Raspberry Pi - $35 Linux computer

[Evilpaul]

What model Tosh TV?

I've got the Toshiba 37RV753B.

As if things could not get any better, I have discovered that CEC compliant devices are working with Raspberry Pi's so you can use your TV remote control to control XBMC commands direct via HDMI.

I've been fiddling around to try and get this working on my setup, but with no success so far. After some handy Googling I've discovered that the cheap HDMI cables I've got may not have the CEC channel wired up (my Toshiba Blu-Ray player is not detected as a compatible Regza-Link device either ). I ordered some better cables over the weekend and I've got them sat on my desk ready to try again tonight.

 

[jaybee]

I've got the Toshiba 37RV753B.


I've been fiddling around to try and get this working on my setup, but with no success so far. After some handy Googling I've discovered that the cheap HDMI cables I've got may not have the CEC channel wired up (my Toshiba Blu-Ray player is not detected as a compatible Regza-Link device either ). I ordered some better cables over the weekend and I've got them sat on my desk ready to try again tonight.

Ah ok. Nice one. Let me know how you get on with that. I think I have seen stuff on my TV show up as Regza link compatible so I'm hoping we will have success here. I have read of some people with Samsung TVs being able to control Raspbmc in this method, but it was limited and only some of the buttons worked. I think it was just enough to get by though.
I might try mine out tonight, but I need to find an SD card first....

 

[Evilpaul]

OK, connected my new HDMI cables and it all started working!

Most of the important buttons are working on the Pi over CEC, the only ones that seem to be missing are the prev/next track buttons. This may just be a mismatch on the bindings, so a little investigation is required.

 

[rexehuk]

Not entirely impressed with this as a media solution... the menus are god awful slow and laggy.

May have to rethink my strategy and stick this on the bay, want a XMBC running fluid otherwise its just a hinderence.

Currently its easier to switch card output to HDMI and play on VLC from my server on main PC than use the raspberry pi...

Hope it gets smoother with later updates.

 

[PiKe]

Not entirely impressed with this as a media solution... the menus are god awful slow and laggy.

May have to rethink my strategy and stick this on the bay, want a XMBC running fluid otherwise its just a hinderence.

Currently its easier to switch card output to HDMI and play on VLC from my server on main PC than use the raspberry pi...

Hope it gets smoother with later updates.

Could it be the SD card you're using? The youtube videos I've seen make it look like it's running buttery smooth.

 

[jaybee]

I'd suggest running with a fast SD card, wired ethernet and trying various files before complaining of poor playback, just to ensure it's not actually the Pi hardware limiting things. To be honest it was never made as a media streaming device. Being able to perform as one is really only a bonus, and a risk I took in buying it. I wanted one anyway to muck about with as a secondary reason.

EvilPaul, sounds awesome! Will give it a go tonight!

 

[lemonade]

I tested OpenELEC on mine and the menus etc where smooth, however it was a fresh install without any sort of addon's, I'm using a class 10 card which is pretty damn fast.

On another note got an update from modmypi saying they will ship out the case this week, anyone received theirs yet?

 

[PinkFloyd]

Got my Pi today, not sure if I'm going to get a chance to do anything with it before I go on holiday on Wednesday though!

I'm going to buy a quicker SD card as the spare I have lying around is only a class 2 (ok for trying a basic linux install for a complete novice?) before moving towards an XBMC build of some form.

Need to order a usb charger too so I can avoid using my phone charger. Is it worth buying one that is a separate cable and plug over an all in one jobby?

Any other must have accessories? One of the things I'd like to do in the long term is bluetooth remote from my phone, how troublesome are you guys finding getting them to work? I've seen a few people mentioning having issues with drivers?

 

[PiKe]

Bluetooth remote? For what reason?

 

[rexehuk]

I'm running the PI using:

Class 4 SD (Kingston 8GB)
Gigabit connection via switch (I run many servers so I have tons of bandwidth)
1AMP USB charger

Suppose I could try a faster SD...

 

[PiKe]

Class 10 at the minimum, they're like £8 for a 16gb one.

 

[rexehuk]

Something like:

SanDisk 8GB Extreme (120min.) 30MB/s HD Video SDHC UHS-I Class 10 Memory Card?

 

[MarcLister]

Class 10 at the minimum, they're like £8 for a 16gb one.

Any particular brands you'd recommend above others? Looking at a Transcend 16GB class 10 card right now.

 

[PiKe]

Something like:

SanDisk 8GB Extreme (120min.) 30MB/s HD Video SDHC UHS-I Class 10 Memory Card?

I wouldn't bother with SanDisk, too many fakes floating around, try Integral SDHC Class 10

 

[rexehuk]

Got to be careful... appears some of the Class10 use different voltages like the one I put there (30MB/s), and won't work with the PI.

If someone can recommend a card it would be good...

 

[PiKe]

Got to be careful... appears some of the Class10 use different voltages like the one I put there (30MB/s), and won't work with the PI.

If someone can recommend a card it would be good...

The Integral I just mentioned is on the compatible list.

http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeripherals#SD_cards

 

[PinkFloyd]

Bluetooth remote? For what reason?

My idea is to set up the Pi as a media pc, where I can use my phone as a remote control, to browse through the menus and so on

Class 10 at the minimum, they're like £8 for a 16gb one.

Is that minimum as in "it won't work with a lower one" or minimum as in "you'd be mad to not use class 10 as they're dirt cheap"? Hoping the latter!

 

[PiKe]

My idea is to set up the Pi as a media pc, where I can use my phone as a remote control, to browse through the menus and so on



Is that minimum as in "it won't work with a lower one" or minimum as in "you'd be mad to not use class 10 as they're dirt cheap"? Hoping the latter!

Media remotes work over wifi in the case of XBMC or you can use your TV remote over HDMI-CEC

As for the other question... You'd be mad not to. Can you not spare £7.88?

 

[jaybee]

OK, connected my new HDMI cables and it all started working!

Most of the important buttons are working on the Pi over CEC, the only ones that seem to be missing are the prev/next track buttons. This may just be a mismatch on the bindings, so a little investigation is required.

How did you get CEC working? I can get the PI to show up under Regza compatible item and I can select it but nothing works. I am running Raspbmc RC3. Do I need to install anything else?

So far for me, performance in the menus is laggy, 720p stuff seems to work, but nothing 1080p will play...well it plays and pauses every other second.

EDIT: Enable control of XBMC via http setting needs to be turned on. OK so CEC is working. Cool. Limited fwd/rew options but enough to get by for sure. Awesome! The above still stands though, even my high quality 720p rips are unwatchable. I think it must be either my SD or that I am running only off the TV USB power. Probably the SD, as it's only about a class 4. I have a good one on order.

 

[SKILL]

I'd put it more down to the power supply really, plus possibly whether you're using the Pi to decode the audio or not?

SD card wise I've tried two, a brand new class 6 that has shockingly bad performance and an ancient Class 2 which is perfectly fine in the menu's etc of xbmc (not loading any films off it, obviously), I think the problem is the pi's support of SD cards is so patchy it's not just a case of 'get a class 10' it's more specifically get a card that's known to work well in the pi...

Video performance I use a 2amp charger as a power supply and it has no issues with any 720p stuff I've tried, it does have issues with high-bitrate 1080p stuff when also asked to decode the audio, after getting an av receiver and outputting the DTS directly over HDMI for the receive to decode it's handling the high-bitrate 1080p stuff fairly well (still some tweaks needed, gonna try overclocking, changing the memory setup and probably more importantly upgrading to RC3 )