5 ms·

It's 2020, the current year, and we're still having ridiculous problems with GPU not being used for decoding video by default. You know, the #1 use case - watch

It's 2020, the current year, and we're still having ridiculous problems with GPU not being used for decoding video by default. You know, the #1 use case - watching something on youtube or twitch or instagram.

sgt 6y ago
I partly agree with you, but I doubt the #1 use case for someone buying a Raspberry Pi is to sit and watch YouTube or Twitch. People buy Raspberries to experiment with, to have a Linux "server" at home, or to connect it to something, whether it's a web cam or a sensor using the GPIO pins.
- NegativeLatency 6y ago
  I have a bunch of 3s, but I bought a 4 specifically for it's better specs so I'd have a better computer in my garage for looking up schematics/ordering parts/watching youtube how-to videos.
- julianlam 6y ago
  Chiming in as another person using an RPi 4 as a HTPC[1]. It runs YouTube/Netflix swimmingly and connects to a mythbackend server to watch TV and recorded shows. Essentially it's a home theater thin client. [1] https://www.hackernoon.com/can-a-pi-4-replace-your-home-theatre-pc-541o3tx7 https://www.hackernoon.com/can-a-pi-4-replace-your-home-thea...
  - Rebelgecko 6y ago
    Will netflix actually let a pi stream at higher resolutions than 480p?
- NortySpock 6y ago
  Linux "server" I am slightly miffed at that. I'm running some docker containers and a Sambashare NAS on a Raspberry Pi, are you claiming what I have is not a server?
  - ethanwillis 6y ago
    Does it have ecc and at least n+1 psu redundancy? I think the reason for the air quotes around server is related to hardware and not the software run on it.
    - m463 6y ago
      I think a better definition of server is something that is always on to provide a service. If you have ecc or n+1 psu support at home, I ask - do you have cardkey access to your front door? Do you have a fallout shelter and a food stockpile for one year in the basement?
      - glogla 6y ago
        With how little power RPi needs in comparison to "true server", it could probably run for days or weeks of off a UPS. So it is the more redundant choice!
  - sgt 6y ago
    I see your point, but ask yourself this: would you run anything mission critical on a Raspberry Pi? I have had SD card corruption, WiFi chip affecting the GPIO pins, overheating, so yeah, I would personally not.
    - NortySpock 6y ago
      True, nothing on my Raspberry Pi is mission critical and I do consider the SD card corruption to be a risk and a weak point of the Raspberry Pi.
- m463 6y ago
  I believe a pi with kodi is a common use case.
- spacemanmatt 6y ago
  As I cannot trust any multiuser desktop system with sound (it will glitch if I use the computer for much else, I don't care what OS/hardware) I'm mulling a short stack of R.Pi for reliable stream captures. I'm not that voracious but my absolute favorite streams that I really want to time-shift come on at the same time.
intricatedetail 6y ago
This is done to trick people into buying more expensive hardware. I also wonder what motives Google has with disabling GPU acceleration on Linux.
deanclatworthy 6y ago
Yep. I can watch YouTube no problem on my top of the line 2019 MacBook Pro, presumably it’s hardware accelerated but when I load a Twitch stream it sounds like a jet engine.

sgt 6y ago

I partly agree with you, but I doubt the #1 use case for someone buying a Raspberry Pi is to sit and watch YouTube or Twitch. People buy Raspberries to experiment with, to have a Linux "server" at home, or to connect it to something, whether it's a web cam or a sensor using the GPIO pins.

NegativeLatency 6y ago
I have a bunch of 3s, but I bought a 4 specifically for it's better specs so I'd have a better computer in my garage for looking up schematics/ordering parts/watching youtube how-to videos.
julianlam 6y ago
Chiming in as another person using an RPi 4 as a HTPC[1]. It runs YouTube/Netflix swimmingly and connects to a mythbackend server to watch TV and recorded shows. Essentially it's a home theater thin client. [1] https://www.hackernoon.com/can-a-pi-4-replace-your-home-theatre-pc-541o3tx7 https://www.hackernoon.com/can-a-pi-4-replace-your-home-thea...
- Rebelgecko 6y ago
  Will netflix actually let a pi stream at higher resolutions than 480p?
NortySpock 6y ago
Linux "server" I am slightly miffed at that. I'm running some docker containers and a Sambashare NAS on a Raspberry Pi, are you claiming what I have is not a server?
- ethanwillis 6y ago
  Does it have ecc and at least n+1 psu redundancy? I think the reason for the air quotes around server is related to hardware and not the software run on it.
  - m463 6y ago
    I think a better definition of server is something that is always on to provide a service. If you have ecc or n+1 psu support at home, I ask - do you have cardkey access to your front door? Do you have a fallout shelter and a food stockpile for one year in the basement?
    - glogla 6y ago
      With how little power RPi needs in comparison to "true server", it could probably run for days or weeks of off a UPS. So it is the more redundant choice!
- sgt 6y ago
  I see your point, but ask yourself this: would you run anything mission critical on a Raspberry Pi? I have had SD card corruption, WiFi chip affecting the GPIO pins, overheating, so yeah, I would personally not.
  - NortySpock 6y ago
    True, nothing on my Raspberry Pi is mission critical and I do consider the SD card corruption to be a risk and a weak point of the Raspberry Pi.
m463 6y ago
I believe a pi with kodi is a common use case.
spacemanmatt 6y ago
As I cannot trust any multiuser desktop system with sound (it will glitch if I use the computer for much else, I don't care what OS/hardware) I'm mulling a short stack of R.Pi for reliable stream captures. I'm not that voracious but my absolute favorite streams that I really want to time-shift come on at the same time.

intricatedetail 6y ago

This is done to trick people into buying more expensive hardware. I also wonder what motives Google has with disabling GPU acceleration on Linux.

deanclatworthy 6y ago

Yep. I can watch YouTube no problem on my top of the line 2019 MacBook Pro, presumably it’s hardware accelerated but when I load a Twitch stream it sounds like a jet engine.