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[HOW TO] KODI Linux on Amlogic TV Boxes
Beliash just wants someone to test if composite video works. Ray, everyone knows your Denon with Gotham doesn't work and it's getting tiresome reading you repeat the same thing over and over and over and over ...
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Hey chill out bobones as really no need for that approach mate. I thought Belliash may not have previously known about my own priority problem and thought that somehow he was referring to that as maybe he was implying there was some correlation, that was all :-o I am also an old git in my late 60's so can be known to inadvertently repeat myself sometimes LOL.

Of course now I know what he meant I am will test the composite video output with 13.2, as soon as I can as like most here i also try to help this community as much as I can.

BTW as feedback Auxbox, the Broadcom fix with 13.2 with you last compile still does not work with my MyGica ATV 520 box :-(
Cheers
Raymw
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Sorry Ray, I was a bit grouchy this morning and my remarks were uncalled for.

I couldn't replicate the problem you had with the file manager displaying weirdly and I did warn that the guisettings.xml gets wiped out with this upgrade and advised to back it up before flashing. Seems a bit of a heavy handed approach from Corey here: maybe he should have used sed to just delete the lines between <resolutions> and </resolutions> and leave the rest of the file untouched?

Also, I didn't expect broadcom wifi to be working as yet, but it's definitely on the mx linux dev's radar given there have been recent commits mentioning it. However, the passthrough problem you have with your Denon seems to be related to the massive reworking of the audio engine between frodo and gotham and I doubt it will get fixed unless it is picked up by one of the xbmc audio engine devs. Maybe it's worth starting a thread specifically about that?

All in all, the latest MX Linux 13.2 is working superbly for me, albeit I still suffer from system freezes when the box is left on, but it's a minor issue which doesn't spoil my enjoyment of the box. I was seriously thinking about buying the 2820 NUC and running OpenElec but I find it hard to justify spending £180 on one when the ATV1200 with MX Linux 13.2 does such a great job and can be had for just £55! Instead I've splashed out on a Harmony Smart Control remote which makes my whole system so much easier and more pleasurable to use. I can't recommend this remote highly enough!
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(2014-08-23, 12:29)raymw Wrote: Hey chill out bobones as really no need for that approach mate. I thought Belliash may not have previously known about my own priority problem and thought that somehow he was referring to that as maybe he was implying there was some correlation, that was all :-o I am also an old git in my late 60's so can be known to inadvertently repeat myself sometimes LOL.

Of course now I know what he meant I am will test the composite video output with 13.2, as soon as I can as like most here i also try to help this community as much as I can.

BTW as feedback Auxbox, the Broadcom fix with 13.2 with you last compile still does not work with my MyGica ATV 520 box :-(

Thanks for that, did you end up trying both builds I posted?
Press THANK USER if I Help
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No problem it is forgotten mate and anyway understandable as you were not wrong. Just wish they would correct this problem with the audio as I am sure it must manifest itself with other new model AVRs too, and like the preworked audio engine it would be great for it to be compatible with all modern and older AVRs. Was only hoping for a quick fix for this frustrating problem but looks like it is not going to happen now :-(. I do really appreciate you kind informative input though.

So Bobones where do you get the Harmony remotes and are they still inexpensive? What are the advantages as I find the basic remotes with the MyGica boxes are pretty good anyway with the right remote.conf file installed, but always looking for better of course.

AuxBox, no I have only as yet tried the last one as thought this would supersede the earlier compile, and due to some personal time constraints too. Can do so if you feel it would help and be worth while feedback for you.

For the record I have A11, ATV520 and ATV1200 MyGica boxes and Sumvision Cyclone X2 and Nano Slim+ (M3) boxes available too with various remote types. They are all available for easy quick testing, and all options for composite and for the 1200 boxes also component video connections to my TV too. I have access to both Coaxial and Toslink digital audio connections to my Denon AVR as well. So just shout if you ever need anything I can help test as that is the least I can do. Wish I could help with compiling too but have no Linux PC available to me.
Cheers
Raymw
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(2014-08-24, 08:32)raymw Wrote: So Bobones where do you get the Harmony remotes and are they still inexpensive? What are the advantages as I find the basic remotes with the MyGica boxes are pretty good anyway with the right remote.conf file installed, but always looking for better of course..
I got the Harmony Smart Control from Currys/PC World for £69.99 which is £15 cheaper than RRP. Not inexpensive, but cheaper than the touch screen Harmony remotes. This particular model seems to be marketed with emphasis on the Harmony smart phone/tablet app, but the real star is the so called "simple" remote which has all the buttons you need in a small and beautifully made handset. This really is a delight to hold and operate and, because it has no touch screen and no IR emitter, it only needs a single CR2032 coin battery which will last around a year. You may think there aren't enough buttons, but each can be programmed with separate long and short press functions if required.

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The handset works in conjunction with a small hub that you plug in the mains and can place almost anywhere in your room. The handset communicates with hub over RF so you don't actually need to point it at your devices to operate them because it is the hub which blasts the IR signals at the devices. The signals from the hub are so strong you don't even need direct line of sight to the devices for it to control them. I have placed mine in a corner, and it's able to operate my home cinema and hifi systems, which are at opposite ends of the room. The hub can also handle devices which use bluetooth or RF as well as of IR and it can be placed inside a cabinet and operate equipment behind closed doors.

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One thing I hate about the ATV1200 remote is that is very weak and highly directional, needing to be pointed directly at the box or it doesn't pick up the key press. This remote fixes that problem comprehensively.You also get specific transport buttons for play/pause, stop, etc which the ATV1200 remote lacks.

Harmony provide a nice software package to set up the remote and your devices. It works by asking you about the various tasks you need to use the remote for, e.g. "Watch TV", "Watch a Film", "Listen to Music". You can have up to 6 activities and 8 devices with this remote. I use "Watch a Film" for the ATV1200 and I set up "Watch a Disc" for DVDs and Blu-Rays. One key press on the remote switches the TV and the home cinema amp to the correct inputs and sets up the handset to control the xbmc box. If I press "Listen To Music", all the TV stuff goes off and the hi fi comes on. If I then press "Watch TV" it will switch on my Sky box, TV, and home cinema amp, and switch off the hi fi and leave the remote controlling the Sky box (volume from home cinema amp). This dramatically simplifies switching between devices as only one button and one remote is needed so it makes everything very "wife friendly".

There are other harmony remotes available, but the cheaper ones without the hub (e.g. the 650) are limited by having to keep pointing the remote in the direction of your devices until the sequence is complete and tend to be larger and ugly compared to this simple handset. The more expensive devices have colour touch screens which, in my opinion, only serve to complicate things, reduce the wife friendly factor and eat into battery life. This one is just about perfect. Nod
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(2014-08-23, 04:13)raymw Wrote:
(2014-08-22, 08:18)belliash Wrote:
(2014-08-22, 07:32)raymw Wrote: Auxbox I have both MyGica A11 boxes and Sumvision Cyclone Nano Slim+ boxes (which are basically the same unit) that could benefit from Linux Gotham maybe. Only problem I possibly have is will the M3 Linux Gotham build allow me to use the MacBeth1975 WiFi fix I use at the moment with copying over the DialogAccess.xml file to the .xbmc area ?? if the M3 Linux Gotham build uses the Network WiFi Manager built in app for WiFi switching then this wonderful little fix of course will not work, but be okay if these early boxes did not use the incompatible Broadcom WiFi Huh Anyway Auxbox many thanks if you can compile such an M3 Linux Gotham build as I am sure it will be also most welcomed by many here still using these older single core M3 boxes. Maybe would be worth putting it on the leading thread page with the recommended build links if the compile checks out well as I am sure it will as usual for compiles from you.

BoBone have tried your initial test Linux Gotham 13.2 compile and it seems to work very well on my ATV1200 box though still have that Passthrough audio switching problem with my Denon AVR X500 home theatre box which is of course beyond your control. One problem I have noticed which never seen before is if I go to the File Manager then often the screen just shows the Confluence wallpaper and nothing else, so I have to use the return button to the home screen then try again and it then works properly, strange indeed. It left all my add-ons in place from Linux Gotham 13.1 latest build, but I had to reconfigure the short cuts, screen calibration, international settings etc as usual of course, and can report it still has available 100% pure 1080 resolution.. Have not tested it to my ATV520 box yet for the Broadcom issue fix but will do and advise. Now see that Auxbox has posted a couple of test builds which I will also now try, so many thanks to both of you for these compiles, very much appreciated.

Maybe you have CVBS input in your TV and could you check how it's working on ATV1200 with Linux Gotham 13.2?

Sorry but not sure why I need to do that. My TV connects to my latest Denon AVR X500 by HDMI and I have full 1080 res on Gotham 13.1 and 13.2. My Samsung series 6 has composite and component inputs of course but that would not solve my Home Theatre not auto switching to passthrough audio with DTS or DD conten. It works fine if each time I manually force the Denon to passthrough mode in the Input Select menus.

Worked fine auto switching to passthrough with Linux Frodo 13.1 and earlier versionsHuh Now until I manually switch it as above I get of course the analogue reproduction of a data stream with the loud staccato noise only. As discussed here before it seems only with this new Denon model and common to all samples as same on my friends X500 too. So maybe I should take it up with Denon but as I said problem only started with Linux Frodo 12.4 and Gotham builds which makes me think of course there may be a bug in these builds causing my problem.

Thanks for any help here Belliash as it is much appreciated. Or do you just want me to test the old composite and component connections with the new 13.2 build which I can do for you for sure ?? I do not think composite video on the single yellow lead supports HD anyway, component RGB does of course.

Yes, it won't be displaying HD, but I don't know CRT TV that does, so that makes no difference at all.
All i want is to get an output on my old TV through old composite video. I would be glad, if you could check if it is possible. However this might require to switch video mode to 476 or sth like that (i'm not sure about this).

BTW: I found also this http://forum.androidgadget.co.uk/showthr...p?tid=1146 but Im still not sure if that would work on MX Linux, and if it would be possible to calibrate video. I noticed in buildroot that author even increased output from 720p to 1080p...
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Beliash Linux XBMC as far as I know only outputs either 720 or 1080 both progressive and interlaced so I know this will not work as tried it with earlier Linux Frodo versions from the ATV1200 box. However it does work with Component video usually though not with all old CRT TVs and you likely will find an annoying awful small screen display. I have no reason to believe it will be any different with Linux Gotham builds either.

Quite honestly, and I am not being smug or anything as even my LED TV is 4 years old now, but I would get yourself an LCD/LED TV as the small ones will likely still be bigger than your CRT and they are very cheap indeed now. Secondhand good working LCD TVs are ten a penny now too, as folk are getting rid of them to move to the new super bright and vivid LED 55" upwards big screen TVs.and even some are now switching to UHD at 2160 lines res but they are way beyond my budget. Get the biggest full HD 1080 screen your budget will allow and bin the old CRT or sell it if you can find a buyer though working models are being given away now in many places..

I do have an old CRT still knocking around and this is about a 2003 model, so when I get a moment to get it all out I will test it to my ATV1200 box with the Component video connection.. Composite I am pretty sure will not work as unlike component RGB I do not think it supports any HD format from memory, but it was a long time ago that I even tried I have to say..
Cheers
Raymw
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hmmm, if thats true, I think I'll have to stick with Android Sad
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I honesty do not know whether Android does output 480 res for composite video output. I will test the Linux Gotham 13.2 soon but difficult ATM as my son is here on holiday from the UK and flies back on Thursday so will have more time after that, But as I said highly doubtful it will work on composite video as no 480 res display mode available in the Linux XBMC firmware.

Why not look at getting am LCD / LED TV set cheap, rather than struggling on with an old set and it's inferior quality picture?? Sure I do understand if you have no spare cash for any TV upgrade, even second-hand, as been there myself too in the past. If so you have my sympathy. But for me I would make that TV upgrade a priority as you will be so much happier I am sure.
Cheers
Raymw
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@raymw: I have bought ATV1200 for my parents. It has been chosen, mainly because it contains CVBS output Wink So actually it is sense-less to buy new TV, when we have already decided to buy STB dedicated for the old one Wink
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I flashed my ATV520 successfully with this:
MX_LINUX-G02REF-update-28-06-14.zip

That is the link from the first post labeled "Version 1. XDA Developers Gotham Build". I have been using it for a while but would like to go back to Android. Reading through this thread i have found that some people seem to be having trouble going back to android.

What is the recommended way to get back to Android? My thought was that I would use this process and files:
http://www.mygica.ca/forum/viewtopic.php...da02f5becc

I used that method in the past (before moving to linux) to upgrade my Android to 4.2.2 and it worked. Could I use that same method to get back to Android 4.2.2? If it doesn't work, would I be able to get back to an XDA Linux build by re-doing the procedure in post #1 of this thread?
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@teefer

I don't know if flashing directly from MX Linux to the MyGica 4.2.2 firmware works because I've never tried it.

When I revert, I boot my box with an SD card containing all the files here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jwfnq2vbw8f5f...par4a?dl=0 and it reverts to the Geniatech 4.1 Android f/w and then I flash to the MyGiga 4.2.2 or MX Linux firmware from there. This always works for me and I keep a SD card with these files permanently as a kind of rescue card. I got the files from Biatsch, who used to post here, when I thought I'd bricked my box.

Just download the folder as a zip file then unzip and move the contents of the Android Revert SD Card folder to your SD card root (ignore the readme). Boot by holding in reset while applying power and continuing to hold reset for 10-15 seconds. Wait patiently as it takes a while before the screen shows any activity.

I went back to Android for a while, but among other issues, it's very sluggish compared to MX Linux and I never use Android for anything other than XBMC so I'm sticking with MX Linux for the foreseeable.
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awesome, thanks bobones. I'll do exactly that.
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Thanks a lot Bobones for all the info on those Harmony remotes. Look very nice but I actually realised it was a similar concept to a similar unit I have called a Griffin, which does not have its own remote but uses your smart phone or iPad Bluetooth connection to it and sends out a strong IR signal to your equipment. I can train the Griffin for any remote IR system I need and can have many different configurations stored in it. The iPhone/iPad app for it is free too and very good but the Griffin box system was quite expensive being I seem to remember over US$100 when I brought it a few years ago (never gets used these days tough I must blow off the cobwebs and try to use it again)
Cheers
Raymw
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