LE 10.0.3 RPi 4 TVH Video freezing whilst Audio continues

Morphy · December 31, 2022 at 1:55 PM

Since starting to use LE 10 on my RPi 4 with TVHeadend for live TV, I've had some intermittent issues which cause the picture to freeze but the audio keeps playing. I think it's happening when the stream has some errors which the video player on the RPi doesn't recover from. I'm guessing it's either network traffic or CPU usage on my TVH server which can cause inconsistencies in the TVH stream. I do some re-encoding on the SD streams to make them compatible with Hyperion (a bit of a hack). This may have happened on LE9 but the picture never froze like this. However, I didn't re-encode TVH streams on that as Hyperion worked fine. Skipping forward or backward resumes the video but I'd like to try and eliminate this completely as it gets annoying if the remote isn't to hand.

Here's a quick log excerpt which may be of some relevance:

Code

2022-12-31 11:56:07.659 T:1278  WARNING <general>: OutputPicture - timeout waiting for buffer
2022-12-31 11:56:24.761 T:1273     INFO <general>: CVideoPlayerAudio::Process - stream stalled
2022-12-31 11:56:25.597 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:56:35.598 T:1278     INFO <general>: Skipped 302 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:56:35.598 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:56:45.626 T:1278     INFO <general>: Skipped 244 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:56:45.626 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:56:55.731 T:1278     INFO <general>: Skipped 256 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:56:55.731 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:57:06.043 T:1278     INFO <general>: Skipped 251 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:57:06.043 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:57:16.188 T:1278     INFO <general>: Skipped 251 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:57:16.188 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:57:26.286 T:1278     INFO <general>: Skipped 257 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:57:26.286 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:57:36.629 T:1273     INFO <general>: Skipped 190 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:57:36.379 T:1273    ERROR <general>: CDVDAudio::AddPacketsRenderer - timeout adding data to renderer
2022-12-31 11:57:36.628 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -3027.030754
2022-12-31 11:57:36.819 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:57:36.833 T:25366    INFO <general>: Skipped 62 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:57:36.833 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -92507.959421
2022-12-31 11:57:37.012 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:57:37.186 T:25366    INFO <general>: Skipped 14 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:57:37.186 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -2699.942903
2022-12-31 11:57:37.195 T:25366    INFO <general>: Skipped 1 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:57:37.195 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -2699.944107
2022-12-31 11:57:37.199 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -2699.942514
2022-12-31 11:57:37.221 T:1278    ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)
2022-12-31 11:57:37.318 T:25366    INFO <general>: Skipped 4 duplicate messages..
2022-12-31 11:57:37.318 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -2800.028124
2022-12-31 11:57:37.368 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -2799.953051
2022-12-31 11:57:37.418 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -2799.897051
2022-12-31 11:57:37.468 T:25366 WARNING <general>: ActiveAE - large audio sync error: -2799.999421

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I've tried adding some settings to advancedsettings.xml but they don't appear to have helped:

Code

<buffermode>1</buffermode> <!-- Comment: Default is 1 -->
<readbufferfactor>4.0</readbufferfactor> <!-- Comment: Default is 1.0 ->
<skiploopfilter>32</skiploopfilter>

cvbasta · December 31, 2022 at 9:25 PM

I have the same problem since starting to use LE 10 on my RPi 4 with TVHeadend for Live TV. I have some intermittent issues which cause the picture to freeze but the audio keeps playing. I know that the stream has no errors since I have no stream errors in TVHeadend and no network errors. The only error I get in KODI is always: ... WARNING <general>: OutputPicture - timeout waiting for buffer ...

In the config.txt I have already tried core_freq_min=500 and in advancedsettings.xml:

<cache>

</cache>

Perhaps someone knows more on this error...

Morphy · January 3, 2023 at 7:35 PM

Finally got around to recreating it with debug enabled (when the W wasn't around) DEBUG LOG

twilightened · January 16, 2023 at 11:28 AM

I will also claim to have the same problem that "streaming" videos do occasionally freeze (h264 particularly) especially when they are buffering, that is, after the buffering is done, only the audio continues to play. The last video frame gets stuck on the screen.

ciclista71 · January 23, 2023 at 1:12 PM

I have the very same problem though in my case I see it happening while I am recording a video and playing it back one hour later (so I am watching it live but with 1hr delay).

I am recording over USB so I shouldn't see any buffering, but I do. Sometimes, in rare occasions, video resumes, but generally speaking, audio keeps working while video is frozen. I normally stop and play again, now I see I can also go back 10s, will try that.

In kodi logs I see this:

2023-01-18 23:11:17.814 T:10596 INFO <general>: CVideoPlayerAudio::Process - stream stalled

2023-01-18 23:11:24.481 T:10602 ERROR <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::AddData - send packet failed: End of file (-541478725)

2023-01-18 23:11:31.210 T:904 INFO <general>: Skipped 574 duplicate messages..

Note that if TVH is not recording, I never face buffering or stalling issues at all.

I checked CPU and RAM resources and they look fine (I am also using comskip while recording, so CPU% is a bit high)

Video is HD, H264 interlaced

nput #0, mpegts, from '/media/DVR/RegistrazioniTV/CLV/CLV2023-01-18.ts':
Duration: 03:20:00.61, start: 82849.148356, bitrate: 5753 kb/s
Program 1
Metadata:
service_name : Rai 3 HD
service_provider: Rai
Stream #0:0[0xc9]: Video: h264 (High) ([27][0][0][0] / 0x001B), yuv420p(tv, top first), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 25 fps, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc
Stream #0:1[0x12d](ita): Audio: mp2 ([3][0][0][0] / 0x0003), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s
Stream #0:2[0x191](oth): Audio: mp2 ([3][0][0][0] / 0x0003), 48000 Hz, mono, fltp, 64 kb/s
Stream #0:3[0x259](ita,ita,eng): Subtitle: dvb_teletext ([6][0][0][0] / 0x0006)
No Program
Stream #0:4[0x12]: Data: epg

twilightened · January 23, 2023 at 2:20 PM

Disabling DRM Prime video decoder seems to fix the video freezing issues for me. Maybe give it a try.

ciclista71 · January 24, 2023 at 10:27 AM

Thanks for the suggestion but I tried and the results are terrible: I guess that by disabling that feature, video decoding will be done via software but Rpi4 cannot handle such a load: CPU increased to 75% and I see artifacts and video stuttering, so I need to have that flag set to ON

**popcornmix** · January 24, 2023 at 11:39 AM

It would be useful to confirm if the issue is reproducible from a recorded file (played through file interface of kodi).

If it is we can investigate the file.

ciclista71 · January 24, 2023 at 12:45 PM

The issue of video freezing only happens while I play a file being recorded. If I just play the file on the next day, for instance, then it will all be ok and there are no glitches in the video; this means that recording and playing at the same time work well, as I am not missing any frames, but playing while recording still has some buffer underruns and sometimes freezes.

So to me it looks like file is ok.

I have to say I am also running comskip while recording, so that I will skip commercials. Tomorrow I will try recording and playing back without using comskip to see if I have any improvements - I will report back

twilightened · January 24, 2023 at 1:44 PM

On my case, the problem arises when i am playing a video file or a live stream stored in a distant server. It especially happens when there is a "buffering" delay (the buffering circle comes up on screen) due to my internet connection and when the buffering is done, only the audio continues to play. The last video frame is stuck on screen. I am not recording anything and have never done it to be honest.

**popcornmix** · January 24, 2023 at 2:03 PM

I think kodi just doesn't recover well when switching into and out of buffering where there isn't enough network bandwidth between the client and server.

I used to have issue like this when using a wifi connection, but it's been perfect since switching to wired.

petediscrete · January 24, 2023 at 2:09 PM

I wouldn’t even consider Wi-Fi when it comes to video and Kodi. Too many external sources of possible interference to consider.

ciclista71 · January 24, 2023 at 3:11 PM

I was initially using WiFi, but now I am recording and playing live video from an USB3 dongle, but still I get buffering issues while playing and recording at the same time. Can't be a media issue....

**popcornmix** · January 24, 2023 at 8:12 PM

Do you see video queue go down to zero before issues happen?

ciclista71 · January 25, 2023 at 8:34 AM

How can I check that? I know I can see the video buffer in the bar but it's not visible while I am watching the video, unless I click on it and the bar pops up. So I never checked. And the buffer bar is not so clear either.

Is there any other way? to see it?

**popcornmix** · January 25, 2023 at 12:58 PM

Player process info - Official Kodi Wiki

ctrl-shift-o shows useful debug info.

The "Player: a/v:0.01 forward 14.88MB 100%" line is pretty useful.

A/V is audio/video sync and should oscillate around 0 (usually not exeeding -0.1/+0.1

The forward and percentage numbers show how much data is encoded data is queued up - if that heads towards 0 you go into buffering mode and kodi doesn't handle that well.

ciclista71 · January 25, 2023 at 2:25 PM

Didn't know about this feature!

I have mapped it to my remote and I will test it tonight, since my recording is every Wednesday evening.

Thanks !

**popcornmix** · January 25, 2023 at 2:30 PM

Quote from ciclista71

Didn't know, but I am using an headless raspberry, how can I show such debug info then? Sorry for my ignorance

I don't understand. How do you know "Video freezing whilst Audio continues" if you are running headless?

(headless means without a display, so no video to look at).

The debug info I'm suggestion is from kodi, while you are watching the video stream.