newby review

[bbortnick]

I have had the board for a week now, planning on using it as a media center. Have everything basically working:
I am running mikerr/tinkeros


Working:
Chrome browser with Netflix (with surround sound) and  youtube
Kodi with covenant (no working surround sound)

Problems:

1. Not able to wake from suspend, Bluetooth or wired devices 
   
2. Low level crackling noise - netflix and kodi and google music
   
3. No surround sound with Kodi
   
4. Occasional crashes with Chrome or Kodi and the OS itself.
   
5. Video seems very dark (little detail in the shadows)
   
6. Video playback is jerky
   
7. 2 minute no time like every body else. Browser does not work during this time.
   
8. I had the overscan problem, which i fixed with pixel setting in tv. not ideal as that setting applies to all inputs. just fix the problem like raspberry has with boot.txtt.
   
9. all video hourglasses occasionally especialy 1080p youtube and i am on a wired gigabit ethernet.
   

unless you can put up with these issues, this board is not ready for prime time video.

More later.

[Jay Smith]

I have had the board for a week now, planning on using it as a media center. Have everything basically working:
I am running mikerr/tinkeros


Working:
Chrome browser with Netflix (with surround sound) and  youtube
Kodi with covenant (no working surround sound)

Problems:

1. Not able to wake from suspend, Bluetooth or wired devices 
   
2. Low level crackling noise - netflix and kodi and google music
   
3. No surround sound with Kodi
   
4. Occasional crashes with Chrome or Kodi and the OS itself.
   
5. Video seems very dark (little detail in the shadows)
   
6. Video playback is jerky
   
7. 2 minute no time like every body else. Browser does not work during this time.
   
8. I had the overscan problem, which i fixed with pixel setting in tv. not ideal as that setting applies to all inputs. just fix the problem like raspberry has with boot.txtt.
   
9. all video hourglasses occasionally especialy 1080p youtube and i am on a wired gigabit ethernet.
   

unless you can put up with these issues, this board is not ready for prime time video.

More later.

You may find some fixes here.  Scroll down to Clock.  Read the top for installation to solve the jerkyness.  Install smplayer.  I find that youtube runs best with less than 720P. Get a 3 amp power unit with switch online.
If screen goes blank at installation or after do ctl/alt/delete. Keep a browser open on the desktop. It stops the screensaver.
Scroll down to screensaver. 
Lots of goodies here.  To much to type out again. TinkerboardOS is the best. I have tried some others and they suck. Well, I guess they have some good and some bad and the bad is not good so I am staying with this one.

https://tinkerboarding.co.uk/forum/threa...t=tinkeros

[Kaptitan Anni Hilator]

Am using TOS v2.0.1. I got away from the audio cracking problem by using a usb sound dongle (an old soundblaster usb audio dongle, even those cheapo ones are OK too), and the sound level is better ( a couple of db higher) than the default audio jack. Same if I use TOS v1.9

[Jay Smith]

Am using TOS v2.0.1. I got away from the audio cracking problem by using a usb sound dongle (an old soundblaster usb audio dongle, even those cheapo ones are OK too), and the sound level is better ( a couple of db higher) than the default audio jack. Same if I use TOS v1.9

Install smplayer.  It pays audio smoothly.  The VLC is audio files cracky, but video audio files play smooth.

[bbortnick]

It's been awhile, but i am back at this trying to make it a media player. Netflix/prime play adequately in chrome browser (although video is a not smooth.) Tried to play local video files, and that's a joke. VLC uses high cpu (up to almost 400%) with little actual success. The supplied video player (called Media Player ) is jerky, featureless and crashes the system about half the time. There is no working surround sound (at least via HDMI). I also tried SMPLAYER, and it cannot play video any better than the other clients. Even just moving a window around the screen is frustrating as the movement lags.
The software for this thing is the downfall. I cannot recommend it as a media center.

[Jay Smith]

It's been awhile, but i am back at this trying to make it a media player. Netflix/prime play adequately in chrome browser (although video is a not smooth.) Tried to play local video files, and that's a joke. VLC uses high cpu (up to almost 400%) with little actual success. The supplied video player (called Media Player ) is jerky, featureless and crashes the system about half the time. There is no working surround sound (at least via HDMI). I also tried SMPLAYER, and it cannot play video any better than the other clients. Even just moving a window around the screen is frustrating as the movement lags.
The software for this thing is the downfall. I cannot recommend it as a media center.

Have you installed the new version TinkerOSplus v2.0.4?

Media is playing wonderful for me.  Audio and Video up to 1080p is good. 
Smplayer has adjustments, postprocessing and frame drop and cache. I set it for 20megs
I don't know about 4k.  I really don't need it anyway.  4k is in development for devices and software.  They will get better over time.
4k will be evolved to be like 1080p was evolved.  By then there will be 8k which will work with some and not with others.
Remember the first days of video that ran in a small window and ran jerky?
720p is good enough for me. 480p looks nice.

Kodi Media Player is running wonderful and it is updated from v17.1 to v17.3 and on it's way to v17.6.
Youtube plays smooth.

If you want all of the bestest of the best, use a desktop computer not the tinkerboard or any of the others.  They are in evolution still and not fully there yet.

To us, we are enjoying the small size, the 4watts, and the low cost of a fine computer system that really does a hell of a lot.

I recommend trying TinkerOSplus v2.0.4
You won't know until you "tinker with it" will you?

[bbortnick]

Ok, i have to walk most of my rant back! I have done a fresh install with tinker os 2.0.4 and it is now working fairly well. I have also installed: Gbittorent, chrome with netflix patch, VNC and Samba.
Netflix/Prime/Youtube work well in browser (video still is dark.) VNC works well, with CPU usage under control.
Suspend/wake work now.
One in four viewing sessions caused high cpu/hung system so far.
Still no surround sound and the sound is occasionally noisy or crackly (i think there is a fix for that).
Can anyone point me to the config settings to correct the noisy sound? For the life of me, I cannot find the post again.
Thanks  all.

[Jay Smith]

Ok, i have to walk most of my rant back! I have done a fresh install with tinker os 2.0.4 and it is now working fairly well. I have also installed: Gbittorent, chrome with netflix patch and VNC.
Netflix/Prime/Youtube work well in browser (video still is dark.) VNC works well, with CPU usage under control.
Suspend/wake work now.
One in four viewing sessions caused high cpu/hung system so far.
Still no surround sound and the sound is occasionally noisy or crackly (i think there is a fix for that).

1 There is a TinkerOSplus v2.0.4 by Mikerr.  It maybe better for you.
2 Keep the number of browser open tabs to a minimum. It will consume memory. I think I only had one freeze up.
3 Are you using a fan with heatsink? I think you would be.
4 Have you tried smplayer and tweaked the postprocessing, drop frames, and cache adjusted for 20megs?
5 Install kmix. It will give more controls.
6 Do you have the temperature monitor running in the panel? This is important to monitor the cpu temps.
7 What did you do to get the vlc cpu under control?  What steps?
8 VLC audio mp3 files are jerky. I haven't seen a fix for it yet. Smplayer is good for audio playback. VLC video playback is good.
9 I don't know about the surround sound. Can the ATB do it or the TOS doesn't have the apps for it or is there just more tinkering to do?
10 Are you using Samba? It's a great file sharing program. I have no need for usb drives after using samba. This is highly recommended.

[bbortnick]

Can anyone point me to the settings/configuration change to correct the noisy, crackly, popping sounds when listening to video or music?
I had found it a couple months ago, but for the life of me, I can  no longer find it!
Thanks!

[Jay Smith]

Can anyone point me to the settings/configuration change to correct the noisy, crackly, popping sounds when listening to video or music?
I had found it a couple months ago, but for the life of me, I can  no longer find it!
Thanks!

You had a solution for that and lost it.
I don't think anyone knows.

Can you remember anything about it.  Can you visualize the area you was working?  Did you download a package?
Did you read it some where?  Did you figure it out yourself.

I can't help that so wait for someone to reply.