LibreELEC-RPi4.arm-10.0.4 heating up the processor

  • After installing 10.0.4 on my raspberry pi 4 with 4Gb and then playing a video which uses inputstream adaptive / widevine cdm (I think that influences it) the processor gets alot hotter than before.

    It is going over 77° C

    I first rebooted the pi and tried again but still the same issue.

    Then I downgraded to LibreELEC-RPi4.arm-10.0.2 and all is ok again. The same video now doesn't let the temperature go above 66°C

    Then I tried 10.0.3 and here also the temperature very quickly goes up above 75°C

    So the issue is more a change in 10.0.3 but I hadn't noted it because I was still on 10.0.2

    Maybe I should mention that I also updated the pi to the latest firmware that comes with 10.4.0 but since the problem goes away when I install again 10.0.2 I guess that is not the issue.

    Anyone an idea what has changed to have this effect?

  • Software decode will drive up the CPU usage and increase temps so get a decent passive cooling case (flirc case is highly recommended). The RPi4 SoC is designed to run much hotter than you're seeing .. it's not some fragile thing that must run at 40ºC.

  • chewitt

    Is that a change in kodi 19.4 that decoding is now done differently than previous versions of kodi? Do you have a reference link on that?

    Thank you

    Are you keeping your rpi in a hot environment like on top of amplifier or something...75ºC for playing widevine stream I think it's a bit too hot..my old rpi2 doesnt exceed 57ºC on widevine streams itvX etc..

  • Mario77

    My question is why don't I have this issue with libreelec 10.0.2 (kodi 19.3) or below and I have it with 10.0.3 and higher. It's the same device on the same place with the same sd card. Just updated the libreelec image, that is all.

  • Do you still have a backup of the LE10.0.2 installation? If yes, check which widevine CDM version you used with it (inputstream helper addon will show it) and compare it with the version you are currently using.

    ISTR widevine versions from about half a year or a year ago cause a very high CPU load (heating up RPi, but streams still watchable on RPi4, but unwatchable/stuttering on RPi2/3 as the load is too high) - older versions were fine (but may not work any longer, depending on the source) - not sure about newer versions.

    Personally I gave up on trying to watch Netflix etc with kodi addons, it was just too much hassle and hit-and-miss if it worked every evening when just wanting to watch the next episode of a show or a movie, and use the Netflix app on my TV instead. A cheap chromecast (or similar) device with official Netflix/.. app support is certainly the better choice if you don't like to play the cat-and-mouse game of streaming service changes and waiting for kodi addon updates.

    so long,

    Hias

  • HiassofT

    Well after updating my sd card to 10.0.4 and having the issue I updated that same card again with 10.0.2 and the problem was solved again. Updating widevine is something that takes quite some time and you see it on screen for several minutes. There was no such update. Also inputstream adaptive didn't update I think and even if it did, I don't think it downgraded again when I reverted to 10.0.2.

    Netflix works just fine on my raspbery pi devices. I have a pi3 and a pi4 and on both it works great without any issues and that already for several years.

  • Software decode will drive up the CPU usage and increase temps so get a decent passive cooling case (flirc case is highly recommended). The RPi4 SoC is designed to run much hotter than you're seeing .. it's not some fragile thing that must run at 40ºC.

    Hi Chewitt quick question..

    Are you sure streams using widevine are using software decoding?

    Why does my video info popup says hardware decoding active while streaming a show from an addon that uses widevine?

    peno64 could it be you are disabling hardware decoding?

  • It depends on the encryption settings of your stream provider. A few sources only use widevine for authentication and/or decryption (i.e. streams can be HW decoded) but others - like Netflix - use widevide to decrypt and fully SW decode the stream (which leads to high CPU load).

    so long,

    Hias

  • chewitt

    Again, the only thing that I do is update the sd card to 10.0.4 and then play the video and the temperature goes up very rapidly to 75°C

    I don't change any settings.

    Then I put again 10.0.2 on it and the temperature stays at 63°C

    Looking in kodi.log I have this on 10.0.2:

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.372 T:1071 INFO <general>: VideoPlayer::OpenFile: plugin://http://plugin.video.vrt.nu/play/id/vid-2e…d/1672847584345

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.375 T:2255 INFO <general>: Creating InputStream

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.422 T:2255 INFO <general>: AddOnLog: inputstream.adaptive: SetVideoResolution (1920 x 1080)

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.432 T:2172 INFO <general>: CPythonInvoker(33, /storage/.kodi/addons/http://plugin.video.vrt.nu/resources/lib/addon_entry.py): script successfully run

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.629 T:2255 INFO <general>: AddOnLog: inputstream.adaptive: Successfully parsed manifest file. #Periods: 1, #Streams in first period: 3, Type: VOD, Download speed: 9889365.9534 Bytes/s

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.923 T:2255 INFO <general>: Creating Demuxer

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.924 T:2255 INFO <general>: Opening stream: 1001 source: 256

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.943 T:2255 INFO <general>: Creating video codec with codec id: 27

    2023-01-21 18:17:50.943 T:2255 INFO <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::Open - using decoder V4L2 mem2mem H.264 decoder wrapper

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.027 T:2255 INFO <general>: Creating video thread

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.027 T:2269 INFO <general>: running thread: video_thread

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.027 T:2255 INFO <general>: Opening stream: 1002 source: 256

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.045 T:2255 INFO <general>: Finding audio codec for: 86018

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.049 T:2255 INFO <general>: CDVDAudioCodecFFmpeg::Open() Successful opened audio decoder aac

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.049 T:2255 INFO <general>: Creating audio thread

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.049 T:2271 INFO <general>: running thread: CVideoPlayerAudio::Process()

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.049 T:2255 INFO <general>: Opening stream: 1003 source: 256

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.406 T:2271 INFO <general>: CDVDAudioCodecFFmpeg::Open() Successful opened audio decoder aac

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.406 T:2271 INFO <general>: Creating audio stream (codec id: 86018, channels: 2, sample rate: 48000, no pass-through)

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.410 T:1091 INFO <general>: CActiveAESink::OpenSink - initialize sink

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.610 T:1091 INFO <general>: CAESinkALSA::Initialize - Attempting to open device "hdmi:CARD=vc4hdmi0,DEV=0"

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.614 T:1091 INFO <general>: CAESinkALSA::Initialize - Opened device "hdmi:CARD=vc4hdmi0,DEV=0,AES0=0x04,AES1=0x82,AES2=0x00,AES3=0x02"

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.614 T:1091 INFO <general>: CAESinkALSA::InitializeHW - Your hardware does not support AE_FMT_FLOAT, trying other formats

    2023-01-21 18:17:51.615 T:1091 INFO <general>: CAESinkALSA::InitializeHW - Using data format AE_FMT_S24NE3

    10.0.4 gives this:

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.104 T:1063 INFO <general>: VideoPlayer::OpenFile: plugin://http://plugin.video.vrt.nu/play/id/vid-2e…d/1672847584345

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.105 T:2641 INFO <general>: Creating InputStream

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.152 T:2641 INFO <general>: AddOnLog: inputstream.adaptive: SetVideoResolution (1920 x 1080)

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.320 T:2641 INFO <general>: AddOnLog: inputstream.adaptive: Successfully parsed manifest file. #Periods: 1, #Streams in first period: 3, Type: VOD, Download speed: 10385975.5499 Bytes/s

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.538 T:2362 INFO <general>: CPythonInvoker(34, /storage/.kodi/addons/http://plugin.video.vrt.nu/resources/lib/addon_entry.py): script successfully run

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.610 T:2641 INFO <general>: Creating Demuxer

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.611 T:2641 INFO <general>: Opening stream: 1001 source: 256

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.628 T:2641 INFO <general>: Creating video codec with codec id: 27

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.628 T:2641 INFO <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::Open - using decoder V4L2 mem2mem H.264 decoder wrapper

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.693 T:2641 INFO <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::Open - unable to open codec

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.693 T:2641 INFO <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::Open - using decoder H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.716 T:2641 INFO <general>: Creating video thread

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.716 T:2653 INFO <general>: running thread: video_thread

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.717 T:2641 INFO <general>: Opening stream: 1002 source: 256

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.732 T:2641 INFO <general>: Finding audio codec for: 86018

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.735 T:2641 INFO <general>: CDVDAudioCodecFFmpeg::Open() Successful opened audio decoder aac

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.736 T:2641 INFO <general>: Creating audio thread

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.736 T:2655 INFO <general>: running thread: CVideoPlayerAudio::Process()

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.736 T:2641 INFO <general>: Opening stream: 1003 source: 256

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.994 T:2655 INFO <general>: CDVDAudioCodecFFmpeg::Open() Successful opened audio decoder aac

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.994 T:2655 INFO <general>: Creating audio stream (codec id: 86018, channels: 2, sample rate: 48000, no pass-through)

    2023-01-21 18:07:49.008 T:1085 INFO <general>: CActiveAESink::OpenSink - initialize sink

    2023-01-21 18:07:49.206 T:1085 INFO <general>: CAESinkALSA::Initialize - Attempting to open device "hdmi:CARD=vc4hdmi0,DEV=0"

    2023-01-21 18:07:49.210 T:1085 INFO <general>: CAESinkALSA::Initialize - Opened device "hdmi:CARD=vc4hdmi0,DEV=0,AES0=0x04,AES1=0x82,AES2=0x00,AES3=0x02"

    2023-01-21 18:07:49.211 T:1085 INFO <general>: CAESinkALSA::InitializeHW - Your hardware does not support AE_FMT_FLOAT, trying other formats

    2023-01-21 18:07:49.211 T:1085 INFO <general>: CAESinkALSA::InitializeHW - Using data format AE_FMT_S24NE3


    Note this with 10.0.4:

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.628 T:2641 INFO <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::Open - using decoder V4L2 mem2mem H.264 decoder wrapper

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.693 T:2641 INFO <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::Open - unable to open codec

    2023-01-21 18:07:48.693 T:2641 INFO <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::Open - using decoder H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10

    10.0.2 only says:

    INFO <general>: CDVDVideoCodecDRMPRIME::Open - using decoder V4L2 mem2mem H.264 decoder wrapper

    So isn't this the problem that it cannot open the codex and is then using decoder H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10

    Any reason why this happens and is again when I downgrade to 10.0.2?


    Btw, these are my video settings (both in 10.0.2 and 10.0.4):

    Edited once, last by peno64: Merged a post created by peno64 into this post. (January 21, 2023 at 5:36 PM).

  • Please provide a full debug log.

    How to post a log (wiki)

    1. Enable debugging in Settings>System Settings>Logging
    2. Restart Kodi
    3. Replicate the problem
    4. Generate a log URL (do not post/upload logs to the forum)

    use "Settings > LibreELEC > System > Paste system logs" or run "pastekodi" over SSH, then post the URL link