[SOLVED] Kodi flickers when navigating

[grandcanyon]

I've used different OSs in the past, Arch Arm and RPI OS Lite, they both flickered a bit but Xbian seems to flicker more regularly. The flickering happens as I navigate not while I'm watching a video or stream. It just flickers once but then I will navigate somewhere else and it will flicker again. I am running a Rpi 3+ with the latest Xbian and I have a TV connected to the Pi through the HDMI port and I am also passing sound through the HDMI port using PI:HDMI.

I seem to remember you can change a setting in the /boot/config.txt file but I tried it in the past with other OSs but didn't seem to help. I think it had to do with the HDMI output strength. Maybe I put in a wrong value like the highest thinking it would work the best.

Any suggestions.

[Nachteule]

Since my pi3+ doesn't flicker at all, this must be a specific problem for you again

Try to use another HDMI cable

[grandcanyon]

I think you got a special RPi 3+ cause you've got connections being the host of xbian lol

I changed the cable and is still flickers. More so when I navigate through the Xbian-config app. I thought it was a CEC issue but it happens with the remote control app on my phone.

Oh well, my Kodi system has run better than it ever has. Can't have everything.

[gkusiak]

if you mean "ripping" meaning the icons "smear and tear" on your screen, yes, I'm getting some of that too on my Pi4.

I seem to recall (but my memory is questionable over the past year or so) reading somewhere it has something to do with the windowing system, and that Wayland is supposed to fix this vs whatever it is that is used currently. I may also be confuzzling this with audio stuff I have looked into (PipeWire, ALSA, pulseaudio...).
When you don't know what's going on in the code world or write/make it work, I tend to get lost and leave it to people who do to lead the way.

installed latest xbian (kodi v20 released) last night and it's great so far (Thanks @Nacheule !)...https://kodi.tv/article/kodi-20-0-nexus-release/ pointedly mentions NFSv4...that's something I'm curious about as a Real Debrid user...I need to dig into the wiki for that to wrap my skull around it.

[grandcanyon]

Thanks for the help. I don't have a problem with tearing. It's more like if someone turned your TV off and on real quick or the electricity went off and on real quick.

Code:

<gui>
                <algorithmdirtyregions>2</algorithmdirtyregions>
        </gui>

I tried changing to this is my advanced settings file instead of the default of 3 but it didn't help.

I may try a new power supply next.

[Nachteule]

(17th Jan, 2023 11:14 AM)grandcanyon Wrote:  Thanks for the help. I don't have a problem with tearing. It's more like if someone turned your TV off and on real quick or the electricity went off and on real quick.

I know the problem, I have or rather had the problem with a Hummingboard (i.MX SOC) years ago. There was the picture also sporadically very briefly gone. I did not pursue the matter at that time, because it did not occur very often. However, I have the suspicion that my HDMI cable (this was very long, 10m or even longer) was responsible for it. Presumably breaks down there the connection between the source (in your case the Raspberry Pi) and the TV short-term.

Therefore I had advised you to use a different hdmi cable.

[gkusiak]

changing the cable is the first place to start - the conductors (wires) are a very fine gauge because not much current flows over them. they can break rather easily if handled too much or in an aggressive manner

-BUT-

(and I would defer to @Nacheule 's better judgement on considering changing this, especially if you suspect the Pi's power supply might be out-of-spec)

the HDMI voltage output level from the Pi can be increased to compensate for the increased electrical resistance in longer cable runs:

https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/config_txt.html#custom-mode

look under config_hdmi_boost

*** and tread lightly if you attempt it - you don't want to accidentally/unwittingly send a higher voltage down the cable than the HDMI port on your monitor/display can handle and destroy its circuitry ***

You shouldn't need to go this far: It's a last resort systemic tweak for only the most appropriate situations (and it could indicate the Pi itself may need replacing - how warm does the case/circuit board get? can it breathe and cool itself properly?)

check into your power supply first, and make sure it can send/is sending as much voltage&current as the Pi needs.
If that's not right, change that, and then look at the HDMI cable. Then, lastly, the actual Pi HDMI output.

[grandcanyon]

The Pi doesn't get too hot. When I was running a Desktop GUI and Kodi when I was running Rapbian, it would get hot as the temp indicator would flash on the screen.

I'm only running a short cable. Maybe 6ft. I have tried different HDMI ports but it still flashes. I will probably need to try a new power supply next.

[Nachteule]

(26th Jan, 2023 02:51 AM)grandcanyon Wrote:  The Pi doesn't get too hot. When I was running a Desktop GUI and Kodi when I was running Rapbian, it would get hot as the temp indicator would flash on the screen.

I'm only running a short cable. Maybe 6ft. I have tried different HDMI ports but it still flashes. I will probably need to try a new power supply next.

As I said, use a different HDMI cable.
I have here a Pi3 (no +) reactivated and there flickers with a certain HDMI cable the display like hell
If I now exchange the HDMI cable for another, the spook is immediately over.

The cable itself is not defective. Another Raspberry Pi (the ancient Pi1) works fine with it.

[grandcanyon]

I finally got around to changing my power supply and cable. It was still flickering when navigating. I ended up adding config_hdmi_boost to the config.txt file and set this equal to 7 since the default is 5. I no longer have any flickering.

[f1vefour]

Thanks for sharing your resolution

[eightytask]

Thank you so much for sharing. It's very helpful for me. eggy car

[grandcanyon]

Unfortunately, it still flickers only when navigating kodi. Not during playback. I have tried increasing the config_hdmi_boost but it doesn't seem to help. I though maybe it was because I had the kodi power plugged into a strip so I moved it to the wall outlet but this didn't help. I've tried to changing refresh rates but this didn't work either.

[grandcanyon]

I changed the adjust display refresh rate to On Start in Videos -> Settings and it doesn't flicker as bad. I can navigate Simple IPTV guide without it flickering after every 4th or so key/remote stroke.

[Nachteule]

(27th Apr, 2023 03:12 AM)grandcanyon Wrote:  I changed the adjust display refresh rate to On Start in Videos -> Settings and it doesn't flicker as bad. I can navigate Simple IPTV guide without it flickering after every 4th or so key/remote stroke.

What are you trying to tell us? Unfortunately, this does not change the fact that you obviously have a significant hardware problem.