1

I have this video playback issue with my Raspberry Pi 4b, 8GB of RAM. My operating system is UBUNTU Desktop, 64 bit version.

spinn2046@UbuntuDesktop:~$ uname -a
Linux UbuntuDesktop 5.11.0-1027-raspi #30-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT Thu Jan 13 12:52:48 UTC 2022 aarch64 aarch64 aarch64 GNU/Linux

My processor type, hardware platform and operating system are all aarch64 architecture.

I'm just a Linux beginner, so this is all I know:

spinn2046@UbuntuDesktop:~$ uname -sr
Linux 5.11.0-1027-raspi
spinn2046@UbuntuDesktop:~$ uname -v
#30-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT Thu Jan 13 12:52:48 UTC 2022

spinn2046@UbuntuDesktop:~$ uname -a
Linux UbuntuDesktop 5.11.0-1027-raspi #30-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT Thu Jan 13 12:52:48 UTC 2022 aarch64 aarch64 aarch64 GNU/Linux


spinn2046@UbuntuDesktop:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 21.04
Release:    21.04
Codename:   hirsute

The YouTube videos are choppy no matter the quality.

1080p the same as 480p or even 240p, they are very choppy, to the point I cannot normally watch them. They look like 4 fps.

Movies played using VLC (1920x1080) are the same - look like 4 fps.

I've found "stats for nerds" on YouTube and there is 1768 dropped out of 3566 frames, while playing 240p video. All 4 CPU cores usage is above 80% during YouTube playback of 240p video.

Sound is smooth and normal quality.

Even mouse pointer is annoyingly slow - to the point I need to wait 4 it. I want to use my Raspberry Pi 4b to watch theatrical movies on my TV or big 21:9 computer display and at the moment it's impossible.

EDIT: Something's really improved after I've upgraded to Ubuntu 21.10 and had Firefox updated to the newest version available on snapd.

spinn2046@UbuntuDesktop:~$ uname -a
Linux UbuntuDesktop 5.13.0-1016-raspi #18-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT Thu Jan 20 08:53:01 UTC 2022 aarch64 aarch64 aarch64 GNU/Linux

spinn2046@UbuntuDesktop:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 21.10
Release:    21.10
Codename:   impish

I've found "stats for nerds" on YouTube and there is 290 dropped out of 5150 frames, while playing 360p video.

michal roesler
  • 219
  • 1
  • 11
  • 2
    Raspberry Pi is a not a very powerful computer, and 64 bit graphics drivers are still not in a good shape. Try playing those videos in Raspberry Pi OS (armhf - 32 bit version), it has all the optimized drivers for RPi. – Archisman Panigrahi Feb 14 '22 at 17:29
  • Amazing that you are comparing a $35 RPi to a Windows computer! Using the Pi OS, you can get good quality, but in the end, it is still an inexpensive single board computer and should never be considered on the same level as a full laptop/desktop computer. – Eagle_Mike Feb 14 '22 at 17:58
  • On one hand I am grateful 4 your comments guys, but on the other hand I need 2 repeat my question. How 2 make 1080p video playback smooth (both YouTube and VLC movies) on Raspberry Pi 4b, 8GB, using Ubuntu ARM OS and Firefox browser, because the obvious thing is Raspberry Pi 4b can do this. Why would anyone suggest that 4, 1,5Ghz cores and 8GB of RAM cannot render 1080p video? – michal roesler Feb 14 '22 at 19:22
  • What the hell is Linux "compositor"?? And why different "Raspberry Pi 4b choppy / tearing video playback threads" in other places suggest, that turning compositor off, can improve video playback performance?? – michal roesler Feb 14 '22 at 19:44
  • Please don't ask too many questions in a single post. If you want to ask a question about something like "how to enable hardware acceleration in arm64 in Raspberry Pi", then ask that specific question. Consider editing your question to remove the rant. Also see https://askubuntu.com/conduct – Archisman Panigrahi Feb 14 '22 at 19:44
  • https://unix.stackexchange.com/q/359257/55205 – Archisman Panigrahi Feb 14 '22 at 19:48
  • I want to be more precise. I just don't know how can I check those things 4 you guys. I thought these lines I've provided where enough. Tell me here how can I check these details and I'll gladly provide them. I've installed the OS some time ago and I simply don't remember whether it was Ubuntu Server or Ubuntu Desktop. – michal roesler Feb 14 '22 at 21:17
  • Am I using unsupported kernel? I don't even know what it means. I thought Ubuntu is an entry level Linux distro. Never intended on running unsupported kernel, whatever that means. This Raspberry Pi machine is my first non-Windows computer and I've never intended on doing anything out of ordinary. I guess I have Ubuntu Desktop 64 bits, but I don't know how to check it. – michal roesler Feb 14 '22 at 21:31
  • 1
    Ubuntu products include Ubuntu Core, Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu Server... but release details matter too. eg. Ubuntu 21.04 Desktop used the 5.11 kernel, however that release from 2021-April (releases are year.month in format, so 21.04 tells you it was the 2021-April release; add 2000 to year) is EOL as installed systems should have upgraded to the next release (Ubuntu 21.10) and be using the 5.13 kernel. Some specialist releases use a year format, eg. Ubuntu Core 20 is the 2020 release of that product (only a single release for those products per annum). The release matters; eg. 20.04 LTS – guiverc Feb 14 '22 at 21:34
  • I really thought the IT word is a decade or even 15 years in 64 bits. I didn't realize that 32 bits OSes even exist in 2021/22. – michal roesler Feb 14 '22 at 21:39
  • 1
    Microsoft were still selling windows 10 in 32-bit until mid-2020; that's hardly a decade ago (inc. with new hardware via OEMs) – guiverc Feb 14 '22 at 22:58
  • 1
    Ubuntu 21.04 (along with all flavors) is End-of-Life and thus unsupported on this site (https://askubuntu.com/help/on-topic), and many other Ubuntu sites, unless your question is specific to moving to a supported release of Ubuntu. https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2022/01/21/ubuntu-21-04-hirsute-hippo-end-of-life-reached-on-january-20-2022/ https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EOLUpgrades – guiverc Feb 14 '22 at 23:02
  • I've edited the question, deleted unnecessary rant and poisonous comments, deleted side questions as well. When can I expect the question being reopened? Or do the only reasonable answer been already given in the first to comments, being install 32-bit OS ?? – michal roesler Feb 15 '22 at 11:09
  • 1
    I suggest you read my last comment; your question doesn't meet the on-topic requirements for this site (my comment included the on-topic link if you're not familiar with it). Only supported releases of Ubuntu are on-topic here, not EOL, ESM or development releases (which excludes me asking questions too as I'm on a development release). If it gets re-opened, it'll likely get closed for off-topic reasons instead – guiverc Feb 15 '22 at 11:49
  • 1
    I feel for you man. I understand how it is to come to a linux forum and not know what they're talking about...

    I'd try looking H264ify the extension for chromium. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/h264ify/aleakchihdccplidncghkekgioiakgal?hl=en

    I find that it can help though it might be a different problem. However I agree you probably should use the Raspberry Pi OS since it is better suited for the pi.

    If not, try installing mpv with: sudo apt install mpv If that works better for playing local videos, great. But remember, the number of bits doesn't matter if the OS is slow!

     – Ubuntu User Feb 17 '22 at 13:25
  • 1
    Also take a look at https://askubuntu.com/questions/214421/how-to-install-the-mpeg-4-aac-decoder-and-the-h-264-decoder – Ubuntu User Feb 17 '22 at 13:30

0 Answers0