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+---- Thread: Openelec alternative to RPI (/showthread.php?tid=204259)
Openelec alternative to RPI - steve1977 - 2014-09-13
I am a huge fan since starting to use Openelec on RPi. I particularly like and don't want to miss the in-built CEC feature, which allows me to control XBMC via my TV remote out-of-the-box. Also, really like that it can trigger my TV to switch to 3D mode (though this does not work 100% for me).
Unfortunately, the RPi is despite OC very sluggish. But well, what do I expect for the price and HW...
Any idea whether there is any high-performing alternative to the RPi that supports CEC and triggers 3D mode?
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - h.udo - 2014-09-13
Sluggish with OC? Compared to what?
Almost all recent hardware that can run an OS supported by Kodi does what you want. Perhaps post the same topic at the OpenELEC forums?
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - popcornmix - 2014-09-13
I don't believe any other xbmc platform can switch to 3d mode (that's a pi specific patch that hasn't been accepted into xbmc github), and CEC support without external hardware is pretty rare.
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - smitbret - 2014-09-13
(2014-09-13, 14:17)steve1977 Wrote: I am a huge fan since starting to use Openelec on RPi. I particularly like and don't want to miss the in-built CEC feature, which allows me to control XBMC via my TV remote out-of-the-box. Also, really like that it can trigger my TV to switch to 3D mode (though this does not work 100% for me).
Unfortunately, the RPi is despite OC very sluggish. But well, what do I expect for the price and HW...
Any idea whether there is any high-performing alternative to the RPi that supports CEC and triggers 3D mode?
Have you tried simply overclocking the Pi?
I run mine at 950MHz and it makes a huge difference for browsing the library.
I put mine in a $10, black case and cut a 40mm hole with a hole saw.
Mount a 5v 40mm fan that runs off the GPIO pins. Actually, I stole a 12v fan out of an external DVD enclosure and ordered a 5v to be shipped from China. The 12v is still working anyway and it's quiet so I never swapped it out.
Stays nice and cool.
It isn't as smooth as the x86 HTPCs running XBMC but it is faster than my WDTV Live Hub (for comparison) when browsing the library.
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - lowridin_guy - 2014-09-13
Are you running your pi with a wifi adapter? If you are, go into OpenElec config and disable "wired internet connection".
I just did this last night as I found some of my add-ons were slower than they should have been and it made quite a difference.
Not sure why OpenElec doesn't automatically disable wired connection when a wireless connection is established.
It almost seemed like the pi was looking for a wired connection first and then when it didn't find one, it switched to wifi which made the add-ons slower than they should have been.
I only wished I had found out about this sooner.
Re: Openelec alternative to RPI - nickr - 2014-09-13
Cec will work on any hardware if you buy the extra hardware.
There are various addons for switching TVs to 3d mode, at least one for Samsung and one for LG. Even if you can't get those to work, my preference is for a faster (than pi) machine, and use my TV remote to switch to 3d. Your priorities may, of course, be different. You'll have to decide whether you want speed or 3d switching.
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - steve1977 - 2014-09-14
Thanks. If it was just one compromise (3D switching), I would not mind. But CEC without extra-device and 3D-switching are two major advantages of the RPi.
Unless someone else comes up with an insight what other device would have these two features, it sounds like I am stuck with the RPi.
Regarding sluggishness - issue is that I have 5,000+ movies and 50,000+ episodes. This slows down the GUI to an unbearable level (talking minutes, not seconds). Playing videos actually works very well, but navigating is impossible given the speed.
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - da-anda - 2014-09-14
to speed things up for you:
a) overclock (950Mhz or 1000Mhz via suggestions in config.txt should do fine). Personally I don't use "force_turbo" setting as at least for me dynamic overclocking is working good/fast enough (+ no heating issues)
b) use latest stable or if you dare Milhouse experimental builds
c) follow common guidlines for the PI (disable certain metadata extraction in list views,...)
d) run as few background service addons as possible
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - steve1977 - 2014-09-14
I believe that I am already following all of above, but the issue is the sheer size of my library.
a - already running at 1000MHz with forceturbo
b - milhouse latest from today
c- disabled extracrion in list views, disabled fanart, all metadata from nfo files
d - no single addon installed (beyond what comes default)
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - nickr - 2014-09-14
@steve1977 your priorities are your priorities, but if they drive you to use RPi instead of something that will handle the load, there is not a lot more you can do.
If you're paying some cash for a new machine, you need to factor in either a remote, or a CEC adaptor ($49).
If you're using CEC you have the TV remote in your hand anyway, it's not that hard to press the 3D button.
But as I say, they're your priorities mate.
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - DBMandrake - 2014-09-15
Nobody has suggested slow SD card as a possible source of poor performance yet.
Random 4KB read/write performance of SD cards can vary by orders of magnitude, and expensive cards are not always better in this metric so it could be down to the SD card in use.
I would try an SD card with known good Random 4KB read/write performance and see if there is any improvement.
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - steve1977 - 2014-09-20
(2014-09-13, 19:38)popcornmix Wrote: I don't believe any other xbmc platform can switch to 3d mode (that's a pi specific patch that hasn't been accepted into xbmc github)
Any idea why this is the case and whether this will change for Kodi Helix? Is this a SW or HW limitation?
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - da-anda - 2014-09-20
has been explained in several places already. In short, IIRC there is no common API in drivers to trigger 3D mode resolutions of a GFX card. so f.e. on Windows we would have to ship vendor specific binary libraries to interact with their HW and trigger their 3D modes. On linux it's probably the same.
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - steve1977 - 2014-09-20
Thanks, let me then make a new attempt of trouble shooting my issue. GUI is unbearably slow. It takes minutes just to enter the movie list and still probably a good minute just to move from one movie to another... Will open a separate thread for this.
RE: Openelec alternative to RPI - DBMandrake - 2014-09-20
(2014-09-20, 10:40)steve1977 Wrote: Thanks, let me then make a new attempt of trouble shooting my issue. GUI is unbearably slow. It takes minutes just to enter the movie list and still probably a good minute just to move from one movie to another... Will open a separate thread for this.Clearly a problem there.
My movie list (over 300 movies) takes 3 seconds to load then switching from one item to another is almost instantaneous...