New Android TV box - Xiaomi Mi Box

[clarkss12 304]

It is a Beelink and it is currently being used as an Emby Server at another location.

How is that working for you?  Do you think it makes a good server?  How many client devices can it support at one time?  I have spent most of my testing on my inexpensive Pine64 board running Ubuntu 16.04, and I am just learning Linux.

[bluemonkey07 590]

This thread seems to be going quite off topic

[FordGT90Concept 97]

How is that working for you?  Do you think it makes a good server?  How many client devices can it support at one time?  I have spent most of my testing on my inexpensive Pine64 board running Ubuntu 16.04, and I am just learning Linux.

Not great. I'd say 3 GiB of RAM is minimum running Windows 10 with Emby Server. Linux MINT (when I tried to install it) refused to install, was going to try OpenSUSE but the person that had it wanted to run Play On as well on it which is Windows only.

 

It can only transcode one stream before overloading because of the Atom processor. All of the recordings go to an external 3 TB 7200 RPM HDD (like a $200 value). All of the tuners are HDHomeRun EXTENDs so, theoretically, it shouldn't ever have to transcode. It's okay but not recommended.

Edited October 29, 2016 by FordGT90Concept

[mastrmind11 722]

Ok, back on topic.  Just picked up a Mi Box, and I can only get it to output stereo.  Emby is direct playing the file, so there are no transcode or remux logs.  This happens in SPMC set to passthrough, as well as the Emby app, as well as Emby app with external player (SPMC).  Anyone able to get their box to passthrough audio? 

 

On a different but probably related note,  movies w/ DTS tracks skip like crazy and are out of synch.  I'm guessing I can fix all these issues if I force transcoding, but I was under the impression these boxes were capable of standard DTS.

 

Thoughts please.

 

edit:  Recorded TV with AC3 tracks also direct play with a stereo track.  Odd.

Edited October 31, 2016 by mastrmind11

[ebr 16169]

Check the audio settings on the device itself.  DD should work but I have not been able to get DTS to bitstream on this box.

[mastrmind11 722]

Ok, so there's a setting on the box itself to pick audio input type... defaults to PCM.  I switched it to HDMI and I can get multi-channel tracks.  Sadly I still have to transcode my DTS stuff in order to get it to play. A max bitrate of 10mb/s seems to be the sweet spot.  I don't mind transcoding, I've got the hardware for it, just annoys me a bit that passthrough doesn't work.

[epayson85 72]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't realize I posted under my so's account I created for her. Anyways I installed the Emby Theater App and would only get connection failed messages from what I think is because it is timing out. I am not sure what settings to use in the Emby Add-on for Kodi/SPMC to not Direct Stream. I tried a few things I found but nothing worked to get a file to play. I also grew impatient with UPS delivering my USB to Ethernet adapter so I went and got one at Best Buy. The Insignia USB 3.0 to Ethernet doesn't work for me. The adapter had a green light but nothing I could find on the Mi Box indicated it was using Wired networking. Anyone have any experience with this Adapter or any adapter in general? Will the Mi Box show its using a Wired Connection like the Nividia Shield?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LLUEJXW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

This one has been working great for me.  It also has additional usb ports if you want to also add a memory stick

[mastrmind11 722]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't realize I posted under my so's account I created for her. Anyways I installed the Emby Theater App and would only get connection failed messages from what I think is because it is timing out. I am not sure what settings to use in the Emby Add-on for Kodi/SPMC to not Direct Stream. I tried a few things I found but nothing worked to get a file to play. I also grew impatient with UPS delivering my USB to Ethernet adapter so I went and got one at Best Buy. The Insignia USB 3.0 to Ethernet doesn't work for me. The adapter had a green light but nothing I could find on the Mi Box indicated it was using Wired networking. Anyone have any experience with this Adapter or any adapter in general? Will the Mi Box show its using a Wired Connection like the Nividia Shield?

Using this one and works great.  http://www.microcenter.com/product/434100/USB_20_Ethernet_Adapter_JUE120.  Worked right out of the box.

It should show as a wired connection.  Go into the ATV settings under networking.

[ebr 16169]

Can anyone with one of these boxes confirm if DTS works properly on it?  Mine does not.

[mastrmind11 722]

Can anyone with one of these boxes confirm if DTS works properly on it?  Mine does not.

DTS definitely does not work properly... stutter/audio drop outs galore.  It's a known issue apparently.

 

Edit:  Though I have not tried it w/ the latest ATV beta.

Edited December 7, 2016 by mastrmind11

[ebr 16169]

Edit:  Though I have not tried it w/ the latest ATV beta.

 

Not any better with that.  The device claims to support DTS but I cannot get it to work.

 

Works fine on Shield and NP.

[mastrmind11 722]

Not any better with that.  The device claims to support DTS but I cannot get it to work.

 

Works fine on Shield and NP.

No one can.  It's reported all over the plex forums too.

[AgileHumor 123]

Hi all, I recently sent a few of these Mi Boxes to relatives, upgrading from Roku.

 

They are complaining that the 5-10 minutes, the playback stops.  I have been unable to reproduce internally (I use Kodi).

 

Has anyone had issues of these Mi Boxes stopping unexpectedly?

[the1legend 45]

Hi all, I recently sent a few of these Mi Boxes to relatives, upgrading from Roku.

 

They are complaining that the 5-10 minutes, the playback stops.  I have been unable to reproduce internally (I use Kodi).

 

Has anyone had issues of these Mi Boxes stopping unexpectedly?

Yep. The wife complained about this happening from time to time but said that it's not a daily thing. I have not looked into the issue but she said that it will just stop (like someone hit the stop button), she can then click the play button and it will even resume from where it was stopped. I had even forgot about the issue until you asked. I will need to check in with her and see how often she needs to do this now. It might be a trancoding issue. Like you I suspect, I watch TV with a media PC and I have no need to trancode anything... just a thought. 

[Flox 1]

Yep. The wife complained about this happening from time to time but said that it's not a daily thing. I have not looked into the issue but she said that it will just stop (like someone hit the stop button), she can then click the play button and it will even resume from where it was stopped. I had even forgot about the issue until you asked. I will need to check in with her and see how often she needs to do this now. It might be a trancoding issue. Like you I suspect, I watch TV with a media PC and I have no need to trancode anything... just a thought. 

 

 

Hi all, I recently sent a few of these Mi Boxes to relatives, upgrading from Roku.

 

They are complaining that the 5-10 minutes, the playback stops.  I have been unable to reproduce internally (I use Kodi).

 

Has anyone had issues of these Mi Boxes stopping unexpectedly?

 

 

Same thing here... I noticed this happening two or three times in total when watching a video, and I have been having one of these boxes pretty much since their release. I never really paid attention to it as it seems relatively rare and not cumbersome at all. Maybe I'll try to have a look at the logs next time I notice it.

[AgileHumor 123]

Yep. The wife complained about this happening from time to time but said that it's not a daily thing. I have not looked into the issue but she said that it will just stop (like someone hit the stop button), she can then click the play button and it will even resume from where it was stopped. I had even forgot about the issue until you asked. I will need to check in with her and see how often she needs to do this now. It might be a trancoding issue. Like you I suspect, I watch TV with a media PC and I have no need to trancode anything... just a thought.

I had them set the daydream timeout from 5 minutes to 1 hour and it still stopping randomly (closer to 10 minutes)

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[pr3dict 33]

soooo Mi box vs Fire TV for general tv's out and about for movies, and live tv?

[maegibbons 1287]

So I have just bought both.

 

Like the volume control on the MIbox remote but like the FF/RW buttons on the Fire TV remote more.  Currently The Fire Box is winning as the box connected to the Lounge TV with the MI in the bedroom.

 

Both give excellent displays and direct play the same content as far as I can see - but i have not got 4k as yet.

 

Other reason for fire tv in lounge is amazon prime which is not natively supported on the MI.

 

Krs

 

Mark

[pr3dict 33]

Just hooked up the MI box and live TV isn't playing which is weird because it works on my phone and fire stick and Roku. Isn't Android TV the same as android phone?

 

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

[Luke 42077]

Our tv and mobile apps are slightly different. If content is playing in one app but not the other then please open a topic about that. thanks.

[maegibbons 1287]

Just hooked up the MI box and live TV isn't playing which is weird because it works on my phone and fire stick and Roku. Isn't Android TV the same as android phone?

 

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

 

What is your Live TV source?  HDhomerun or m3u?

 

Make sure you have direct stream checked in settings as well as use vlc for live tv.

 

krs

 

Mark

[pr3dict 33]

Hdhomerun Won't be able to direct stream as for bandwidth but I'll check if use vlc is checked

 

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

[ebr 16169]

Hdhomerun Won't be able to direct stream as for bandwidth but I'll check if use vlc is checked

 

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

 

So the tuner is remote from the client?

 

If you cannot direct stream then the VLC option will have no effect.  I suspect this is another ffmpeg transcoding issue.  Try the current beta of the app.  If that works, then that is what it is.

[pr3dict 33]

I reset the server and it started working. I have a more pressing issue which is that when I'm using emby my hypervisor crashes and my entire server goes down. NOT saying it is the cause of emby but there is a correlation that it happens when using it. Unfortunately for me I have not a clue how to start diagnosing the issue haha

 

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

[clarkss12 304]

Been awhile since I have used my MI box, but was watching live TV.  First it froze, started a new HD show and it played for about 10 minutes then crashed back to the guide screen.  It was direct streaming and playing very well, even with Dolby Digital.

 

Attached is the server and ffmpeg logs.

 

Edit: changed to SD channel, played about 5 minutes and froze.  From the server dashboard, it still shows the live stream playing with Direct Streaming.

 

I am using an HDHomeRun Dual tuner the Extend model HDTC-2US

 

Edit: 2  Just checked my Network Tuner Monitor, and it is showing that something is still being streamed through my Emby server.  It is streaming someplace, but my video is frozen.

Watching live TV and zapped to guide screen ffmpeg log.txt

Watching live TV and zapped to guide screen server log.txt

Edited January 2, 2017 by clarkss12