Update options for MECOOL m8s PRO L s912 ?

  • Create a new SD card using the AMLGX "box" image from https://test.libreelec.tv/ then set the dtb name to use in uEnv.ini and boot/see what works. I'd start with the mecool kiii-pro dtb as most of their boxes seem to be similar hardware.

    There is currently an issue with hardware decode in nightlies so you will need to disable it in Kodi playback settings (but leave DRMPRIME enabled) to get video output. Software decoded output should be broadly on-par with the performance of S912 legacy images that had no proper GPU drivers though (good for anything @ 1080p).

    NB: You cannot "update" an existing install, the boot process is different with upstream images so it needs to be a clean install.

  • After Googling the box it looks like the M8S-Pro-L has only 10/100 Ethernet. If true, use the Q201 dtb. Hardware decode was working until a big batch of changes landed recently and I didn't figure out what the breaking change is yet. I don't have much time right now (new year, back to work) but it will get spotted eventually.

  • I should have asked what was the last build that had Hardware video decoding working?

    BTW I tried dtb_name=/dtb/meson-gxm-q201.dtb

    Booting from SDCARD no go just starts booting android. The mecool q201-3 dtb worked with Coreelec so q201 should be correct.

    Edited once, last by crazyazz (January 6, 2022 at 1:20 AM).

  • It may need more than a straight swap of the SD card, i.e. You may need to force recovery boot mode again else the boot scripts we use to hook vendor u-boot (which are different to the ones used in legacy images and CE) may not be read and used. Unfortunately the only real way to see what's going on is hooking up a UART (serial console) cable to the board, but that requires you to have one, and opening the case, and sometimes soldering is needed. See if forcing recovery boot again works?

    NB: Hardware decode is working again in https://chewitt.libreelec.tv/testing/ images and current nightlies.

  • Got it running thanks.

    Couple of issues compared to CoreElec 9.2.8

    Pink line at the bottom of video sometimes

    Audio pops now and then

    Some High bitrate 4K HDR streams causes freezes needing reboot.

    Edited once, last by crazyazz (January 6, 2022 at 9:04 AM).

  • HEVC support is still experimental (not upstream) and how frames are queued/buffered to feed the hardware decoder needs work to avoid stalls. The pink line is known - I'd like to understand whether it is codec (MPEG2?) or media size (under 1080p?) related. I haven't heard audio pops for a long time, but I'd generally recommend using pass-through for multi-channel audio as PCM has an unresolved issue with speaker placement (FC is RL position, SUB in RR, etc.).

  • If you install the multimedia-tools add-on to get alsamixer (accessed via SSH) is the analogue output (toacodec) set to 100%? - If yes, do the pops stop if output is reduced to 80%?