ROCK64 RK3328 state of 4K (and FHD) video playback in FBdev

[kroko]

Hi,

First post.

We are evaluating batch of ROCK64 boards for a project where 4K video playback is a must. FHD naturally too.
The SBCs only duty will be to loop one video (apart from taking some network signals and reacting to GPIO in a separate daemon).

What is the current state of smooth video playback on ROCK64 (RK3328) boards on FBdev (thus: boot -> directly to terminal -> video starts). X11 is unnecessary overhead and layer to manage (but needed in ROCK64 case?)

Presumably H.265 for 4K, but as compressed size is not an issue H.264 will do. Audio out through HDMI. eMMC not SD card.

I've found https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=7056, https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=424, but these discussions are for ROCKPRO64 or A64.
Titles such as Was 4K a Lie? and answers there by moderators (be patient; hardware supports, but...) are worrisome (different board but still), given that this board is advertised with 4K60P written in bold.

Thanks!

[mcerveny]

Hello.

4k is working. There is my benchmark and proof of concept utility. You should test "Alpha" LibreELEC (on 4.4 kernel) or use Android.

Problems:

• 4.4 kernel + MPP library - HDR 4k@60 with high bitrate does not work due to memory bandwidth problems (must be faster memory) (but standard 4k@60 should work) and MPP API problems (unresolvable problematic code that slowing/boosting decoder clocks). Developers (rockchip,kodi,libelec) stops developing on old kernel and waiting for new kernel (roll to Rockchip section)...
  
• 5.* kernel + video accel - Everybody waits for implementation VPU/GPU acceleration in new kernel :-)
  

[moh.yazdani]

Hi. I tested with librelec 9.0 but it is awful. Then I used previous version 8.9 alpha that is grate. I can see movies at 4K60P with no lags. My TV remote control working with it and there is no need to buy extra remote control or air mouse. But there is only one thing kodi version is 18.1 Leia and this version have some bugs. If I there was kodi 17.6 krypton that would be nice.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[kroko]

@mcerveny thank you very much for the info! checked the links and no reason not to believe them
given the commercial application of this project, i.e., it is not "tinkering", my liking shifts towards some other brand, where the vendor itself both advertises the SBCs to be 4K capable AND takes care of the kernel for it to be "true in practice", thus is not relying on community member such as yourself, but supplies 4K OOB. quotes from vendor such as "a hardware accelerated video decoder (VPU) driver is ready. We have c2player and kplayer examples which can play 4K/UHD H.265 60fps videos smoothly on the framebuffer of (..) HDMI output" are encouraging. not saying that your experience is not encouraging, but - community effort labeled as "PoC utility (not ready to use player)" versus vendor support of turnkey solution (kernel and FBDev players ready) - the latter kind of wins, right?

@moh.yazdani thanks for your report too (librelec 8.9).