Fruitbox on Raspberry Pi B+

[trusseth]

This is a 2014 model. I would like to single purpose this model and dedicate it to a jukebox. Everything seems to work on it but the Fruitbox application itself. I used a new preloaded SD card, verified sound comes through HDMI, everything, loads mp3 data base, I can play music, videos, everything seems to work. Except when Fruitbox loads, it is very slow moving. Using any skin, the screen changes very slowly and the sound crackles and pops without sounding like music. Which seems odd because I can get everything else to work except when it loads Fruitbox.

Is the answer that this is too old of a Raspberry Pi to work with Fruitbox? I was surprised because the Pi seems to handle playing just about everything I throw at it. I have tried overclocking, different memory allocations, etc. No luck yet.

Do I just need to buy a newer Pi? and give up on the 2014 Model B+?

Thanks, Tony

[kwadroke]

I built a Fruitbox using the Original 512MB Model B (non Plus version) a couple of weeks ago using the image file from Dropbox. I'm using the WallSmall theme. At first the page flip and page flip sound was slow for me. I did an overclock to 950MHZ (one setting below the 1GB, for arbitrary reasons) using raspi-config and the page flip is smoother now (although just a little slow, but usable) and sound works fine for me. I am using the Headphone jack for audio with no crackling.

I'm a new user of rpi-fruitbox and not an expert with the software.

Perhaps it's a Power Supply or cable issue, not giving the Pi enough power?

[trusseth]

Thanks for the tips. I did order a new Power Supply last week and that didn't fix it. I overclocked it to 950 and still have the same issue. It is so odd that I can play the audio to the Jack or to HDMI from the terminal, but the Fruitbox app just does not work. I can hear the music playing but it is jerky and popping and the screen is delayed. But other applications seem to work fine. There must be something else wrong in my settings somewhere.

[kwadroke]

What kind of bit rates do you have for your MP3's?

Mine are mostly 128 KBPS at 44 KHZ.

I also have my MP3's on a USB Flash drive and not on my SD Card

[trusseth]

Playing one right now at 128k bit rate and 44.1KHZ sample rate using the play command in terminal and on a USB Flash drive. I have tried mapping music to the SD Card too. I can get the data base to load just like the USB Flash drive but still cracking and popping sound with fruitbox. I can play it perfectly with the play command in terminal. I can send it to the AV jack to headphones or switch to HDMI output. Plays with no problem. But when running Fuitbox, it all files show up and load to the database, but I cannot select any songs. After the autoplay timeout is expired, Fruitbox plays a random song and it clicks and pops and you almost can't tell it's an actual song. I've tried with or without LAN or with or without WAN. I've removed the bluetooth dongle. It actually didn't work before I had the bluetooth either. It's almost like the mp3 player part of the fruitbox app doesn't work for me but the "play" command in the Pi terminal will play any of the songs. I wonder what mp3 decoder is being used in the fruitbox which would be different from the play command decoder.

[trusseth]

I do get this message: play WARN alsa: can't encode 0-bit Unknown or not applicable then the music plays like normal from the terminal

[trusseth]

play [mp3] results in playing the mp3 aplay [mp3] results in pure static It appears that fruitbox is programed to use PulseAudio's aplay command. I can get static out of HDMI or headphones when attempting "aplay" and the actual song when using "play" any thoughts about how to recompile fruitbox using play rather than aplay? Or what might be wrong with the aplay command?

[chundermike]

Hi

fruitbox uses the libmpg123 C library to play mp3 files. What is your memory split? You must assign at least 256 to the GPU, which is set in the raspi-config (advanced) options.

Mike

[trusseth]

Hi Mike,

It is set to 256 as the default. I really like the concept and when I can get it going, I'll probably set up a new skin too. (The ones that are there are awesome too). I'll keep trying. I can play the mp3s from the terminal to HDMI or the AV jack. The Fuitbox looks awesome, it just will not actually play (other than crackling and popping with glitchy screen changes). I keep thinking that my Model B+ is just too old.

Tony

[kwadroke]

If I get some time this week, I'll try to dig out my B+ and give it a test.