HDMI + CEC + Splitter wont work

Help and Support
1

Hi!

I have the issue with getting OSMC working on my TV Samsung A656/A686

Background

Setup1(default):

Fresh OSMC@Rpi2 → HDMI.Cable2 → HDMI Splitter → HDMI.Cable3 → TV1

Setup2(diagnostic):

Fresh OSMC@Rpi2 → HDMI.Cable1 → TV1

Logs:

http://paste.osmc.io/azafuriteg

Observations:

1/ I can run Ssetup2, but with CEC turned off on the TV prior to booting it up.
2/ I can’t run Setup2, with CEC turned on the TV prior to booting it up (black screen, but TV detects signal on HDMI).
3/ I can’t run Setup1, anyhow. (black screen, but TV detects signal on HDMI)
4/ All will work with OSMC@Rpi1 in place of Rpi2. All but CEC :confused:
5/ All did work at Setup1 for year or two with Raspbmc + Kodi, including CEC, sometime ago.

Remarks:

Question:

What can I do now to have Setup 1 working (so I have video on TV and CEC for using it)?

2

Is the log from setup1? A log from the other setup would also be useful.
From the log, it looks like CEC is not supported. Probably by the splitter, but it could be either one of the cables.

If there are problems with CEC you could try adding “hdmi_avoid_cec=1” to config.txt (obviously CEC won’t work but it may avoid other issues).

3

Thanks for your suggestions. Sorry for getting back so late, just spent an hour or so shuffling cables, restarting things and messing with CEC/HDMI options.

At one point, by switching the cables without restart, I managed to have the Setup1 running with Rpi2, and managed to get a 5.1 sound (thanks to that splitter). CEC was dead, still. Unluckly, after reboot (via options), it never got up!

Please note that:

1/ The CEC worked perfectly previously (when using the same cables, splitter, TV, Rpi, but on other distro)
2/The log is from both setups - I just kept switching cables and trying different combinations.

Suggestions are welcomed!

EDIT: Just did an OpenElec clean install to see if it works. NOTHING changed:/
EDIT2: Just did a factory reset of the TV. Still nothing (at least I know my TV had run for 4469 hours :slight_smile: )
EDIT3::

On OpenElec, this change to main config file helped to get it working (should work on OSMC)

Force HDMI even if unplugged or powered off

hdmi_force_hotplug=1

(still without CEC, so it aint over :/)

4

Is TV powered on before Pi?
hdmi_force_hotplug=1 shouldn’t have an effect in that case unless there is a hardware problem (bad HDMI cable or misbehaving display).

Remove that line, boot up (with display directly connected), ssh in and report ouput of:

tvservice -s
tvservice -d edid.dat
tvservice -m CEA
tvservice -m DMT

Now try again with splitter connected (after a reboot).

5

I removed hdmi_force_hotplug=1 and it works now… hmmm…

Anyhow here is the output WITH the splitter:

`That was WITH the splitter (setup1), the Pi was turned on BEFORE tv

osmc@salon:~$ tvservice -s
state 0x12000a [HDMI DMT (4) RGB full 4:3], 640x480 @ 60.00Hz, progressive
osmc@salon:~$ tvservice -d edid.dat
Written 256 bytes to edid.dat
osmc@salon:~$ tvservice -m CEA
Group CEA has 14 modes:
           mode 1: 640x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:25MHz progressive
           mode 2: 720x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:27MHz progressive
           mode 3: 720x480 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:27MHz progressive
           mode 4: 1280x720 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
           mode 5: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz interlaced
  (prefer) mode 16: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:148MHz progressive
           mode 17: 720x576 @ 50Hz 4:3, clock:27MHz progressive
           mode 18: 720x576 @ 50Hz 16:9, clock:27MHz progressive
           mode 19: 1280x720 @ 50Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
           mode 20: 1920x1080 @ 50Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz interlaced
           mode 31: 1920x1080 @ 50Hz 16:9, clock:148MHz progressive
           mode 32: 1920x1080 @ 24Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
           mode 33: 1920x1080 @ 25Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
           mode 34: 1920x1080 @ 30Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
osmc@salon:~$ tvservice -m DMT
Group DMT has 1 modes:
           mode 4: 640x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:25MHz progressive`

And WITHOUT the splitter:

osmc@salon:~$ tvservice -s
state 0x12000a [HDMI CEA (16) RGB lim 16:9], 1920x1080 @ 60.00Hz, progressive
osmc@salon:~$ tvservice -d edid.dat
Written 256 bytes to edid.dat
osmc@salon:~$ tvservice -m CEA
Group CEA has 14 modes:
           mode 1: 640x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:25MHz progressive
           mode 2: 720x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:27MHz progressive
           mode 3: 720x480 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:27MHz progressive
           mode 4: 1280x720 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
           mode 5: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz interlaced
  (prefer) mode 16: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:148MHz progressive
           mode 17: 720x576 @ 50Hz 4:3, clock:27MHz progressive
           mode 18: 720x576 @ 50Hz 16:9, clock:27MHz progressive
           mode 19: 1280x720 @ 50Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
           mode 20: 1920x1080 @ 50Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz interlaced
           mode 31: 1920x1080 @ 50Hz 16:9, clock:148MHz progressive
           mode 32: 1920x1080 @ 24Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
           mode 33: 1920x1080 @ 25Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
           mode 34: 1920x1080 @ 30Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
osmc@salon:~$ tvservice -m DMT
Group DMT has 1 modes:
           mode 4: 640x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:25MHz progressive
osmc@salon:~$ echo "This was WITHOUT the splitter, the Pi was turned simultaneously on with the TV"

I have noticed, that with the splitter the resolution was not correct (it is set to “Desktop” in Kodi settings) maybe due to the fact, that Pi was launched before TV. On the setup with without spliiter, it was turned on simultaneously.

And the config.txt:

gpu_mem_1024=256
hdmi_ignore_cec_init=1
[hash] hdmi_avoid_cec=1
disable_overscan=1
start_x=1
disable_splash=1
dtoverlay=lirc-rpi:gpio_out_pin=17,gpio_in_pin=18

6

any news on this?

7

Thanks for asking.

Well… I tried a lot and nothing worked. Bad news, I guess.
I can’t get it up and running, when I do a clean install, I get a sad face loop.

All I did, is that on one of my tvs I use a RPi Zero with OSMC and it works. I just don’t have time for further debugging, probably will move in few months and sell the tv set anyhow and buy a new one. However, I’d rather have a x86 based htpc than RPi after all the troubles I had lately.

I wonder if that’s not an issue with the board itself, i.e. if the RPi 2 isn’t broken, but not sure how to test it.

I guess that perhaps one winter day I’ll give it a closer look.

Cheers mate!