Installation of LibreElec 8.1.2 on Intel NUC7I5BNK

    Quote from ehoitinga

    Is this just a cosmetic issue or does it change something about the pass-through problems. What about the pincfg. What is the pincfg stuff and where can I find it for the NUC7I5BNK?

    In this case it is just cosmetic, because the HDMI/DP are non-existent ports (with a NUC6CAYH). The default pincfg is read from the BIOS, but can be overridden, as I described in my previous post.

    Quote from ehoitinga

    I tried to run the alsa-info.sh script but it gives me errors:

    alsa-info.sh will create a file 'alsa-info.txt.[random]' in '/tmp'. You can ignore the errors.

    Quote from epias


    alsa-info.sh will create a file 'alsa-info.txt.[random]' in '/tmp'. You can ignore the errors.

    OK. Here is my alsa-info.txt.XXXXJqmqKz. I found the Vendor-ID, the Subsystem-ID and the address:

    Code
    Codec: Intel Kabylake HDMI          
Address: 2                  
AFG Function Id: 0x1 (unsol 0)
Vendor Id: 0x8086280b
Subsystem Id: 0x80860101        
Revision Id: 0x100000
No Modem Function Group found

    Sorry for possible stupid questions, I'm not so familiar with all this. Then after that in the [pincfg] section. I found the pincfg of my audio devices. It should be 0x411111f0. The HEX number before the pincfg is the node number of the device to hide I presume?

    When I run aplay -l I see these devices. HDMI0 / Displayport0 is my active output device.

    So if I want to eliminate listing of HDMI1 to HDMI4 the [pincf] section should look like this. Is this correct?

    Code
    [codec]
0x8086280b 0x80860101 2

[pincfg]
0x07 0x411111f0
0x08 0x411111f0
0x09 0x411111f0
0x0a 0x411111f0

    Thank you,

    Erik

    Quote from ehoitinga

    As expected the stream plays in stereo in stead of the expected Dolby Digital 5.1.

    "Number of channels: 2.0"

    Do you think that might be part of the problem? Try setting the number of channels to 5.1.

    Also make sure Settings > Player > Video > Sync playback to display is OFF if you want passthrough to work.

    Quote from milhouse

    "Number of channels: 2.0"

    Do you think that might be part of the problem? Try setting the number of channels to 5.1.

    Also make sure Settings > Player > Video > Sync playback to display is OFF if you want passthrough to work.

    "Number of channels: 2.0": I left this setting at the default because the description of this setting says "This setting does not apply to pass-through audio". I tried setting this to 5.1 but it did not change anything.

    "Settings > Player > Video > Sync playback to display is OFF". This setting is OFF. I left it to the default.

             

    However, while tinkering with the settings I was looking at the setting "Enable Dolby Digital (AC3) transcoding.". I am a bit in doubt enabling or disabling this setting. My input signals are HDMI. The audio output is SP/DIF Toslink (to Sonos playbar) and the video output is HDMI which goes to the TV. The first phrase of the description says enable this setting and the second phrase say disable it.

    What does this setting do exactly? I noticed that when selecting 5.1 at number of channels, this option disappears. So this option convert 2.0 in 5.1 for output by SP/DIF when pass-through is off if I understood well.

    I also noticed that the audio device ALSA: HDA Intel PCH, MEI Panasonic-TV on XXX changes sometimes and seemingly random from

    "ALSA: HDA Intel PCH, MEI Panasonic-TV" on "Displayport #0" to "ALSA: HDA Intel PCH, MEI Panasonic-TV on HDMI #0".

    My NUC is HDMI 2.0 and the rest of the devices are HDMI 1.4a. I suppose the NUC falls back to 1.4a?

    Thanks you for the suggestions,

    Erik

    Edited 2 times, last by ehoitinga (September 27, 2017 at 8:19 PM).

    Quote from ehoitinga

    Sorry for possible stupid questions, I'm not so familiar with all this. Then after that in the [pincfg] section. I found the pincfg of my audio devices. It should be 0x411111f0. The HEX number before the pincfg is the node number of the device to hide I presume?

    HDMI 0 = 0x05, HDMI 1 = 0x06, HDMI 2 = 0x07. Don't know where HDMI 3 and 4 are coming from. Are you running LibreELEC beta?

    BTW: If you want to change hwC0D0 (Realtek ALC283) you will have to add a separate section with Vendor Id, Subsystem Id and Address for the Realtek device.

    Quote from ehoitinga

    So if I want to eliminate listing of HDMI1 to HDMI4 the [pincf] section should look like this. Is this correct?

    Code
    [codec]
0x8086280b 0x80860101 2
[pincfg]
0x07 0x411111f0
0x08 0x411111f0
0x09 0x411111f0
0x0a 0x411111f0

    Change that into:

    Code
    [codec]
0x8086280b 0x80860101 2

[pincfg]
0x06 0x411111f0
0x07 0x411111f0

    Don't forget to create a '/storage/.config/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf' file and check correct loading in dmesg. Look for the snd_hd_intel 'Applying patch firmware...' line. It will definitely not remove HDMI 3 and 4. I will have to look into that.

    Quote from epias

    HDMI 0 = 0x05, HDMI 1 = 0x06, HDMI 2 = 0x07. Don't know where HDMI 3 and 4 are coming from. Are you running LibreELEC beta?

    At the time of writing I was on a stable 8.2.0 milhouse build. Now I'm back to the latest 8.1.2 version. But no matter which version I install the four HDMI ports have always been there. They have been there since I bought the NUC and installed 8.0.1 on it which was the latest version at that time.

    This NUC has one physical HDMI port and one physical Thunderbolt 3 port (supporting USB 3.1 gen 2, Displayport 1.2, 40 GB/s Thunderbolt). Like you I understand that I have "2" HDMI ports, where 3 and 4 came from I don't know. Than again that does not explain why my audio output device says Displayport #0 while the NUC is physically connected with HDMI to my HDMI switch.

    Uhm, now that I am talking about this. Couldn't it be that HDMI0/Displayport0 is my physical HDMI port and HDMI1 - HDMI4 are the 4 HDMI ports on my switch? Maybe I'm saying something stupid, but it is just a brainwave :-). By the way CEC is switched off in my BIOS.

    Quote from epias

    Don't forget to create a '/storage/.config/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf' file and check correct loading in dmesg. Look for the snd_hd_intel 'Applying patch firmware...' line. It will definitely not remove HDMI 3 and 4. I will have to look into that.

    Ok. I created the two files and put them into place and rebooted. But HDMI 3 & 4 have disappeared and not 1 & 2. Or in some way 1 & 2 are deleted and the "old" 3 & 4 have shifted to 1 & 2.

    One remark though. I did not have the possibility to install the 1.66 HDMI firmware update as stated here. I still have to find a HDMI2.0 capable monitor to do this update.

    Erik

    Edited once, last by ehoitinga (September 28, 2017 at 10:33 AM).

    Quote from milhouse

    "Number of channels: 2.0"

    Do you think that might be part of the problem? Try setting the number of channels to 5.1.

    Also make sure Settings > Player > Video > Sync playback to display is OFF if you want passthrough to work.

    OK. To describe the AC3/Passthrough problems more precisely I use these three movies as a test.

       

    I did a fresh install of version 8.1.2 with exactly the same configuration as before. The movie Ice Age The Great Egg-Scapade gives always sound. The other sometimes give sound immediately or after 1 or 3 minutes or longer or not at all. I can't see a logic. When I have sound my Sonos app sees the audio signal of these three movies as Dolby Digital 5.1.

    I tried different versions of LibreElec (8.01, 8.02, 8.1.1, 8.1.2 and milhouse stable 8.2) and the symptoms above are the same with every version. I though suspect my HDMI matrix of dying. Today when I switched from the mediacenter to my STB I had no image. I had to reset my HDMI matrix to get image. Resetting my HDMI matrix in case of the above audio problems did not give any result. Symptoms stay the same.

    I ordered a new HDMI matrix which support all the new video and audio formats. I expect yo receive it end of this week or Monday. I'll keep you posted if this change anything.

    Erik

    Quote from ehoitinga

    At the time of writing I was on a stable 8.2.0 milhouse build. Now I'm back to the latest 8.1.2 version. But no matter which version I install the four HDMI ports have always been there. They have been there since I bought the NUC and installed 8.0.1 on it which was the latest version at that time.

    I'm asking, because I have seen the same (more HDMI ports) on a different (newer) Linux kernel on my NUC6CAYH.

    Quote from ehoitinga

    Than again that does not explain why my audio output device says Displayport #0 while the NUC is physically connected with HDMI to my HDMI switch.

    Internally it's connected to DisplayPort -> LSPCON -> HDMI.

    Quote from ehoitinga

    Couldn't it be that HDMI0/Displayport0 is my physical HDMI port and HDMI1 - HDMI4 are the 4 HDMI ports on my switch?

    I have no HDMI switch connected, and still see 3 HDMI devices, without the patch. I will look into it more after upgrading to 8.2. Of course you can disconnect the switch to find out, but I highly doubt it's the switch. Your alsa-info.txt only lists 3 HDMI/DP ports. As a test: try booting with 'options snd-hda-intel probe_mask=1', and there should be no HDMI.

    Quote from ehoitinga

    One remark though. I did not have the possibility to install the 1.66 HDMI firmware update as stated here

    As weird as it sounds, I have have an 2013 Panasonic TV with an 1.4 HDMI port and could perform the LSPCON update to FW 1.66. Booted from a Windows 10 USB HDD.

    Quote from epias

    I'm asking, because I have seen the same (more HDMI ports) on a different (newer) Linux kernel on my NUC6CAYH.

    The strange thing is that these two 'ghost' HDMI port cannot be found as a device in the out put of alsa-info.sh but are listed in the output of aplay -l.

    Quote from epias

    Internally it's connected to DisplayPort -> LSPCON -> HDMI.

    OK. That's why I see Displayport #0 listed as available audio devices. The strange thing is that sometimes, and quite randomly, it is listed as Displayport # and sometimes as HDMI #0.

    Quote from epias

    I have no HDMI switch connected, and still see 3 HDMI devices, without the patch. I will look into it more after upgrading to 8.2. Of course you can disconnect the switch to find out, but I highly doubt it's the switch. Your alsa-info.txt only lists 3 HDMI/DP ports. As a test: try booting with 'options snd-hda-intel probe_mask=1', and there should be no HDMI.

    This was just a wild guess. I rebooted with the matrix disconnected and the bogus HDMI port still pop up.

    Quote from epias

    As weird as it sounds, I have have an 2013 Panasonic TV with an 1.4 HDMI port and could perform the LSPCON update to FW 1.66. Booted from a Windows 10 USB HDD.

    I use "Windows to Go" to create a bootable USB 3.0 external disk to update the HDMI firmware. Windows is updating right now to have the latest drivers. Now I know again why I ditched Windoze years ago. It takes a ridiculous amount of time to update. When it's updated I try the HDMI update. Will get back with the results.

    Edited once, last by ehoitinga (October 1, 2017 at 12:42 PM).

    Quote from epias

    As weird as it sounds, I have have an 2013 Panasonic TV with an 1.4 HDMI port and could perform the LSPCON update to FW 1.66. Booted from a Windows 10 USB HDD

    To give it a go I installed Windoze 10 on the NUC and all the new Intel drivers for this NUC. After that I did a Windoze update. When I ran the HDMI firmware update utility in Windows I had no problems updating the firmware to 1.66 this time, despite all my devices, except the NUC, are HDMI 1.4a.

    The first time I tried I did not update my Windows installation an Intel drivers. That must have been the problem. Firmware is updated to 1.66 right now.

    Unfortunately this did not solve my problems with the AC3 DD5.1 streams. Still no sound. Only sound when I switch off passthrough.

    When I installed Windows I installed Kodi 17.4 to see if I had the same problems with the AC3 DD5.1 streams. Unfortunately on Kodi for Windows I had exactly the same problems, Only sound when I switch off passthrough.

    I really think that my HDMI matrix is dying. I will receive a new one today or Monday. Keep you posted with the results.

    Erik

    Quote from Tubod

    I have a mute NUC6CAYH. Will try this & report back.

    Thx.

    T

    In the defense f the 6CAYH, it decodes flawlessly x265 10bit with ~5%/all CPU and sound is there if pass through is disabled.

    This may not be enough for some...

    I use optical out to feed the amp but would love to have tv sound without mucking around with settings each time.

    I

    Quote from 'The Nuc Blog'

    The Apollo Lake SoC does not support HDMI 2.0 natively, but instead Intel has added a LSPCon that will convert the DisplayPort signal to HDMI 2.0. According to the spec sheet for the MegaChips LSPCon

    Likely true what you say:

    Quote from raven-au

    That might be because of the LSPCon (I think that's the correct name) DP -> HDMI converter.

    From inside the device it probably looks like a DP port but talks through the rear HDMI port.


    Quote from Djenka

    In the defense f the 6CAYH, it decodes flawlessly x265 10bit with ~5%/all CPU and sound is there if pass through is disabled.

    I ran a 140Mbs x265 4k UHD 8 bit and 10 bit version test files . CPU usage around 20% so the video capabilities are more than OK. And yes the sound is there but the signal is stereo. And like you, i like to watch a movie just by pressing play and not having to tinker with various settings to get sound. Good to hear that I'm not alone in this saga.

    Erik

    On my old Pi2B I use digi+ add-on board for Toslink/S.PDIF and only a certain modified "DualAudio" version of KODI is available to drive both tv and TOSLINK outputs independently. That Pi is now replaced but it had "OpenELEC-RPi2.arm.DA-6.95.3.tar" build.

    I believe a "Dual Audio out" setup is required, as this is technically the same problem I had before with this one now.

    Something along the problems with HiFiBerry:

    Configuring OpenElec/LibreElec with device-tree-overlays – HiFiBerry

    I wish I had time to tinker with this, will likely have to concede for now.

    I saw some inexpensive (under $30) HDMI switches with TOSLINK out and also plain in-line HDMI digital sound extractors and may use that instead. Except this is a workaround, not a solution... against my principles.

    EDIT:

    Hope this helps

    I looked at my hifiberry pi settings. It has two "AUDIO" entries in the settings and the first one is the TOSLINK, with bypass set to on.

    Second "AUDIO" is the telly (PI:HDMI")

    Tried LE 8.1.2 and... no dual audio - same problems

    Edited once, last by Djenka (October 2, 2017 at 1:10 PM).

    Hello again,

    I have received my new HDMI matrix. It did solve the problems I had concerning the loss of video signal and the screen turning pink when changing a HDMI channel. The playback (passthrough) of AC3 streams have seemed to improved a bit.

    1. The passtrough of AC3 DD5.1 streams works now more or less. No longer necessary to switch-off pass-through to get sound. However, when I start a movie with a AC3 or E-AC3 stream sometimes I have sound directly, that is, withing one or two seconds. But sometimes it takes between 20 seconds upto two minutes before the sound comes in.

      I have downloaded some testfiles from here:

      a) Amaze MP4 H.264 1080pDolby AC3 5.1 640 kbps. This file gives a Dolby Digital 5.1 input signal on my Sonos playbar but with the same symptoms described above.
      b) Countdown v1 (Lossless) MKV H.264 1080p Dolby TrueHD 5.1. This file gives a Stereo input signal on my Sonos playbar.
      c) Dolby 3D Glasses Return Trailer Flat (2D) MKV H.264 1080pDTS-HD MA 5.1. The AC3 stream gives a Dolby Digital 5.1 input signal on my Sonos playbar. The PCM 5.1 gives a Stereo input signal on my Sonos playbar. and the AC3 5.1 gives a Dolby Digital 5.1 input signal on my Sonos playbar but with the same symptoms described above.
    2. My audio output device and passthrough device keeps on switching seemingly random from "ALSA: HDA Intel PCH, MEI Panasonic-TV on Displayport #0" to "ALSA: HDA Intel PCH, MEI Panasonic-TV on HDMI #0" back an forth. It seems to happen randomly. When it is on HDMI #0 and I do a reboot it is back on Displayport #0 and then upon usage it turns back to HDMI #0 again.

    Below you will see screenshots of my audio settings and of the changing output and passthrough device:

           

           

    I am a bit puzzled here. The above symptoms can they be accredited to the buggy Intel LspCON firmware? Will this patch give any hope?

    Erik

    Edited 4 times, last by ehoitinga (October 4, 2017 at 8:35 PM).

    yes those (two) patches are expect to solve problems with bitstreaming high-bitrate audio and connector type (HDMI/DP), but your AVR doesn't seem to support anything other than DD (AC-3), I'm not sure why you have problem bitstreaming audio?

    try set number of channels to 2.0, allow passthrough, turn on AC-3 and AC-3 transcoding, turn off everything else (only DTS in your case) - but make sure that audio output device is not HDMI, it has to be DisplayPort.

    I haven't been able to reproduce the connector type changing from DisplayPort to HDMI, happened to me once, and I have to reboot the system to switch back to DisplayPort, in my case when it showed HDMI no kind of audio bitstreaming work properly.

    Hi All,

    in continuance of my previous solution proposal to have dual audio out (in my case SPDIF + HDMI), at last I found the response from the gentleman that was kind enough to keep this alive and running "xhbl", other contributors as well.

    This provides true independent DUAL AUDIO.

    Original forum topic here:

    [Project] Dual Audio Output support (Krypton/Jarvis/Isengard/Helix/Gotham/Frodo)

    Please note that on the page 44/45 there is a compiled LibreELEC version 8.2.0 and 8.1.1 for x64 systems.

    Dropbox downloads can be made without registration (please see the bottom of the direct download popup window).

    Other systems can get their solution here:

    Index of /OpenELEC-DualAudio (up to v6.95)

    Index of /LibreELEC-DualAudio (up to v7.0.2)

    ALL ABOVE COURTESY OF THE RESPECTIVE CREATORS, AS FOUND ON THE PROVIDED LINKS

    A bit of experience sharing: it seems to cooperate better if the first audio device is set to be the SPDIF and the other device to be the HDMI/DP for the telly.

    In my case, I turned on downmix to stereo for the telly and bypass for the SPDIF with later Not having stereo downmix.

    I wish the logic of pecking order between the outputs and their settings was not as opaque but fiddling with the settings helped me get the desired outcome: DD/DTS to SPDIF and stereo to the telly.

    Quote from Djenka

    in continuance of my previous solution proposal to have dual audio out (in my case SPDIF + HDMI), at last I found the response from the gentleman that was kind enough to keep this alive and running "xhbl", other contributors as well.

    This is also a nice solution for those who have dual audio. Personally I don't need it because video and audio are output by HDMI from the NUC. The HDMI matrix splits the sound to Toslink (to my Sonos) and the video to HDMI (To my TV).

    Anyhow thanks for your solution.