Audio and video not synched?

Sometimes the video and audio might not be synched and this can be easily rectified.
When playing a video you can bring up the on-screen-display (OSD) and adjust the Audio Offset.  This will adjust how long the audio is delayed or advanced in relation to the video.
But how do you get to this Audio Offset whilst playing a video? First you need to bring up the OSD like below:

If you are using Yatse then access the OSD by press AND hold the icon below (if you just press then you get info to do with codecs):

If you are using a wireless keyboard then depress and release the m key.
Once the OSD is displayed then navigate to the sound icon like below:

Select the sound icon and you will see a display like below:

Select the Audio Offset and the display will look like below:

Now you can adjust the offset. It takes a little time to get it right but does make things perfect. Use the back key to get rid of the display.

Send any YouTube video to your TV

Send any YouTube video to your TV, instantly using OpenView (if using Yatse or iPhone app as a remote control).

Here’s the scenario. You’re sitting on your couch, browsing the web with your android tablet/phone or iPhone/iPad. You stumble upon a hilarious video and – being a social creature – you want to share it with the people around you. The usual solution is to tell everyone in the room to crowd around your tablet or smartphone. It’s a great way to get close to people, but it can become a little tiresome, which is why we propose a smarter solution using your OpenView.

As you watch your YouTube video on your tablet or smartphone, simply select Share.  On an android device this is typically selected toward the right of the URL (far right); a drop down menu appears with things like "New tab".  Just select Share and then select Send to Xbmc, wait and then your YouTube video will appear on your TV.

Family Films for the summer vacation

Have a look at Icefilms to see the most popular and latest family films.

Select movies

Select Genres

Select Family

Select Popular or Latest Releases

These are the most popular movies today

and these are the latest releases

Removing/Replacing an SD card from OpenView

To remove an SD card from OpenView:

1) Correctly power down.

2) Unplug the power lead from OpenView.

3) Remove the SD card.

To fit an SD card to OpenView:

1) Ensure OpenView is unplugged from your power source.

2) Insert SD Card

3) Power up.


Chances are high that pulling the plug out of OpenView without shutting it down correctly will corrupt your OpenView SD card.

The chances are also high that pulling out the SD card without totally disconnecting OpenView from the mains power will corrupt your OpenView SD card.

How much bandwidth is needed for streaming video?

Yesterdays post has identified an issue regarding the amount of bandwidth OpenView needs to receive 1080p streams.

Here is a list of the Internet speeds recommended by several popular streaming services

Netflix

• 1 Mbps for viewing on a laptop computer
• 2 Mbps for SD video on a TV
• 4 Mbps for 720p HD video
• 5 Mbps for "the best video and audio experience" (according to Netflix)

Hulu Plus
 
Note: If a TV show or movie repeatedly needs to buffer, Hulu Plus will stop streaming the video and recommend that you downgrade the video quality.

• 1 Mbps for SD video
• 2 Mbps for 720p video
• Over 3.2 Mbps for best quality HD video and audio

Vudu
 
Note: All Vudu movies are streamed with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio.

• 1.0 - 2.3 Mbps for SD video
• 2.3 - 4.5 Mbps for 720p video
• 4.5 - 9.0 Mbps for HDX 1080p video
• Over 9 Mbps for 3D HD movies

If your connection isn't fast enough, streaming video can sometimes stall as it fills the buffer in the receiving device.

What many refer to as "Internet speed" is actually the bandwidth available to accept data from the Internet into your home. Measured in megabits per second (Mbps), it's the amount of data that can be transferred from "the cloud" to your connected devices in one second.

All of the Internet-connected computers and devices in your home network share the total bandwidth you're paying for. Some of the bandwidth might be used by others in your home who want to stream to their TV or play online games.

Normally, a huge video file with 3D and 1080p resolution and Dolby Digital Plus audio requires less than 10 Mbps. Still, if you want to stream 3D or 1080p videos, we recommend opting for an Internet speed of at least 20 Mbps. This takes into account that others might use the Internet at the same time.

At 20 Mbps or more, video streaming of most content will usually run as smoothly as live TV. Yet, several factors could still cause the video to stall and buffer. Popular streaming services could have too many people trying to access the same video at the same time. Perhaps you're streaming in the evening when demand for bandwidth is high in your neighborhood, or others in your house might also be streaming HD content.

Powering Down

Please follow this procedure to power down OpenView.  The system executes on a Linux operating system, simply turning off the power without following this procedure will lead to damaged software files and render your system unusable.

• From the Home screen click the power icon located bottom left.

• A context menu will be displayed, please click "Power off System".

After about 10 seconds the system will fully power down.  If you are using the Wi-Pi dongle then the blue LED will remain illuminated.  You can now turn the unit off at the mains rather than unplugging the micro USB power lead; this will prolong the life of the micro USB as they do tend to get damaged over time.

To turn the system on again simply turn on the mains and ensure your TV is tuned to the correct HDMI input.