Z8 freezes (hard) when using hardware codecs with onboard wifi

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    Hello,

    I am using Tivimate. If I use the hardware decoding as opposed to software decoding (which is too slow to be usable), the box will freeze after several minutes (maximum) while watching tv. This seems to only occur if the box is using WiFi at the time. If I disable wifi and connect via the wired interface, it does not seem to freeze. The box will usually reboot after a couple minutes, presumably when a watchdog timer times out. Until that happens, it is completely unresponsive as far as I can tell, and the display is "frozen".

    I wish to use the box in a room where I cannot run an ethernet cable. Anyone should be able to reproduce this with the latest version of tivimate. I have had hardware codec/freezing issues with other apps as well, but this is the one I really care about.

    Also, Is there a url to open a trouble ticket? I can't seem to find it.

    Thank you for your help.

    I always try to avoid using WiFi if I can. I know you can’t use Ethernet, but you could try using a Devolo (Homeplug, PowerLine) solution to use the electric wiring in your dwelling instead. That way, you can still connect the Formuler to your network using Ethernet. Just connect one cable between the PowerLine adapter and the Formuler, then another between the secondary PowerLine adapter and your router. After that, it’s off to the races. For all your devices know, you have a wired connection to your network, eliminating all issues caused by using a WiFi connection.

    Devolo, by the way, is the company that invented the PowerLine standard, sometimes also referred to as Homeplug. You can, however, use any brand you like.

    It isn't tivimate's issue. The same thing happens with stbemu if I choose a player which does hardware video output a certain way. Stbemu will do it with ljkplauer and exoplayer, but not with vlc, mpv, or its internal player. I would happily have gotten more information if the device allowed me to use usb debugging, but it doesn't, so I can't ...

    It did not happen with tivimate that I noticed when I was using the wired ethernet, so it may have something to do with the wifi, but it is a pain to connect it via a cable. I will if doing so is indicated for troubleshooting purposes, though.

    At any rate, the box simply should not be locking up and rebooting. No application run by a user should be able to induce this behavior, full stop. Any misbehaving application should be terminated by android. The box is rebooting either because a watchdog timer is triggered or there is some kind of undefined behavior happening. Whether the problem is the OS or defective hardware, I don't know.

    Do you know if there is a way to open a formal trouble ticket with formuler? I can't seem to find a page to do that and I figure they must have something.

    Thank you for your help.

    What is the advantage of Tivimate or another IPTV app on a Formuler device when you have MOL(2)?

    Quote from Unknown

    What is the advantage of Tivimate or another IPTV app on a Formuler device when you have MOL(2)?

    TiViMate, as far as I understand it, is more than just an app. It offers a number of distinct features that you won’t find on any other app, including MOL2.

    As for the crashes, no, these shouldn’t occur. But having said that, it is a well-known fact that many (IPTV) streaming apps do not play nice with WiFi connections, simply because of them lacking support for certain security protocols. Which is why I avoid using them whenever I can.

    Quote from zaphod_99

    IMHO the biggest advantage is having all your different services (subs) available at all times without having to switch (disconnect/connect) between them.

    Yeah, that's a huge advantage IMHO. There are also a lot more options for customizing the UI, more flexibility with multiple EPGs, it will use whatever MAC address you tell it to (I can use multiple devices with the same account as long as I only use one at a time), and I'm sure things I'm forgetting. MOL2 is significant more stable, as one would expect. Tivimate stalker EPG is buggy--the stalker support only recently became viable in the beta. In terms of usability, I think it's a matter of taste.