Video Playback Issue

jimbydude

Not sure what Category this belongs since could depend on solution, anyhoo.

So this applies to any of the modules that have embedded playback but purposes of this discussion I’m using MMM-MyVideoPlayer as I like it’s simplicity.

When starting the mirror using the standard: DISPLAY=:0 npm start the mirror starts on the connected TV (via the micro HDMI). So I assume that the default Chromium for the mirror is being used. However videos selected are very choppy.

However, if I start as a server and, on the PI itself navigate to the mirror 0.0.0.0:8080 using Chrome and select same videos, they play perfectly. This is using Chrome browser v78.0.3904.108

Does the Mirror use it’s own specific Chrome Version and can this be updated?

I’ve also updated to latest mirror v2.120
Cheers
Jim

sdetweil

@jimbydude mm uses a JavaScript browser called electron. very similar to chrome, but not the same. we are also a few releases behind, as raspberry pi is a limited platform too.

you can use the chrome browser if u want, try from your pc connecting.
there is not a lot of horsepower on the pi, compared to PC. pi 4 is better.

sdetweil

@jimbydude I added some support for split mode (server w chrome) in 2.10. but all the scripts were pushed out of the core mm in 2.11.

maybe by enable OPENGL in raspi-config
or try to use VLC for reading video

Personnaly:

i have enabled OpenGL
I use VLC with one of my module for video playing and it’s good with RPI3B+ and RPI4

jimbydude

Thanks for the replies, looks like for out of box video niceness, need to wait until electron catches up.

I don’t think the PI itself is struggling. As experiment I played in full screen on PI using Chrome, and at same time had full screen on two separate monitors connected to my local PC and they all played totally fine. So sounds like Electron is needing some TLC to catch up.

I’ll mess with the OpenGL setting etc, and see how they compare.
Cheers

sdetweil

@jimbydude and, you can use chrome as the browser instead of the built in one

jimbydude

@sdetweil Do you mean MM can be configured to use Chrome by default, or you mean just starting Chrome with URL (on the PI) using pm2 etc?

sdetweil

@jimbydude as I mentioned above you can configure it if, you get one file that was removed in 2.11

cd ~/MagicMirror
curl -sl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts/master/run-start.sh >run-start.sh
chmod +x run-start.sh

edit package.json and replace the start stmt with this

"start", "./run-start.sh",

then edit config.js and set
serverOnly:'local",

this will launch the run-start.sh when u do npm start or pm2 start x
the script will check the setting of the serverOnly parm and if set to ‘local’,
will launch mm in server only and then launch chrome over it. from the outside you cannot tell the difference… (u can for video playback)

from config.js

// serverOnly:  true/false/"local" ,
			     //  local for armv6l processors, default 
			     //   starts serveronly and then starts chrome browser
			     // false, default for all  NON-armv6l devices
			     // true, force serveronly mode, be```cause you want to.. no UI on this device

jimbydude

@sdetweil very nice and thank you. I’ll try that out asap!

Cheers for helping

sdetweil

i created this script to help users with older pi0 / armv6l devices get up and running, because there is no electron version anymore, without having to figure all this out…

the project decided to support only pi3 and pi4.