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    Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

    Bug (solved): OMXPlayer on Stretch-based builds stutters on composite

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    stuttervideosomxplayeremulationstatioscreensaver
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    • matchamanM
      matchaman
      last edited by matchaman

      Big discovery!

      I exited EmulationStation with F4 the moment I booted into it (without entering a system). When I tried omxplayer, the video plays smoothly! Then I entered ES again, browsed for a moment, went back and stuttering came back as usual.

      Here's a video I just recorded:

      Something runs along with omxplayer and makes it run slow. What's completely crazy about this is that when I use HDMI, everything runs perfectly:

      @psyke83 just edited these out, I'm getting the good old white screens of death :P

      pjftP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • pjftP
        pjft @matchaman
        last edited by

        @matchaman I wonder whether the GPU split changes things for you, and/or whether installing ES on the fresh image manages to replicate the issue.

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        • P
          psyke83 Global Moderator
          last edited by

          Please check behaviour without the lines in config.txt, as I asked, but also, I notice that the issue starts occurring after video playback starts inside ES itself when you returned to ES. If you disable omx support in the ES menu, does it clear the bug when launching omxplayer via the shell the second time?

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • matchamanM
            matchaman
            last edited by matchaman

            @pjft this is a brand new image I installed yesterday again, the only thing changed is that I uploaded my media overnight and my theme (which is basically carbon video).

            @psyke83 I disabled the gpu_mem lines, altogether and one by one. Nothing changed except for 1024=256 causing a "white screen of death" (occurred on both units).

            I disabled omxplayer for ES (both themes videos and screensaver), rebooted, looked around systems (videos run fine but browsing feels a bit slow which I believe is normal without omxplayer), exited ES, video runs great again on omxplayer.

            Something makes omxplayer stutter once it runs inside ES and only when the output is via composite (any sdtv setting). Via HDMI on any resolution, this issue does not happen at all. But what could it be? It definitely didn't happen on 4.3 stable with all updates last month :/

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • matchamanM
              matchaman
              last edited by

              Update:

              I had the audio almost off and didn't notice something very serious once omxplayer runs inside ES: not only omxplayer remains stuttery outside ES but the whole system slows down like it's heavily underclocked! This is getting weirder...

              Sorry for the length of the video but I explain it here in practice:

              pjftP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • pjftP
                pjft @matchaman
                last edited by

                @matchaman I can't watch any of the videos for the moment, but that's good then. Can you SSH into it and run"top", and see what exactly takes up the CPU when you play a video?

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                • matchamanM
                  matchaman
                  last edited by

                  Here's a capture of top before omxplayers runs inside ES:
                  alt text

                  And another afterwards, with what appears to be system-wide slowdown:
                  alt text

                  mituM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • mituM
                    mitu Global Moderator @matchaman
                    last edited by mitu

                    @matchaman Why is there a python process keeping the CPU busy ? Do you have a BGM script running ? Are there any errors reported by dmesg after the slowdown ?

                    pjftP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • pjftP
                      pjft @mitu
                      last edited by

                      @mitu @matchaman well spotted, was going to ask the same (didn't know about the bgm music script using python though).

                      The system does not appear to be in significant load though.

                      Can you install htop and run htop instead of top to assert the process trees?

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • matchamanM
                        matchaman
                        last edited by matchaman

                        @mitu It's the background music player. I disabled this previously, it was the first thing I suspected that could interfere with omxplayer. Disabling it didn't change anything so I enabled it again. No errors on dmesg either.

                        @pjft I installed PuTTY to make matters easier. Here's what I got with htop

                        Before omxplayer in ES:
                        alt text

                        After:
                        alt text

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • matchamanM
                          matchaman
                          last edited by matchaman

                          I came back from a friend who bought a 3 B+ model. He uses a brand new 4.3.17 test image, nothing added other than ROMs for systems. I asked him to scrape with videos for a system, switched to omxplayer in ES, used a jack to RCA cable and here we go... same problem!

                          I consider this a global issue :( someone who can use composite, PLEASE give me your input...

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • matchamanM
                            matchaman
                            last edited by matchaman

                            Excuse me for "spam-bumping" this but it's a real issue that needs to be addressed.

                            I installed a clean image of 4.3 Jessie (on my 3 B model obviously) without any updates and the problem does not exist, as I expected.

                            I am now updating components one by one to see what causes this and if it's exclusive to Stretch-based RP (in case everything is updated and the issue does not appear).

                            Edit 1: I'm starting with the RetroPie Setup script. The bug does not appear yet. (WOW it shows 4.4 :D) let's keep updating...

                            Edit 2: RetroArch. Obviously no change, as expected.

                            Edit 3: runcommand... no change. RP conf menu... no change.

                            Edit 4: Updating EmulationStation... holding my breath... NO CHANGE! :O

                            Edit 5: Doing a general update, including kernel and other OS packages... nope. Nothing. Everything works perfectly. What a headache :/

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • matchamanM
                              matchaman
                              last edited by

                              So my "final" conclusion is that, although Raspbian Stretch itself has no issues with omxplayer (and neither does Stretch based RetroPie in console), when omxplayer runs within EmulationStation on a Stretch-based RetroPie, the system goes through a massive slowdown that doesn't go away until rebooting.

                              The version of every single software is identical except for Jessie and Stretch bases.

                              It won't be long until people like me who use their system with CRTs for 240p via composite will experience this. The only way to avoid this is to keep using the internal player instead of omxplayer but the results are less good looking, especially for video screensavers that look much better with omxplayer...

                              mituM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • mituM
                                mitu Global Moderator @matchaman
                                last edited by

                                @matchaman said in Bug: OMXPlayer on Stretch-based builds stutters on composite:

                                So my "final" conclusion is that, although Raspbian Stretch itself has no issues with omxplayer (and neither does Stretch based RetroPie in console), when omxplayer runs within EmulationStation on a Stretch-based RetroPie, the system goes through a massive slowdown that doesn't go away until rebooting.
                                The version of every single software is identical except for Jessie and Stretch bases.

                                I think your conclusion is contradicted by the next statement

                                The version of every single software is identical except for Jessie and Stretch bases.

                                I think that Stretch has a problem with the omxplayer/composite combination (though most likely it's a video driver bug in 4.14), but that problem exhibits only when running with certain parameters. If you can do 1 more test:

                                1. Repeat the stuttering problem in ES+Omplayer and write down the parameters of the omxplayer command.
                                2. Reboot the system, exit ES and run omxplayer with the same parameters as if it was run from ES. Does the slowdown/stuttering occurs ?
                                matchamanM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • pjftP
                                  pjft
                                  last edited by

                                  Nothing seems to suggest any kind of CPU-heavy workload, so - as disheartening as it may seem - there's little to no suggestion I could have here that could help.

                                  There were mentions of the .14 firmware having some troubles, so perhaps trying to install a previous Stretch firmware (.9) might be a good attempt there. Unsure what the exact package do downgrade via apt-get will be, but might be worth a shot.

                                  Another suggestion could be to explore a different memory split - try manually increasing it and see if it changes anything. I don't see why it would, but I've been wrong plenty of other times.

                                  Running sudo vcdbg reloc stats when running omxplayer and ES might suggest how much GPU memory you have available at the time, and if there's anything weird there.

                                  Another alternative may be to file an issue here and see if they have any ideas or hypotheses on how to troubleshoot or address this. Realistically, though, if ES remained unchanged, omxplayer remains unchanged, and the firmware update causes this, we're kind of hands tied given that we don't control the omxplayer development nor the firmware. The only thing we know is that Jessie doesn't work on the Pi3B+, so it needs to move to Stretch - and the upgrade won't be stalled if there's no reasonable alternative at the OS level at this moment.

                                  We will keep exploring this, but the reality is that unless someone that actually has a composite cable and a bit more knowledge of the underlying OS and drivers has the chance to look into this, we may struggle to find something unless omxplayer or the firmware fixes it.

                                  Out of curiosity, where are the videos you're running? SD card? USB drive? NAS?

                                  On a side note, thank you @mitu for the fantastic job you've been doing these last few weeks/months in helping everyone out in the forums. I've been meaning to say it to you earlier - great job!

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                  • G
                                    G.I.Josh
                                    last edited by

                                    Hello,

                                    I had to register for this problem. I got my 3+ model and replaced it in my mega drive empty shell. I previously used a 3 model but i always upgrade. I saw that 4.4 was released in final version so i finally use it today (i did not want to use beta version). I am connecting to a tube television with RCA jack and i experience a strange problem. It is abrand new image only with upload of roms+videos.

                                    On carbon video and other theme when a video plays the whole system goes to slow motion!!! Not only video but also any emulator any rom...even music!! But when i use again HDMI 720p that i do tests the bug is not there! Crazy thing...... its like low resolutions get it tired!

                                    I had to change to non-OMX player but then the theme looks deforme and videos play with lag before playback. OMX player works fine before upgrade on model 3 non-plus. Also on same microsd on 3 i get the same problem when i swap. Unfortunatly its not backward compatible.
                                    Note i dont know linux or programming i just use Pi to play and never experience major problems like this. It is the only way (tube television) i play for retro feeling inside a empty mega drive.

                                    Yours,
                                    Joshua

                                    mituM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • mituM
                                      mitu Global Moderator @G.I.Josh
                                      last edited by mitu

                                      @g-i-josh Something similar to this ? Seems specific to the new Stretch based build - not entirely sure it's RetroPie or Raspbian specific ?

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                      • pjftP
                                        pjft
                                        last edited by

                                        You and @matchaman mentioned something I didn't pick up prior to this. What do you mean by emulators and ROMs also slowing down? Is it when you play the games? Does that only happen if you run omxplayer - meaning if you don't use omxplayer everything runs fine, even the emulators?

                                        Do join the other thread. Thanks.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                        • matchamanM
                                          matchaman
                                          last edited by matchaman

                                          Yes, this is definitely my problem. Could these threads be merged?

                                          @pjft Yes, everything slows down at a very "stable" slow motion. It's almost like a joke :p

                                          Edit: merged, thanks :)

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • matchamanM
                                            matchaman @mitu
                                            last edited by matchaman

                                            @mitu I don't understand how can I see the parameters of something that happens within the ES GUI. After I let the bug "happen", should I exit to the shell and use a particular command to see what was previously used within ES?

                                            @pjft Indeed I suspect a driver issue that causes everything to slow down to about 50%. I actually used a metronome for familiar music that slowed down!

                                            What's really messing with my sanity is that the slowdown is somewhat uniform and universal across anything that runs after it occurs. Every emulator, video and audio runs at the aforementioned speed. Even typing seems to have the exact slowdown!

                                            My logic agrees with your speculation, it's most like a driver thing that's triggered by the combination of ES and omxplayer, since the exact same versions work fine with the Jessie kernel.

                                            mituM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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