpu2 is constantly on 100%. So probably a bug?

  • Anyone get this to work on a tronsmart mxiii plus 1gb? I can get the tarball to load new image but the wired connection is broken. I was on Wilos libreelec before hand

  • Thanks Bubblegum perfect link.

    I did various searches onsite and from Google with no joy.

    Image LE model S812 S802. Make on the basis of two GIT drieschel and kszaq , with some additions and changes. To use you must activate universal multiboot (after burning the image to SD card use toothpick method on a TV console). After a one-time activation universal multi-boot with TV box, you can use the images recorded on USB media. To use the TV box still images OE LE (with old multi-boot option), it is enough to copy to the FAT partition of those drives, file script s805_autoscript .

    Yandex.Disk

    The branch with the source code for the Assembly.
    GitHub - 150balbes/LibreELEC.tv: 'Just enough OS' for Kodi

    Scripts for LE.
    Amlogic_s905/script/S805/LIBREELEC at master · 150balbes/Amlogic_s905 · GitHub

    Add image Jarvis
    Add image Krypton

    For the Minix X8H plus am I best using a Kodi 17 image or a Minix X8H plus image?

  • Thanks Bubblegum perfect link.

    I did various searches onsite and from Google with no joy.

    For the Minix X8H plus am I best using a Kodi 17 image or a Minix X8H plus image?

    I have a Minix NEO X8H plus I have tried the links from Drieshel but can't get to boot. Please let me know if you are successful.

    Thanks

    Hi All,

    I have got hold of a Minix NEO X8-H Plus. I am trying to run LE on it. I have downloaded the image that I think is correct and used the LibreELEC burning program to burn to a SD and I also tried a USB.

    I can't get it to boot. Sometimes it just boots the the dead robot and sometimes it just sticks on the LibreELEC logo screen.

    Can someone please give me a step by step to get it running on this box?

    Many thanks

  • I downloaded this image 'LibreELEC-S812.Minix.arm-17.3.img' used the usb/sd creation tool to create a bootable USB, plugged the USB into my Minix X8H+ and rebooted with the reset button pushed in, box did not reboot to LibreELEC it booted to the android lying on it's back menu.

    I still have work to do, I was going to try a straight Kodi 17.x LibreELEC version tomorrow.

  • I downloaded this image 'LibreELEC-S812.Minix.arm-17.3.img' used the usb/sd creation tool to create a bootable USB, plugged the USB into my Minix X8H+ and rebooted with the reset button pushed in, box did not reboot to LibreELEC it booted to the android lying on it's back menu.

    I still have work to do, I was going to try a straight Kodi 17.x LibreELEC version tomorrow.

    I used this image

    LibreELEC-S8X2.arm-8.2.RC3-X8H-PLUS.img.gz | by Demetris. for MXQ TV Box from @Demetris used LE burning tool to get it to a usb. I even copied the boot.scr to the root and that didn't work either.

    Im hoping someone can help

    Also tried every image in this post

    Custom ROM - LibreElec 8.2 kodi 17.4 | MINIX Forum - Official

    Edited once, last by kodiuser1 (September 15, 2017 at 7:02 PM).

  • I used this image

    LibreELEC-S8X2.arm-8.2.RC3-X8H-PLUS.img.gz | by Demetris. for MXQ TV Box from @Demetris used LE burning tool to get it to a usb. I even copied the boot.scr to the root and that didn't work either.

    Im hoping someone can help

    Also tried every image in this post

    Custom ROM - LibreElec 8.2 kodi 17.4 | MINIX Forum - Official

    Used SD/USB tool to burn this image LibreELEC-S812.arm-17.4_20170830-X8H_Plus.img.gz to USB, plugged USB into Minix X8H+ used paper clip in recovery switch and powered on Minix, keeping paper clip in Minix reboots to Recovery dead android screen :(

    I am following exact same process as I did when I created a USB for my S905X box (different image) so I am at a loss as to why this is not working on my Minix X8H+

    Should I be unzipping the .gz, copying additional files to the USB, not use a USB???

    Anyone any suggestions as to what I try next?

  • Used SD/USB tool to burn this image LibreELEC-S812.arm-17.4_20170830-X8H_Plus.img.gz to USB, plugged USB into Minix X8H+ used paper clip in recovery switch and powered on Minix, keeping paper clip in Minix reboots to Recovery dead android screen :(

    I am following exact same process as I did when I created a USB for my S905X box (different image) so I am at a loss as to why this is not working on my Minix X8H+

    Should I be unzipping the .gz, copying additional files to the USB, not use a USB???

    Anyone any suggestions as to what I try next?

    I always use rufus Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way