[8.2.2.3] LibreELEC 8.2 for S912

  • 8.1.10 posted in OP. The problematic vsync change from 8.1.10-rc1 is reverted. I also applied some reverts to K-series DVB driver to match @afl1's builds and hopefully fix channel scan for some of you.

    A little announcement: I am going for holidays and I won't provide any support for the next 10-14 days.

    Great work as always... Have a nice holiday...

    Edited once, last by Zeex92 (October 8, 2017 at 5:24 PM).

  • I have an H96 Pro+ s912 TV box on which I'm running the latest version LibreELEC (8.1.10) from th OP of this thread. I've watched moves on it with no problems, and now I'm trying to add live TV. I bought myself a Hauppauge WinTV Dual tuner. Only one tuner is recognised under this version of LibreELEC - I understand that there is a patch which would make the second tuner visible but I'm not clever enough to work out how to install it! In any case from what I can glean, the patch will be pre-applied in LibreELEC 8.2. Correct me if I'm wrong!

    LibreELEC helpfully include in their own repository for Kodi back end and front end addons for Tvheadend which I installed on my H96 PRo+ and got running after a fashion. Unfortunately I experienced occasional continuity errors in SD and HD was unwatchable.

    I originally thought that this was down to the signal. I had replaced the coax with the modern stuff, installed a masthead amplifier (aerial is in the loft), and messed around with the best position for the aerial. The TV is giving glitch-free performance, the windows software works well on mu dual-boot Windows 10/Linux Mint PC, no glitches there. But there are still glitches using Tvheadend under Kodi/LibreELEC.

    So with other arrangements working well, I'm now of the opinion that the signal is probably fine.

    Finally I installed Tvheadend (Version 4.2.3-95~g2bc61c904~xenial) on my PC under Linux Mint and used the PC as the backend with the Hauppauge device plugged into the PC. I set up the Kodi front end addon on the H96 Pro+ to point to this back end and hey presto! No glitches even in HD.

    So what I want to know is whether I'm simply asking too much of my little H96 Pro+ to run both the back end and the front end, or should this be achievable? From reading around, people seem to be running back end and front end software on the Raspberry Pi. Or is this a software problem - and if so, is it in this version of LibreElec or in the version of Tvheadend?

  • So what I want to know is whether I'm simply asking too much of my little H96 Pro+ to run both the back end and the front end, or should this be achievable? From reading around, people seem to be running back end and front end software on the Raspberry Pi. Or is this a software problem - and if so, is it in this version of LibreElec or in the version of Tvheadend?

    No sure about any patches, but generally...

    You are asking too much of a AMLogic device running an old v3.14 Linux Kernel, which even when Media Build, more modern Linux Kernel DVB modules are backported into it, still has no guarantees of complete Plug and Play compatibility with external devices like USB tuners.

    A bunch of USB Tuners work, then again some do not. You really have to find someone with an already working combo for any sort of guarantee of compatibility and reliability.

    Your Linux Intel box runs a far more modern v4.13 Linux Kernel and because of that has almost guaranteed USB tuner compatibility. So does the Raspberry Pi.

  • No sure about any patches, but generally...

    You are asking too much of a AMLogic device running an old v3.14 Linux Kernel, which even when Media Build, more modern Linux Kernel DVB modules are backported into it, still has no guarantees of complete Plug and Play compatibility with external devices like USB tuners.

    A bunch of USB Tuners work, then again some do not. You really have to find someone with an already working combo for any sort of guarantee of compatibility and reliability.

    Your Linux Intel box runs a far more modern v4.13 Linux Kernel and because of that has almost guaranteed USB tuner compatibility. So does the Raspberry Pi.

    The reason is very simple. In kszaq LE 8.1.10 build is missing linux-220-hauppauge_dualhd_second_tuner_support.patch. This patch is included only in official LE master (Leia). Also it is missing in LE 8.2. Tomorrow I'll build S912 version with this patch for testing.

  • Many thanks to both wrxtasy and afl1 for such comprehensive answers.

    afl1, I'm itching to try this patch but as yet I have no idea of how to do it. Can you point me in the right direction?

    Thanks again.

  • Many thanks to both wrxtasy and afl1 for such comprehensive answers.

    afl1, I'm itching to try this patch but as yet I have no idea of how to do it. Can you point me in the right direction?

    Thanks again.

    Transfer .tar file to /storage/.update and reboot box. For transfer you can use WinSCP or SFTP under ssh session.

  • Transfer .tar file to /storage/.update and reboot box. For transfer you can use WinSCP or SFTP under ssh session.

    Ha! So easy... when you know how!

    Well it's a partial success in the sense that I can now see both tuners, whereas before I could only see one. Many thanks for that. But the problem with the continuity errors persists, and seems unimproved, when playing HD and also in SD (although there are fewer in SD).

    I have noticed that, in tvheadend on my H96 Pro+, under Configuration=>Stream=>Stream Profiles I see:

    audio

    htsp

    matroska

    pass

    wheras in tvheadend on my Linux Mint laptop I see:

    audio

    htsp

    matroska

    pass

    webtv-h264-aac-matroska

    webtv-h264-aac-mpegts

    webtv-vp8-vorbis-webm


    Has this got anything to do with it?


    Oh! Playing with this a bit more, I notice that if I use tuner 0 then I get many more continuity errors than with tuner 1. It doesn't alter the fact that it seems to work OK under Linux, but I'm wondering if the tuner's USB is underpowered from the USB slot on the H96 Pro+. I have a powered hub on order so I'll see if that changes anything.

    Edited once, last by Bonzo: Additional info: (October 11, 2017 at 12:03 PM).

  • I have the same, but vise-versa. After perfect job from SD I install 1.8.9 on USB drive. Nothing works, nothing save after reboot, freeze all the time.

    I think we need some clean install. But HOW?

  • You need better antenna to improve signal. Stream Profile has nothing with it.

  • I powered my Hauppage USB TV tuner (single tuner only) with external power hub. I found the tuner is power hungry, guess dual tuner is even worse.