Running LibreELEC as a VM on an unRAID server - issues streaming HDTV w. HDHR Prime

  • I'm currently attempting to run LibreELEC as a VM on my unRAID server. The server is a tank with a ton of resources, so I figured I'd try to utilize some of the resources to power HTPCs for tvs around the house. I'm passing through an entry level GPU as shown in the below VM template. I've messed around to make sure it's being given enough CPU/RAM. This current setting is overkill, but used to test. 8 virtual cores and 4 GB RAM:

    libreelecVM.thumb.png.1abff2b5845cc48a2a8227a2cb2c69d1.png

    I have tested these issues on LibreELEC 7 & 8, spanning versions of Kodi from 17.0 to nightly builds of Kodi 18 from Millhouse.

    This error occurs on the official HDHR Addon (broken on Kodi 18), as well as the HDHR PVR addon.

    I am unable to successfully stream HD channels. There are a variety of issues I get. The two most common are a slightly scrambled image followed by a crash. Another issue is a smoother image, but the color tone seems to change every second. Different HD channels react differently. FOX HD did the color tone issue, but did not crash. CBS did the scramble, then crash. Standard definition channels, no issue. All of my high-def movies stream locally from the same unRAID server flawlessly. On my Kodi nightly build, I have Netflix up and running, also streaming HD without an issue.

    To reiterate, the only current issue I'm facing is streaming live HDTV from my HDHR Prime this VMs. I'm running Kodi on a Chromebox for my main viewing area. No issues. I have also tested on my PC, laptop and tablet. All are capable of streaming HDTV using similar methods through Kodi.

    Does anyone have any ideas why this may be happening? At the moment, my troubleshooting efforts have yielded no results.


  • Ahh, resolved!

    Unbeknownst to me, there were additional options under:

    Settings > Player > Videos > Processing

    Under Render method, there was an option for "Use-MPEG-2 VDPAU" which defaulted to on. When hovered, it states that older radeon cards tend to segfault with this enabled. Turned it off, and perfectly smooth now. Didn't see these options before!

    Problem solved.