XBMC: Difference between revisions
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== Install == |
== Install == |
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The reference instructions are found on [http://xbmc.org/ |
The reference instructions are found on [http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=HOW-TO:Install_XBMC_for_Linux XBMC website]. |
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=== Latest Ubuntu === |
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<source lang=bash> |
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sudo apt-get install python-software-properties pkg-config |
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sudo apt-get install software-properties-common |
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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa |
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sudo apt-get update |
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sudo apt-get install xbmc |
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</source> |
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=== Since Ubuntu Natty === |
=== Since Ubuntu Natty === |
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</source></div> |
</source></div> |
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* Add repository authentication key: |
* Add repository authentication key: |
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{{pl2|<source lang="bash"> |
{{pl2|1=<source lang="bash"> |
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gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 91E7EE5E # Get the key from keyserver. If not available see below |
gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 91E7EE5E # Get the key from keyserver. If not available see below |
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gpg --export --armor 91E7EE5E | sudo apt-key add - # Add the key to apt key list |
gpg --export --armor 91E7EE5E | sudo apt-key add - # Add the key to apt key list |
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</source>}} |
</source>}} |
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* Install XBMC |
* Install XBMC |
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{{pl2|<source lang="bash"> |
{{pl2|1=<source lang="bash"> |
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sudo apt-get update |
sudo apt-get update |
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sudo apt-get install xbmc xbmc-standalone |
sudo apt-get install xbmc xbmc-standalone |
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-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- |
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- |
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</pre> |
</pre> |
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== Configuration == |
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* Install '''XBMC Audio Mixer''' to control system audio volume. |
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* Configure video deinterlace method. Method '''Deinterlace''' seems to be giving the best results on laptop screen (see below) |
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** Play a movie, and go to ''Video'' option |
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** Select ''Deinterlace'', and resizing ''auto'' |
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** Click ''Save as default for all videos'' |
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* Force v-sync? '''How?''' |
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== Add-ons and Apps == |
== Add-ons and Apps == |
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=== Setting up the Gyration Remote 3101 === |
=== Setting up the Gyration Remote 3101 === |
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{{red|'''UPDATE'''}} — the remote works perfectly, including power button, since at least '''Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin'''. |
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The procedure below was done on '''Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala'''. |
The procedure below was done on '''Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala'''. |
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* In XBMC, edit the button mapping file <tt>/usr/share/xbmc/system/Lircmap.xml</tt> (this file maps the remote name & button name as reported by LIRC to a XBMC command). |
* In XBMC, edit the button mapping file <tt>/usr/share/xbmc/system/Lircmap.xml</tt> (this file maps the remote name & button name as reported by LIRC to a XBMC command). |
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* Edit the command mapping file <tt>/usr/share/xbmc/system/keymaps/remote.xml</tt> (this file maps the XBMC command in the previous file to real commands in XBMC). |
* Edit the command mapping file <tt>/usr/share/xbmc/system/keymaps/remote.xml</tt> (this file maps the XBMC command in the previous file to real commands in XBMC). |
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== Tips == |
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=== autoexec.py === |
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Use [http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Autoexec.py <tt>~/.xbmc/userdata/autoexec.py</tt>] to run some custom commands when xbmc starts. For instance: |
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<source lang=python> |
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#! /usr/bin/python |
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import subprocess |
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subprocess.call(["/usr/bin/dropbox","start"]) |
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</source> |
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== Troubleshoot == |
== Troubleshoot == |
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=== Audio in both XBMC and Games / Advanced Launcher add-on === |
=== Audio in both XBMC and Games / Advanced Launcher add-on === |
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;Note |
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* '''If no sound in Firefox''' (or other applications, like Flash Player) — Use <code>pavucontrol</code> to select the correct output device. |
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* First, we need to list the audio devices we have. Note that <code>aplay -l</code> prints the available hardware devices, by card number and device number on each card, whereas <code>aplay -L</code> prints the available PCMs, ie. "software device aliases". The advantage of PCMs is that their references / identifiers are less likely to change after reboot, whereas identifier of hardware devices may change if a new device is added to the PC (http://superuser.com/questions/53957/what-do-alsa-devices-like-hw0-0-mean-how-do-i-figure-out-which-to-use see [this nice post]). |
* First, we need to list the audio devices we have. Note that <code>aplay -l</code> prints the available hardware devices, by card number and device number on each card, whereas <code>aplay -L</code> prints the available PCMs, ie. "software device aliases". The advantage of PCMs is that their references / identifiers are less likely to change after reboot, whereas identifier of hardware devices may change if a new device is added to the PC (http://superuser.com/questions/53957/what-do-alsa-devices-like-hw0-0-mean-how-do-i-figure-out-which-to-use see [this nice post]). |
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* In my case I have (Zodiac Zbox mini-pc based on NVidia ION, connected to Samsung TV via HDMI): |
* In my case I have (Zodiac Zbox mini-pc based on NVidia ION, connected to Samsung TV via HDMI): |
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Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 |
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 |
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</pre> |
</pre> |
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<source lang=bash> |
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From experience, I know that the correct card is the ''HDA NVidia card'' (i.e. '''card number 1''', either HDMI 0 or 1 (i.e. '''device number 1 or 3'''). |
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aplay -L |
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</source> |
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<pre> |
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hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 |
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HDMI Audio Output |
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hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=1 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 |
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HDMI Audio Output |
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dmix:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 |
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Direct sample mixing device |
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dmix:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 |
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Direct sample mixing device |
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dsnoop:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 |
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Direct sample snooping device |
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dsnoop:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 |
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Direct sample snooping device |
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hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 |
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Direct hardware device without any conversions |
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hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 |
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Direct hardware device without any conversions |
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plughw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 |
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Hardware device with all software conversions |
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plughw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7 |
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HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 |
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Hardware device with all software conversions |
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</pre> |
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From experience, I know that the correct card is the ''HDA NVidia card'' (i.e. '''card number 1''', either HDMI 0 or 1 (i.e. '''device number 3 or 7'''). |
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* We can test the device with '''aplay''' and '''speaker-test'''. This is not necessarily easy since for some devices, one might have to give extra parameters on the command-line, like the number of channel. In my case, I have: |
* We can test the device with '''aplay''' and '''speaker-test'''. This is not necessarily easy since for some devices, one might have to give extra parameters on the command-line, like the number of channel. In my case, I have: |
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<source lang=bash> |
<source lang=bash> |
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aplay -Dplughw:1,7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav # works! |
aplay -Dplughw:1,7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav # works! |
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</source> |
</source> |
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:Note that '''plughw:1,7''' means ''card 1, device 7'' (see alsa user manual) |
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* Based on the result above, I can create the file <tt>~/.asoundrc</tt> in xbmc home directory (<tt>/home/xbmc</tt>) (from [https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=975049]): |
* Based on the result above, I can create the file <tt>~/.asoundrc</tt> in xbmc home directory (<tt>/home/xbmc</tt>) (from [https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=975049]): |
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<source lang=bash> |
<source lang=bash> |
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</source> |
</source> |
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:In XBMC, choose '''hdmi_direct''' for passthrough output device but '''hdmi_shared''' for audio output device (choosing ''hdmi_direct)'' will again give exclusive access to GUI sound and prevent desktop application to use audio). |
:In XBMC, choose '''hdmi_direct''' for passthrough output device but '''hdmi_shared''' for audio output device (choosing ''hdmi_direct)'' will again give exclusive access to GUI sound and prevent desktop application to use audio). |
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* You might need to run alsa mixer first, and increase volume of all devices (there is also the bug where speaker volume is muted automatically): |
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<source lang=bash> |
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alsamixer |
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</source> |
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* Another solution (not tested), would be to use one of the '''dmix''' sw device listed by <code>aplay -L</code> (like ''dmix:1,7''). |
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* Another solution (not tested), is to configure XBMC to release the audio device automatically. Edit <tt>advancedsettings.xml</tt> (see [http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=148428] and [http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Advancedsettings.xml#.3Caudio.3E]): |
* Another solution (not tested), is to configure XBMC to release the audio device automatically. Edit <tt>advancedsettings.xml</tt> (see [http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=148428] and [http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Advancedsettings.xml#.3Caudio.3E]): |
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<source lang=xml> |
<source lang=xml> |
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* [http://alsa.opensrc.org/.asoundrc .asoundrc reference] |
* [http://alsa.opensrc.org/.asoundrc .asoundrc reference] |
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* [http://mce.commsbyte.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=114:enabel-hdmi-and-stereo-audio-at-same-tiem-ubuntu&catid=10:linuxmce&Itemid=99 Enable HDMI and Stereo Audio at same time ubuntu] (very advanced stuff) |
* [http://mce.commsbyte.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=114:enabel-hdmi-and-stereo-audio-at-same-tiem-ubuntu&catid=10:linuxmce&Itemid=99 Enable HDMI and Stereo Audio at same time ubuntu] (very advanced stuff) |
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=== XBMC and PulseAudio === |
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XBMC may use PulseAudio (for instance, when launched from Ubuntu Desktop install). |
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Reference pages: |
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* [http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=PulseAudio XBMC — PulseAudio] |
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:This recommends installing and running <code>pavucontrol</code>. |
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=== Video Deinterlace === |
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;Configuration on HP EliteWorkstation 8540w |
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* On XBMC Gotham 13.0, Jurassic Park II, main menu |
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{| class=wikitable |
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|- |
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!Method !! Quality !! CPU usage |
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|- |
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|''Software blend'' |
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| good quality |
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| 14% |
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|- |
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|''Deinterlace (half)'' |
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| good quality |
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| 12% |
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|- |
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|''Deinterlace'' |
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| good quality |
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| 12% |
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|- |
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|''Bob'' |
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| bad quality (pixeled) + flickering |
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| 12% |
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|- |
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|''Bob (inverted)'' |
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| bad quality + flickering |
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| 12% |
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|- |
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|''weave'' |
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| very bad quality + extreme interlacing |
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| 12% |
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|- |
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|''weave (inverted)'' |
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| very bad quality + extreme interlacing |
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| 12% |
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|- |
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|''blend'' |
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| bad quality |
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| 12% |
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|- |
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|''auto-select'' = ''Bob'' |
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| |
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| |
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|} |
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Best method seems to be '''Deinterlace'''. |
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=== V-Sync tearing === |
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v-sync tearing during DVD playback in XBMC 13.0 Gotham |
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* This occurs despites enabling V-Sync in NVidia drivers and XBMC Video settings. |
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* Some related bugs: launchpad [https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg-server/+bug/1278012 1278012], duplicate of [https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libsdl1.2/+bug/1280665 1280665] + xbmc forum [http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=183343&pid=1698995] |
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* Work-around: [https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libsdl1.2/+bug/1280665 1280665] recommends using a patched libsdl1.2. Tested and works. This seems a better option than patch below. |
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sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:timo-jyrinki/ppa |
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sudo apt-get update |
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sudo apt-get install libsdl1.2debian |
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* Work-around: [https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg-server/+bug/1278012 1278012] recommends disabling X-server backing store. Tried and this works. |
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cat /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-xserver-command.conf |
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[SeatDefaults] |
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# Dump core |
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xserver-command=X -bs -core |
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* Work-around: Try without composite manager, or logging in directly in xbmc? |
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* Fix VSYNC tearing for NVIDIA. Add to {{file|/etc/profile}}: |
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<source lang=bash> |
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# Fix vsync tearing - http://askubuntu.com/questions/456355/have-tearing-no-vsync-in-movies-nvidia-proprietary-driver |
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export __GL_YIELD="USLEEP" |
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export __GL_THREADED_OPTIMIZATIONS=1 |
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</lang> |
Latest revision as of 00:27, 3 January 2017
References
Frodo AudioEngine
- http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=AudioEngine#Advanced_settings
- http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=AudioEngine/HOW-TO:_Configure_audio
- http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Advancedsettings.xml#.3Caudio.3E
Install
The reference instructions are found on XBMC website.
Latest Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install python-software-properties pkg-config
sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbmc
Since Ubuntu Natty
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nathan-renniewaldock/xbmc-stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbmc
Since Ubuntu Karmic
Since Ubuntu Karmic, there is no need to add the XBMC Repository nor the PPA Keys. To install XBMC:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbmc xbmc-standalone
Older version of Ubuntu
To install through command-line:
- Add XBMC repository
sudo su
echo "# XBMC Repositories" >>/etc/apt/sources.list
echo >>/etc/apt/sources.list
echo "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu karmic main" >>/etc/apt/sources.list
echo "deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu karmic main" >>/etc/apt/sources.list
- Add repository authentication key:
gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 91E7EE5E # Get the key from keyserver. If not available see below
gpg --export --armor 91E7EE5E | sudo apt-key add - # Add the key to apt key list
# If Ubuntu keyserver is down, one can also the MIT one
gpg --keyserver pgpkeys.mit.edu --recv 91E7EE5E
gpg --export --armor 91E7EE5E | sudo apt-key add -
- Install XBMC
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbmc xbmc-standalone
XBMC key is usually available here, but sometimes this server is down. If so copy [{{#filelink: xbmc-key.gpg}} the file below], and copy-paste after typing the command cat | sudo apt-key add -
(end with <ctrl-D>).
{{#fileanchor: xbmc-key.gpg}}
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: SKS 1.0.10 mI0ESXWBBAEEAM5zE6qzPJ0Xn8KQQCB14OD9EyCieF5yjpt7PlLDUXkojjguVGgZ+skcklbF my0eIOWYvMNmMIstqDoGYZQQGE3Sc4Dq2M0msc28uIrey2aBtYvKHXLaZ+JG42TU2q5CDLfN vUxIOyWD2Yr4zq/sjg44pUodrUZGRPUFR50T0lPHABEBAAG0IExhdW5jaHBhZCBQUEEgZm9y IFhCTUMgZm9yIExpbnV4iEYEEBECAAYFAknyZLgACgkQTJjLBcbOX94S7wCeKFyFk3v15Uy3 T17wvmCPaVIdE5YAni9juCXYgBGdXyZQYqgc5oh6/dXfiLYEEwECACAFAkl1gQQCGwMGCwkI BwMCBBUCCAMEFgIDAQIeAQIXgAAKCRBtl1xHkefuXnryBAChrSStywXdJOrmjKqq4BrZ2Isk BYqak7pD0JDaGy9HatChgJH/D30AhU74C9ReqkXvw8UohuVhQUH0lKBZWVzisSjJo4lmT/un qqNeFpUivvz8RzPQf0S+zE2MHjDPIwjiz6ns97VdQtc2upbW6zd3BitE70P7gpCqvOyOFCnc ow== =Mur8 -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Configuration
- Install XBMC Audio Mixer to control system audio volume.
- Configure video deinterlace method. Method Deinterlace seems to be giving the best results on laptop screen (see below)
- Play a movie, and go to Video option
- Select Deinterlace, and resizing auto
- Click Save as default for all videos
- Force v-sync? How?
Add-ons and Apps
Advanced Launcher
In XBMC Frodo, the advanced launcher plugin is no longer available because marked broken. It must be installed via a 3rd-party repository:
- Download repository.angelscry.xbmc-plugins-1.2.2.zip and copy it to ~/addons (see [1]).
- Go to XBMC add-on menu, and add the repository.
- Browse the repository, and add Advanced Launcher.
Minecraft
- File /usr/local/games/minecraft/launch-minecraft-xbmc.sh:
#!/bin/bash
openbox &
java -Xmx1024M -Xms512M -cp /usr/local/games/minecraft/minecraft.jar net.minecraft.LauncherFrame
killall -9 openbox
- then (see also [2])
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/games/minecraft
sudo wget -O /usr/local/games/minecraft/minecraft.jar https://s3.amazonaws.com/MinecraftDownload/launcher/minecraft.jar
mkdir ~/scripts
ln -sf /usr/local/games/minecraft/launch-minecraft-xbmc.sh ~/scripts/launch-minecraft-xbmc.sh
- In XBMC, create a new launcher for minecraft using Advanced Launcher
Sun Java JDK
From [http://setupguides.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/install-sun-java-jre-on-xbmcbuntu-eden.html
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ferramroberto/java # Available up to 'oneiric'. Edit /etc/apt/sources.list.d if necessary
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jdk sun-java6-plugin
sudo update-alternatives --config java
Remote and Keyboard Control
Links and References
Some handy links:
- Also contain keymapping when watching videos, listening to musics...
Keymapping specific to the installation are in file Keymap.xml (System folder).
An excellent page on Gyration remote in MythTV: http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Gyration-based_MCE_Remotes
Tools
Here a list of tools and software that can be handy when setting up a remote/keyboard and troubleshooting issues:
- xev
- Print content of X events. Drawback is that it is fully dependent on X, and does not show event that X doesn't see, and also some events are not correctly reported because they are already fully (like the Power key) or partially (like VolUp or VolDown keys) intercepted by the graphical environment (Gnome...)
- showkey
- Examine the codes sent by the keyboard. This is a pure console program (so does not work properly under X because keys will already be pre-processed by X), but in a tty console (like those opened with Ctrl-Alt-F1) it shows all events that the kernel sees.
- lirc (package), irrecord, irw
- Provides infra-red remote control support. However it can also support multimedia keyboard. irw can be used to print the events generated by lirc. irrecord can be used to create new /etc/lirc/lircd.conf files.
- evrouter
- evtest
- keytouch, keytouch-editor, getscancode
- Creates keyboard file for new keyboard. At launch, the program asks to which USB event (as listed in /dev/input/by-id/) to connect to, and can detect keys pressed on the remote/keyboard and assign an action to that key.
- dmesg
- acpi_listen
- ACPI event listener. Print events generated by the ACPI daemon. I could not make it work (Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic)...
- evtest (package linEAKD)
- Linux support for Easy Access and Internet Keyboard. Launch this with evtest /dev/input/event7 or evtest /dev/input/event8 to get the code / scancode corresponding to any button on the remote. This is the code to be used in the lircd.conf file.
- dmesg
- Prints the kernel messages. Might show interesting messages regarding input devices (unrecognized keys...)
Files
Log files where interesting information might be found:
- Xorg.log
- That file is located at /var/log/Xorg.0.log (and similar). For instance it shows the input devices that were recognized, and how they are handled by X:
(II) config/hal: Adding input device Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver (**) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: always reports core events (**) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: Device: "/dev/input/event6" (II) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: Found 1 mouse buttons (II) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: Found scroll wheel(s) (II) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: Found keys (II) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: Configuring as keyboard (II) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: Adding scrollwheel support (**) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: YAxisMapping: buttons 4 and 5 (**) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: EmulateWheelButton: 4, EmulateWheelInertia: 10, EmulateWheelTimeout: 200 (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver" (type: KEYBOARD) (**) Option "xkb_rules" "evdev" (**) Option "xkb_model" "pc105" (**) Option "xkb_layout" "be" (**) Option "xkb_options" "lv3:ralt_switch" (EE) Gyration Gyration RF Technology Receiver: failed to initialize for relative axes.
Troubleshooting Gyration Remote 3101
- Captured all keycodes / keysyms in X using
xev
. Not all buttons are seen by X (like LiveTV or Guide), other are captured by Ubuntu (like VolUp and VolDown). - Captured all keycodes / scancodes seen by the kernel with
showkey -k
andshowkey -s
(in a console TTY, i.e. not X). - All buttons have a keycode but the one that don't send RF signals (Connect, Setup, Input, Red, Green, Teletext, Yellow and Blue).
- Some of these buttons have no scancode (LiveTV, Guide, ChanUp, ChanDown and DVD).
- Tried
xbindkeys
andxbindkeys-config
(see [3]) → it does not work!!! Keys that are invisible to X remains invisible!!! - Tried acpi_listen, but it just doesn't produce anything to me...
- Installed lirc. Works very well!!! Hourray! Almost all keys work in XBMC, except Power, LiveTV, Home, and DVD. Note that keys Connect, Setup, Input, Red, Green, T, Yellow, Blue does not send RF codes and so are not meant to be used on PC.
- Installed keytouch and keytouch-editor. There are 2 !!! devices for the remote:
- /dev/input/event7, which according to links in /dev/input/by-id is USB kbd event. Most buttons on the remote are obtained through this event, except the key listed below.
- /dev/input/event8, which is USB mouse event. The following buttons are obtained: Power, LiveTV, Left Click, Right Click, Home, DVD. Note that the key Power doesn't have a scancode, only a keycode.
- Installed linEAKD. Run evtest to get the lirc keycode/scancode for both devices (i.e. /dev/input/event7 and /dev/input/event8):
- sudo evtest /dev/input/event7
- sudo evtest /dev/input/event8 - It confirms that Power button does not have a scancode, only a keycode (142, SLEEP).
- Configured lirc to connect to 2 remotes simultaneously [4]:
#Assuming that lircd is not running...
sudo /usr/sbin/lircd --output=/var/run/lirc/lircd1 --pidfile=/var/run/lirc/lircd1.pid --driver=devinput --device=/dev/input/by-id/usb-Gyration_Gyration_RF_Technology_Receiver-event-kbd --listen
sudo /usr/sbin/lircd --output=/var/run/lirc/lircd --driver=devinput --device=/dev/input/by-id/usb-Gyration_Gyration_RF_Technology_Receiver-event-mouse --pidfile=/var/run/lirc/lircd.pid --connect=localhost:8765
irw #Should show event for all buttons (except those without an RF code)
TO DO:
- Try to set up the support of multimedia keys directly in X (see /var/log/Xorg.0.log for information regarding the input devices configured by X), without using lirc. The logs refers to evdev being used.
- Investigate why the teletext buttons (red, green...) seem to send an event on the USB bus, but these events are not seen by lirc, evtest...
- Make the star and dash buttons to work. These buttons actually send 2 events (shift + key). This post says that lirc can be configured to support that.
- Enable *ALL* buttons on the Gyration Remote 3101 + mouse. When set up via lirc, it is possible to enable all buttons, but the mouse function does not work anymore because it is taken over by lirc. This post says that it should be fixed in next release of lirc.
Setting up the Gyration Remote 3101
UPDATE — the remote works perfectly, including power button, since at least Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin.
The procedure below was done on Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala.
- Tried to setup lirc as described at [5] and [6].
- I selected Windows media center remote, and no transmitter, but actually I should have started from a blank remote control file.
- file /etc/lirc/lircd.conf as defined here.
- Fix: In the original file, Power was reported as 0x0074, when on my system the keycode is 0x008E. Changing the settings doesn't make the button to work better though...
- file /etc/lirc/hardware.conf (REMOTE_DEVICE must match name at
ls -l /dev/input/by-id
): - Restart the lirc daemon and test it. Every button works except Power, LiveTV and DVD !
- Add the definition of the gyration remote in XBMC (file /usr/share/xbmc/system/Lircmap.xml):
- To work-around the Power that does not work, I edited the remote action file to show the shutdown menu when pressing the Back button in the Home window (file /usr/share/xbmc/system/keymaps/remote.xml):
<Home> <remote> <!-- ... --> <back>XBMC.ActivateWindow(shutdownmenu)</back> </remote> </Home>
sudo apt-get install lirc
#Chosen Remote Control REMOTE="GYRATION REMOTE 3101" REMOTE_MODULES="" REMOTE_DRIVER="devinput" REMOTE_DEVICE="/dev/input/by-id/usb-Gyration_Gyration_RF_Technology_Receiver-event-kbd" REMOTE_SOCKET="" REMOTE_LIRCD_CONF="" REMOTE_LIRCD_ARGS="" #Enable lircd START_LIRCD="true"
sudo /etc/init.d/lirc restart
irw
<remote device="gyration">
<play>Play</play>
<pause>Pause</pause>
<stop>Stop</stop>
<forward>Forward</forward>
<reverse>Rewind</reverse>
<left>Left</left>
<right>Right</right>
<up>Up</up>
<down>Down</down>
<select>Enter</select>
<pageplus>ChanUp</pageplus>
<pageminus>ChanDown</pageminus>
<back>Back</back>
<menu>Home</menu>
<title>Guide</title>
<info>More</info>
<skipplus>Skip</skipplus>
<skipminus>Replay</skipminus>
<!-- <display>Teletext</display> -->
<!-- <start>Home</start> -->
<record>RecTV</record>
<volumeplus>VolUp</volumeplus>
<volumeminus>VolDown</volumeminus>
<mute>Mute</mute>
<power>Power</power>
<!-- <myvideo>Videos</myvideo> -->
<!-- <mymusic>Music</mymusic> -->
<!-- <mypictures>Pictures</mypictures> -->
<!-- <mytv>TV</mytv> -->
<one>One</one>
<two>Two</two>
<three>Three</three>
<four>Four</four>
<five>Five</five>
<six>Six</six>
<seven>Seven</seven>
<eight>Eight</eight>
<nine>Nine</nine>
<zero>Zero</zero>
<!-- <star>StarHash</star> -->
<hash>StarHash</hash>
<clear>Clear</clear>
<enter>Enter</enter>
<!-- <red>Red</red> -->
<!-- <green>Green</green> -->
<!-- <yellow>Yellow</yellow> -->
<!-- <blue>Blue</blue> -->
</remote>
So in summary, to get the Gyration Remote 3101 to work in XBMC:
- Install lirc
- Edit file /etc/lirc/lircd.conf and hardware.conf
- In XBMC, edit the button mapping file /usr/share/xbmc/system/Lircmap.xml (this file maps the remote name & button name as reported by LIRC to a XBMC command).
- Edit the command mapping file /usr/share/xbmc/system/keymaps/remote.xml (this file maps the XBMC command in the previous file to real commands in XBMC).
Tips
autoexec.py
Use ~/.xbmc/userdata/autoexec.py to run some custom commands when xbmc starts. For instance:
#! /usr/bin/python
import subprocess
subprocess.call(["/usr/bin/dropbox","start"])
Troubleshoot
My XBMC bugs on Delicious.
Freeze on Eeebuntu NBR 3.01
- Eeebuntu NBR 3.01 - Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04 - Array Kernel 2.6.28-15 - XBMC v 9.04.1-jaunty1.
- Freezes seems to be specific to Eeebuntu NBR 3, as reported here: [7], [8], [9]
- Possible work-arounds:
- Try stable platform as suggested in 2nd bug report above: Intrepid + intel xserver from xorg-edgers ppa + 2.6.28 kernel from jaunty + libpulse-dev + compiling XBMC from the SVN (slower GL than Ubuntu 9.04 though).
- Try Eeebuntu NBR 2.0
- Tried. The autoscan completes. But there are hick-ups reading the DVD (scene skip, roll-back). Need further testing to identify the causes. Rendering is not 100% smooth.
DVD Play-back hick-ups
- Alien 4
- This is a multi-angle DVD. When playing the Special Edition, the chapter 3 is played twice, then not possible to go backward (before 00:06:00) + misc. hick-ups. There is no problem with the Theatrical Cut.
- Confirmed on Minimoy Samsung NC10 - Eeebuntu NBR 2.0 - XBMC v9.04.1-jaunty1.
- Confirmed on Dell Latitude 620 - WinXP SP4 - XBMC 9.04.1 repack 2.
- → Media problem, not a XBMC bug. Windows readers also fail reading the DVD correctly (PowerDVD 4.0 on W2K can't even play the movie, WinDVD 4.0 on WXP performs a bit better, but with jumps/hickups).
- This is a multi-angle DVD. When playing the Special Edition, the chapter 3 is played twice, then not possible to go backward (before 00:06:00) + misc. hick-ups. There is no problem with the Theatrical Cut.
- First launch of XBMC, Source on samba share takes long time to connect (20 sec).
- Confirmed on Dell Latitude 620 - WinXP SP4
- Sometimes the XBMC navigation menu shows up when moving the mouse, although the current title is a DVD menu.
- Moreover the frustrating part is that when this menu is shown, it is not possible to click on the DVD Menu Item
Output Audio via HDMI connector
If the host PC has several audio outputs (audio jack, HDMI, SPDIF...), it is possible to configure XBMC so that to use one of these output. This is done in the System - settings for Audio.
Choosing HDMI/Digital or analog output
- Tells XBMC to either decode the audio stream locally and to play it on the audio card (analog), or to send the stream as-is to selected digital output (only HDMI / SPDIF - passthrough mode).
- This choice is independent of where the audio will finally be sent.
So can still choose analog, and have audio sent to your TV set connected via HDMI. The only difference is that in case of analog, you can still control the volume via XBMC, whereas you can't anymore in the case of HDMI (since the stream is decoded by the receiver, not by XBMC)
Selecting the correct output device This is the real problem in fact since there are usually many of them, and it is not quite clear which one to choose.
The easiest is to log onto the XBMC host (via SSH for instance):
aplay -L # List all available output device
You get lot of devices like:
...
hw:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog
Direct hardware device without any conversions
...
plughw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7
HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
Hardware device with all software conversions
...
Using aplay
, you can test all these devices until you find the correct one:
aplay -D plughw:0,7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav
If this works, you can then enter plughw:0,7 into XMBC device (select custom device if it is not in the list of proposed devices).
Reference: see [10], [11], [12]
Audio in both XBMC and Games / Advanced Launcher add-on
- Note
- If no sound in Firefox (or other applications, like Flash Player) — Use
pavucontrol
to select the correct output device.
- First, we need to list the audio devices we have. Note that
aplay -l
prints the available hardware devices, by card number and device number on each card, whereasaplay -L
prints the available PCMs, ie. "software device aliases". The advantage of PCMs is that their references / identifiers are less likely to change after reboot, whereas identifier of hardware devices may change if a new device is added to the PC (http://superuser.com/questions/53957/what-do-alsa-devices-like-hw0-0-mean-how-do-i-figure-out-which-to-use see [this nice post]). - In my case I have (Zodiac Zbox mini-pc based on NVidia ION, connected to Samsung TV via HDMI):
aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices **** card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC892 Analog [ALC892 Analog] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC892 Digital [ALC892 Digital] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0] Subdevices: 0/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
aplay -L
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0 HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 HDMI Audio Output hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=1 HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 HDMI Audio Output dmix:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 Direct sample mixing device dmix:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7 HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 Direct sample mixing device dsnoop:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 Direct sample snooping device dsnoop:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7 HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 Direct sample snooping device hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 Direct hardware device without any conversions hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7 HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 Direct hardware device without any conversions plughw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 HDA NVidia, HDMI 0 Hardware device with all software conversions plughw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=7 HDA NVidia, HDMI 1 Hardware device with all software conversions
From experience, I know that the correct card is the HDA NVidia card (i.e. card number 1, either HDMI 0 or 1 (i.e. device number 3 or 7).
- We can test the device with aplay and speaker-test. This is not necessarily easy since for some devices, one might have to give extra parameters on the command-line, like the number of channel. In my case, I have:
speaker-test -Dhw:1,7 # fails (error "Channels count (1) not available for playbacks: Invalid argument")
speaker-test -Dhw:1,7 -c 2 # works (using bare hw device)
speaker-test -Dplughw:1,7 # works (using sw device, with built-in support for all conversion)
aplay -Dhw:1,7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav # fails (error "aplay: set_params:1087: Channels count non available")
aplay -Dhw:1,7 -c 2 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav # idem
aplay -Dplughw:1,7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav # works!
- Note that plughw:1,7 means card 1, device 7 (see alsa user manual)
- Based on the result above, I can create the file ~/.asoundrc in xbmc home directory (/home/xbmc) (from [13]):
pcm.!default {
type plug
slave {
pcm "hw:1,7"
}
}
ctl.!default {
type hw
card 1
}
This works only if xbmc sound is disabled (for instance, by selecting another audio device in the audio system properties). This is because by default XBMC uses audio for GUI sound, and XBMC maintain an exclusive access to the card. So by pointing XBMC to another audio device, we allow desktop application to access the device. Note that disabling the GUI sounds is not sufficient.
- The following settings allow to use exclusive HDMI passthrough, and to fall back to a dmix plugin for the XBMC desktop mode (so that multiple applications can share the HDMI access) (from [14] and [15]). Copy in ~/.asoundrc:
pcm.hdmi_direct {
type route
slave {
pcm "hdmi:1,1"
}
ttable.0.0 1
ttable.1.1 1
ttable.2.4 1
ttable.3.5 1
ttable.4.2 1
ttable.5.3 1
}
pcm.hdmi_shared {
type route
slave {
pcm "hdmi_dmixer"
}
ttable.0.0 1
ttable.1.1 1
ttable.2.4 1
ttable.3.5 1
ttable.4.2 1
ttable.5.3 1
}
pcm.hdmi_dmixer {
type dmix
ipc_key 1024
ipc_key_add_uid false
ipc_perm 0660
slave {
pcm "hw:1,7"
}
}
pcm.!default {
type plug
slave.pcm "hdmi_shared"
}
- In XBMC, choose hdmi_direct for passthrough output device but hdmi_shared for audio output device (choosing hdmi_direct) will again give exclusive access to GUI sound and prevent desktop application to use audio).
- You might need to run alsa mixer first, and increase volume of all devices (there is also the bug where speaker volume is muted automatically):
alsamixer
- Another solution (not tested), would be to use one of the dmix sw device listed by
aplay -L
(like dmix:1,7). - Another solution (not tested), is to configure XBMC to release the audio device automatically. Edit advancedsettings.xml (see [16] and [17]):
<advancedsettings>
<audio>
<streamsilence>0</streamsilence>
</audio>
</advancedsettings>
- Another script below allows to output audio on both analog and hdmi output at the same time (not tested, see [18])
pcm.!default {
type plug
slave {
pcm both
}
}
pcm.both {
type route
slave {
pcm multi
channels 4
}
ttable.0.0 1.0
ttable.1.1 1.0
ttable.0.2 1.0
ttable.1.3 1.0
}
pcm.multi {
type multi
slaves.a {
pcm tv
channels 2
}
slaves.b {
pcm receiver
channels 2
}
bindings.0.slave a
bindings.0.channel 0
bindings.1.slave a
bindings.1.channel 1
bindings.2.slave b
bindings.2.channel 0
bindings.3.slave b
bindings.3.channel 1
}
pcm.receiver {
type hw
card 0
device 0
channels 2
}
pcm.tv {
type hw
card 1
device 7
channels 2
}
Reference:
- .asoundrc reference
- Enable HDMI and Stereo Audio at same time ubuntu (very advanced stuff)
XBMC and PulseAudio
XBMC may use PulseAudio (for instance, when launched from Ubuntu Desktop install).
Reference pages:
- This recommends installing and running
pavucontrol
.
Video Deinterlace
- Configuration on HP EliteWorkstation 8540w
- On XBMC Gotham 13.0, Jurassic Park II, main menu
Method | Quality | CPU usage |
---|---|---|
Software blend | good quality | 14% |
Deinterlace (half) | good quality | 12% |
Deinterlace | good quality | 12% |
Bob | bad quality (pixeled) + flickering | 12% |
Bob (inverted) | bad quality + flickering | 12% |
weave | very bad quality + extreme interlacing | 12% |
weave (inverted) | very bad quality + extreme interlacing | 12% |
blend | bad quality | 12% |
auto-select = Bob |
Best method seems to be Deinterlace.
V-Sync tearing
v-sync tearing during DVD playback in XBMC 13.0 Gotham
- This occurs despites enabling V-Sync in NVidia drivers and XBMC Video settings.
- Some related bugs: launchpad 1278012, duplicate of 1280665 + xbmc forum [19]
- Work-around: 1280665 recommends using a patched libsdl1.2. Tested and works. This seems a better option than patch below.
sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:timo-jyrinki/ppa sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install libsdl1.2debian
- Work-around: 1278012 recommends disabling X-server backing store. Tried and this works.
cat /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-xserver-command.conf [SeatDefaults] # Dump core xserver-command=X -bs -core
- Work-around: Try without composite manager, or logging in directly in xbmc?
- Fix VSYNC tearing for NVIDIA. Add to /etc/profile:
<source lang=bash>
- Fix vsync tearing - http://askubuntu.com/questions/456355/have-tearing-no-vsync-in-movies-nvidia-proprietary-driver
export __GL_YIELD="USLEEP" export __GL_THREADED_OPTIMIZATIONS=1 </lang>