Posts by gedakc

Thank you Team LibreELEC and Team Kodi!

Embedded closed captions are working again in LE 10.0.4 on my Raspberry Pi 3.

What version of LibreELEC are you using?

The reason I ask is because I encountered a regression (actually in Kodi) with LibreELEC 10.0.3 wherein I could no longer view subtitles. Previously I could view subtitles with LE 10.0.2.

See Embedded Closed Captions not shown in LE 10.0.3 on RPi3.

I have done some further research into this problem and it appears to involve more than one forum mention and issue report. As such I created the following issue:

Embedded Closed Captions in h264 stream not shown in Kodi 19.4 on LE 10.0.3 #22132

Thank you for looking into this issue. I am glad that you were able to reproduce the problem. Further it is great that you were able to identify the commit that cause the problem.

If a new issue needs to be created then let me know. Otherwise as per the previous post in this thread I will hold off as there may be no need.

Unfortunately I have not been able to locate another sample file.

I did isolate the URL in case that helps:

https://cbcrcott-gem.akamaized.net/7fef7357-e938-46e2-88c7-5fdead95abcc/CBC_KIDSCBC_THEADVENTURESOFNAPKINMAN_SEASON_03_S03E01.ism/desktop_master.m3u8?hdnea=st=1667930958~exp=1667931078~acl=/7fef7357-e938-46e2-88c7-5fdead95abcc/cbc_kidscbc_theadventuresofnapkinman_season_03_s03e01.ism/desktop*~hmac=fa5d0d074d95dc04d6f4d613ecd8ee5abbfc5e701e5999d614ce685a971cb29f

The above should be one long string.

Thank you popcornmix for the suggestions.

> Can you test with "Allow hardware acceleration with DRM PRIME" disabled?

Action:

Using LE 10.0.3 I disabled the setting with Gear icon -> Player -> Videos and disabled - Allow hardware acceleration with DRM PRIME. Note that Allow using DRM PRIME decoder is still enabled.

Result:

The subtitles are not displayed.

Action:

Next I disabled Allow using DRM PRIME decoder.

Result:

The subtitles are not displayed.

> It would be helpful if you can find a file that has the issue that isn't geolocked.

I am trying to locate a such a file.

In the meantime I was able to capture the .m3u8 file if that is of use.

desktop_master.m3u8 file:

#EXTM3U

#EXT-X-VERSION:4

#EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio",NAME="English",LANGUAGE="eng",DEFAULT=YES,AUTOSELECT=YES,URI="QualityLevels(192000)/Manifest(audio_eng_aacl,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)"

#EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio",NAME="English (Descriptive)",LANGUAGE="eng",AUTOSELECT=YES,CHARACTERISTICS="public.accessibility.describes-video",URI="QualityLevels(192000)/Manifest(audiodv_eng_aacl,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)"

#EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=CLOSED-CAPTIONS,GROUP-ID="CC",LANGUAGE="en",NAME="English",DEFAULT=YES,AUTOSELECT=YES,INSTREAM-ID="CC1"

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=2768070,RESOLUTION=1280x720,CODECS="avc1.4d401f,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio",CLOSED-CAPTIONS="CC"

QualityLevels(2500515)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)

#EXT-X-I-FRAME-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=2768070,RESOLUTION=1280x720,CODECS="avc1.4d401f",URI="QualityLevels(2500515)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop,type=keyframes)"

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=3688341,RESOLUTION=1280x720,CODECS="avc1.4d401f,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio",CLOSED-CAPTIONS="CC"

QualityLevels(3400976)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)

#EXT-X-I-FRAME-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=3688341,RESOLUTION=1280x720,CODECS="avc1.4d401f",URI="QualityLevels(3400976)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop,type=keyframes)"

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=2052054,RESOLUTION=960x540,CODECS="avc1.4d401f,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio",CLOSED-CAPTIONS="CC"

QualityLevels(1799912)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)

#EXT-X-I-FRAME-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=2052054,RESOLUTION=960x540,CODECS="avc1.4d401f",URI="QualityLevels(1799912)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop,type=keyframes)"

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=1234539,RESOLUTION=640x360,CODECS="avc1.42c01e,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio",CLOSED-CAPTIONS="CC"

QualityLevels(999996)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)

#EXT-X-I-FRAME-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=1234539,RESOLUTION=640x360,CODECS="avc1.42c01e",URI="QualityLevels(999996)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop,type=keyframes)"

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=825700,RESOLUTION=640x360,CODECS="avc1.42c01e,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio",CLOSED-CAPTIONS="CC"

QualityLevels(599957)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)

#EXT-X-I-FRAME-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=825700,RESOLUTION=640x360,CODECS="avc1.42c01e",URI="QualityLevels(599957)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop,type=keyframes)"

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=621314,RESOLUTION=416x234,CODECS="avc1.42c00d,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio",CLOSED-CAPTIONS="CC"

QualityLevels(399971)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)

#EXT-X-I-FRAME-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=621314,RESOLUTION=416x234,CODECS="avc1.42c00d",URI="QualityLevels(399971)/Manifest(video,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop,type=keyframes)"

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=204384,CODECS="mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio",CLOSED-CAPTIONS="CC"

QualityLevels(192000)/Manifest(audiodv_eng_aacl,format=m3u8-aapl,filter=desktop)

I will continue to search for a non-geolocked example.

Thanks again for your help with this issue.

Problem

After upgrade from LE 10.0.2 to LE 10.0.3, embedded Closed Captions (subtitles) are no longer displayed on Raspberry Pi 3 model B. This occurred with an h264 stream using the video addon for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) (geo restricted to Canada - configure with free user account from watch.cbc.ca).

The closed captions return when I downgrade back to LE 10.0.2.

Log Files

• LE 10.0.2 DEBUG log - Closed Captions work
• LE 10.0.3 DEBUG log - Closed Captions do not work

Notes

• In the above log files some buffering was experienced, but that did not impact the ability to view or not view closed captions.
• The problem consistently occurs regardless of whether the CBC video addon is configured to playback using FFMPEG or InputStreamAdaptive.
• Closed captions are properly displayed using same CBC video addon on 2017 NVidia Sheild.
• External subtitle streams/files do work with both LE 10.0.2 and LE 10.0.3 as can be verified using the video addon for ConTV.

Steps to Demonstrate Problem

First enable embedded closed captions.

• Navigate to Gear icon -> Player -> Language.
• Navigate to Enable parsing for closed captions and press Enter to toggle to active.

Next begin playback of an h264 video stream or file that contains embedded closed captions.

For example: Shows/Animation/The Adventures of Napkin Man!/Season 3/Queen of the Fairies

The default installation seems to enable closed captions. A person can check while the video is playing by opening the playback menu "key m" and ensure that closed captions are enabled using the subtitles icon.

Background Details

The following information was displayed on the screen when I pressed the o key.

Video decoder: ff-h264_v4l2m2m-drm_prime (HW)

Pixel format: drm_prime

Deinterlace method: none

Video stream: 1,280x720 px, 1.78 AR, 29.970 FPS

Audo stream: FL, FR, ff-aac, 32 bit, 44,100 Hz

System memory usage: 24%

System CPU usage: #0: 10% #1: 2.1% #2: 24% #3 6.1%

When I last tried Ted Talks version 5.0.0 it did not work.

Some instructions to fix the add-on can be found at this link: How to Patch Add-on for KODI 19.x MATRIX

An msdos partition table is limited to 2 TB. Since the drive has an msdos partition table then you will need to consider reformatting the drive with a GPT (GUID Partition Table) to be able to access more than 2 TB. Remember to back up all your important information first!

Each person is entitled to their own view of what is user friendly or not. Personally I find setting up both Tvheadend and MythTV quite complex. For day-to-day use I find both of these quite enjoyable, with a preference for MythTV as it has been better at deciphering and displaying Closed Captions embedded in OTA ATSC shows.

From my experience using Kodi (5 years), Tvheadend (3 years), and MythTV (10 years), all of the front ends occasionally crash. However frontend crashes while watching a recording are extremely rare (at least for me). A restart of the frontend was all that I needed to continue watching. These frontend crashes have not adversely impacted the ability of the backend to record.

For anyone interested in trying MythTV on RPi 4, see the following post(s) MythTV v31 RPi4 install instructions in the MythTV Raspberry Pi forum.

The issue might be with the USB SATA converter. See

If you have a Raspberry Pi 4 and are getting bad speeds transferring data to/from USB3.0 SSDs, read this

Quote from Matthewlawson3

Okay. Are you saying copy it to a USB 3.0 flash drive or USB 2.0 drive? Does it need to be a flash drive or can it be any drive? And once it is copied do you want me to access and watch the mkv file on the PI from the flash drive? Just for clarification.

Should I also try to plug the enclosure into a USB 2.0 port instead of 3.0 to see if that fixes the issue? The enclosure is 3.0.

I also plan on trying no buffer in advancedsettings.xml when I get the chance.

My suggestion is to try a USB flash drive (either USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 - both are fast enough for HD video) in order to eliminate any potential problem associated with USB to SATA converters.

Of course feel to try all of the above since you are trying to troubleshoot an issue.

You might try copying one of the shows to a USB flash drive and then play the show from there to see if it works properly. The reason to try that is to eliminate the JBOD enclosure as a part of the problem.

If I recall correctly, there were issues with some USB/SATA converters and slow speeds with the RPi4.

See If you have a Raspberry Pi 4 and are getting bad speeds transferring data to/from USB3.0 SSDs, read this.

First let me state that I do not have an RPi4, nor do I have any experience with the RPi4.

I have had good experience using a Silicon Dust HDHomeRun Connect network dual tuner on RPi3 in Canada. Note that this is NOT a USB tuner, it works over a TCP/IP network. I wrote a tutorial on my experience: Build a Cheap PVR using Raspberry Pi 3, LibreELEC, Kodi, Tvheadend, & HDHomeRun.

Further to mglae suggestion that a hybrid-ISO may have been on the drive at some point, you might wish to read up on the wipefs command. It can be used to list file system signatures on a drive or partition in addition to selectively erasing left over signatures.

'Just a thought. If the content is from a TV Channel then the source material might have been broadcast in an interlaced format.

If this is the case, then the "automatic" choice of de-interlacer in Kodi 18 Leia might be too demanding on your RPi3. On my RPi2 when watching a video I had to bring up the playback menu (M on a keyboard), choose the setting dialog (gear icon), choose Video settings and set the Deinterlace method to MMAL - Bob.

If this works for you then you might wish to set as default for all media which is listed lower on the same screen.

Quote from -=guybrush=-

I've to add that HD contents aren't enjoyable at all with a lot of stuttering, probably because the RPi2 hasn't the needed resources or maybe there is some tweak to do I'm not aware of, I don't know.

If the recordings are in MPEG-2 format (used in North America for Over-The-Air broadcasts) then be sure to Enable MPEG-2 Hardware Video Decoding on the RPi2.

If you are using LE 9.x then be sure to set the Deinterlace Media Default to MMAL - Bob.

Confluence Skin Instructions follow.

Set Deinterlace Media Default to MMAL - Bob

1. Navigate to TV -> Recordings

2. Choose a 1080i PVR recording

3. Press M to bring up playback menu

4. Choose Film reel icon to display Video Settings dialog

5. On Deinterlace method go through options and choose MMAL - Bob

6. Navigate down to Set as default for all media and press Enter

7. At prompt Set as default for all media. This will reset any previously saved values. Are you sure? respond Yes.

8. Choose Close

9. Stop playback with Square icon

10. Navigate back to main screen.

By using the MPEG-2 license and the Deinterlace setting MMAL - BOB I am able to smoothly play 1080i recordings on my RPi2.