YOUR QQ SPECIAL EDITION MEDIA PLAYER:
A guide to first setup after unboxing: 5 small steps, one giant leap.
Your new media player is an Intel NUC mini PC with a powerful 8th gen 64bit processor with onboard 4K graphics and support for 192kKz/24bit audio. This requires an HDMI cable to your AVR (or TV). For hires multichannel audio an AVR is highly recommended. To play full Atmos 5.1.2 and above you must have an AVR with an Atmos decoder.
The NUC comes with a pre-installed special edition Kodi 22.2 release (current Kodi version) running LibreElec (a minimalist 'Just enough OS' Linux distribution). Both Kodi and LibreElec are open source projects run by teams of dedicated unpaid developers. Both these projects have their own support forums and Wiki pages. In the short term, ask questions about use here our QQ forum.
Kodi Settings:
Although your NUC and Kodi are pre-configured, there's a few things needed to complete the setup for YOUR system in Kodi's SETTINGS:
Audio: 'HDMI Pass-through' will bitstream audio to your AVR. For Atmos, TrueHD, DTS-HDMA etc these streams will be decoded by your AVR
There are also other settings to define your AVRs capabilities: Can it decode TrueHD, AC-3, DTS-HDMA, DTS etc
Video: The UI screen resolution and frame rate that best matched your TV or screen
Depending on those capability settings, Kodi sends bitstream or decodes to 7.1 or 5.1 pcm. So regardless of your AVRs capability if it has HDMI you can play any audio codec.
Initial Setup:
Kodi is tightly integrated with LibreElec (Linux) so that on power up your NUC always starts at the Kodi main menu.
Your NUC will always start with the MUSIC menu NODE active (The active NODE is always the centre/highlighted node) when using this Kodi SKIN.
This skin is named 'Aeon Nox Silvo' (with specific customisations for QQ'ers, or more specifically, for surround/spatial music media content. You can see the MUSIC sub-menu NODES that allow you to see only 'Atmos' or 'Quad' media. You cant do that in 'vanilla' Kodi (without user customisation). The entire Kodi UI is customisable, no programming is required, its just 'configuring' the UI in text files (XML files - beyond the scope of QQ How Tos).
To navigate the main menu use the left and right keys on your remote (on the white ring).
NOTE: The UR02 remote is in a sleep state when its first used each session, it take 2 or 3 clicks to wake, once its awake its responsive to all key presses until its not used for awhile, then it sleeps to conserve battery use.
Navigate to the SYSTEM menu node and click: [OK]
NOTE: You will use the OK button often in Kodi, this always selects the current focussed item on the menu or UI window. (yea I know you know this, but I have to say it)
The Kodi SETTINGS window shows the various setting classifications.
Please navigate to the SYSTEM setting (highlighted above) and click: [OK]
The System settings window appears.
This window is a typical Kodi settings window with a left SIDEBAR menu displaying setting classifications, as you navigate down/up on the SIDEBAR menu, the right CONTEXT panel shows settings specific to the highlighted classification on left:
NUC SETTING 1: DISPLAY
With the Display sidebar category sselected, navigate right onto the context pain and:
Ensure Display - Resolution is set to the maximum res you TV/Monitor can handle (4K or 1920x1080p for HD)
Ensure Display - Refresh rate looks good. The default should be ok 60Hz is easy on the eye (This is the Kodi UI frame rate, if you play Video Kodi will send video at the same framerates and the source. You TV will sync to that framerate)
NOTE: Within Kodi Settings there is no 'Save' button. All settings are saved immediately they are changed by a user (some exclusions apply, e.g changing the screen res, or framerate will ask you to confirm after the switch just in case its set to something your TV cannot display.
NUC SETTING 2: AUDIO (basic):
Navigate to Sidebar menu Audio:
he Kodi System Audio Settings Context panel on right shows all the Audio settings (The list is quite long as we will see shortly)
Ensure Audio - Audio Output Device is set to ALSA: HDMI (and your AVR info) Click: OK on that current value and a context list pop-up, select YOUR AVR.
Ensure Audio - Number of Channels is set to your audio system bed speaker arrangement (typically 5.1 or 7.1) - this has no effect when bit streaming, only when Kodi decodes audio (if you AVR cannot decoder a codec)
NUC SETTING 3: AUDIO (Audio Passthrough):
Now scroll down the right Audio settings context panel until you get to Audio Passthrough:
Ensure Audio - Allow Passthrough is enabled
Ensure Audio - Passthrough output device is set to your AVR (use an ALSA option)
The next Passthrough options on right should be enabled for each of the audio codecs listed in the passthrough section
For any recent AVR they will all be enabled. All recent AVRs can decode all the listed codecs (Atmos is encoded using TrueHD)
That completes your Audio/Video settings
Click: {back] button (left arrow about half way down the remote next to the white 'Home' button
This takes you back to the previous window (your SETTINGS window)
NOTE: You will use the Back button a lot in Kodi, it always takes you back to your previous UI window.
Now to set the final Kodi settings
From the SETTINGS window:
Navigate to the INTERFACE settings category (as shown above) and click: [OK]
NUC SETTING 4: Regional Settings
The in the INTERFACE settings window,
navigate to the Regional Settings side bar category:
I the right context panel, navigate to Region default format
Then click on each option and set to your location
NOTE: For assembled QQ NUCs, these are set to US, New York
Now exit this window (Back button), returning to the main SETTINGS window
NUC SETTING 5: Network Settings
The network settings allow you to:
Your NUC supports both WiFi and Ethernet (network cable). I've always used Ethernet as it a stable high speed connection offering a max 1000Mb/s connection. But you can use either.
If you have a wired network, please plug-in your cable now, if you have Wifi get you access keys/passwords need to make a connection.
Kodi has an inbuilt firewall enabled, blocking access from external devices outside your home network. So its sake and secure from outsiders looking in.
From the SETTINGS main winds, navigate to LibreElec (as shown below):
Click [OK] on LibreElec (above), the LibreElec setting window appears:
On the left Sidebar menu navigate to Network:
By default, NUCs were configured to allow both wifi and Wired.
Ideally, just enable the one you will use (you don't need wifi transmitting/Listening if you don't use it)
Ensure your NUC is connected to your network:
Navigate the sidebar to Connections, check the IP Addreess in the Connection panel:
NOW WRITE DOWN THE IP ADDRESS: (Address in above screen shot)
You will need that later to connect to your NUC from a PC or Mac
So that's it:
INITIAL NUC SETUP IS COMPLETE.
Many users will never need to make any of those changes again
NEXT UP in this Series: KODI MUSIC MEDIA MANAGEMENT: Adding/updating and removing your media
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-removing-your-media-files.37266/#post-840193
EDIT 1: Added 2nd Audio setting image showing Pass-through options for common Dolby and DTS codecs
EDIT 2: Added link to next How To post
A guide to first setup after unboxing: 5 small steps, one giant leap.
Your new media player is an Intel NUC mini PC with a powerful 8th gen 64bit processor with onboard 4K graphics and support for 192kKz/24bit audio. This requires an HDMI cable to your AVR (or TV). For hires multichannel audio an AVR is highly recommended. To play full Atmos 5.1.2 and above you must have an AVR with an Atmos decoder.
The NUC comes with a pre-installed special edition Kodi 22.2 release (current Kodi version) running LibreElec (a minimalist 'Just enough OS' Linux distribution). Both Kodi and LibreElec are open source projects run by teams of dedicated unpaid developers. Both these projects have their own support forums and Wiki pages. In the short term, ask questions about use here our QQ forum.
Kodi Settings:
Although your NUC and Kodi are pre-configured, there's a few things needed to complete the setup for YOUR system in Kodi's SETTINGS:
- Your system's audio and video capabilities (each user has different AVRs and TVS etc)
- Your time zone (so Kodi displays time correctly etc)
- Your network settings (so you can 'see' Kodi from a PC or Mac and Kodi can fetch music metadata and music artwork from the web)
Audio: 'HDMI Pass-through' will bitstream audio to your AVR. For Atmos, TrueHD, DTS-HDMA etc these streams will be decoded by your AVR
There are also other settings to define your AVRs capabilities: Can it decode TrueHD, AC-3, DTS-HDMA, DTS etc
Video: The UI screen resolution and frame rate that best matched your TV or screen
Depending on those capability settings, Kodi sends bitstream or decodes to 7.1 or 5.1 pcm. So regardless of your AVRs capability if it has HDMI you can play any audio codec.
Initial Setup:
- Please ensure you connect your new NUC to your audio system with a high quality 4K certified HDMI cable (Amazon Basics are great/cheap).
- Your bluetooth remote has already been Paired with your NUC (which has a Bluetooth receiver inbuilt). Ensure it has 2 x AAA batteries.
- Insert your own 19V 90W DC power supply
- Have an Ethernet cable or your WiFi connectivity info handy
Kodi is tightly integrated with LibreElec (Linux) so that on power up your NUC always starts at the Kodi main menu.
Your NUC will always start with the MUSIC menu NODE active (The active NODE is always the centre/highlighted node) when using this Kodi SKIN.
This skin is named 'Aeon Nox Silvo' (with specific customisations for QQ'ers, or more specifically, for surround/spatial music media content. You can see the MUSIC sub-menu NODES that allow you to see only 'Atmos' or 'Quad' media. You cant do that in 'vanilla' Kodi (without user customisation). The entire Kodi UI is customisable, no programming is required, its just 'configuring' the UI in text files (XML files - beyond the scope of QQ How Tos).
To navigate the main menu use the left and right keys on your remote (on the white ring).
NOTE: The UR02 remote is in a sleep state when its first used each session, it take 2 or 3 clicks to wake, once its awake its responsive to all key presses until its not used for awhile, then it sleeps to conserve battery use.
Navigate to the SYSTEM menu node and click: [OK]
NOTE: You will use the OK button often in Kodi, this always selects the current focussed item on the menu or UI window. (yea I know you know this, but I have to say it)
The Kodi SETTINGS window shows the various setting classifications.
Please navigate to the SYSTEM setting (highlighted above) and click: [OK]
The System settings window appears.
This window is a typical Kodi settings window with a left SIDEBAR menu displaying setting classifications, as you navigate down/up on the SIDEBAR menu, the right CONTEXT panel shows settings specific to the highlighted classification on left:
NUC SETTING 1: DISPLAY
With the Display sidebar category sselected, navigate right onto the context pain and:
Ensure Display - Resolution is set to the maximum res you TV/Monitor can handle (4K or 1920x1080p for HD)
Ensure Display - Refresh rate looks good. The default should be ok 60Hz is easy on the eye (This is the Kodi UI frame rate, if you play Video Kodi will send video at the same framerates and the source. You TV will sync to that framerate)
NOTE: Within Kodi Settings there is no 'Save' button. All settings are saved immediately they are changed by a user (some exclusions apply, e.g changing the screen res, or framerate will ask you to confirm after the switch just in case its set to something your TV cannot display.
NUC SETTING 2: AUDIO (basic):
Navigate to Sidebar menu Audio:
he Kodi System Audio Settings Context panel on right shows all the Audio settings (The list is quite long as we will see shortly)
Ensure Audio - Audio Output Device is set to ALSA: HDMI (and your AVR info) Click: OK on that current value and a context list pop-up, select YOUR AVR.
Ensure Audio - Number of Channels is set to your audio system bed speaker arrangement (typically 5.1 or 7.1) - this has no effect when bit streaming, only when Kodi decodes audio (if you AVR cannot decoder a codec)
NUC SETTING 3: AUDIO (Audio Passthrough):
Now scroll down the right Audio settings context panel until you get to Audio Passthrough:
Ensure Audio - Allow Passthrough is enabled
Ensure Audio - Passthrough output device is set to your AVR (use an ALSA option)
The next Passthrough options on right should be enabled for each of the audio codecs listed in the passthrough section
For any recent AVR they will all be enabled. All recent AVRs can decode all the listed codecs (Atmos is encoded using TrueHD)
That completes your Audio/Video settings
Click: {back] button (left arrow about half way down the remote next to the white 'Home' button
This takes you back to the previous window (your SETTINGS window)
NOTE: You will use the Back button a lot in Kodi, it always takes you back to your previous UI window.
Now to set the final Kodi settings
From the SETTINGS window:
Navigate to the INTERFACE settings category (as shown above) and click: [OK]
NUC SETTING 4: Regional Settings
The in the INTERFACE settings window,
navigate to the Regional Settings side bar category:
I the right context panel, navigate to Region default format
Then click on each option and set to your location
NOTE: For assembled QQ NUCs, these are set to US, New York
Now exit this window (Back button), returning to the main SETTINGS window
NUC SETTING 5: Network Settings
The network settings allow you to:
- Connect to your NUC from another PC or Mac on your home network (you can use spare space on the NUC's 500GB NVME SSD to store media and you can do system updates and customise menu nodes etc)
- Connect Kodi to various online metadata repositories to fetch artist biographies, discographies, genres, musician and composer information and artwork: album covers, artist images etc
- Connect Kodi to other devices on your home network to access media stored on a PC, Mac drive or NAS server etc
Your NUC supports both WiFi and Ethernet (network cable). I've always used Ethernet as it a stable high speed connection offering a max 1000Mb/s connection. But you can use either.
If you have a wired network, please plug-in your cable now, if you have Wifi get you access keys/passwords need to make a connection.
Kodi has an inbuilt firewall enabled, blocking access from external devices outside your home network. So its sake and secure from outsiders looking in.
From the SETTINGS main winds, navigate to LibreElec (as shown below):
Click [OK] on LibreElec (above), the LibreElec setting window appears:
On the left Sidebar menu navigate to Network:
By default, NUCs were configured to allow both wifi and Wired.
Ideally, just enable the one you will use (you don't need wifi transmitting/Listening if you don't use it)
Ensure your NUC is connected to your network:
Navigate the sidebar to Connections, check the IP Addreess in the Connection panel:
NOW WRITE DOWN THE IP ADDRESS: (Address in above screen shot)
You will need that later to connect to your NUC from a PC or Mac
So that's it:
INITIAL NUC SETUP IS COMPLETE.
Many users will never need to make any of those changes again
NEXT UP in this Series: KODI MUSIC MEDIA MANAGEMENT: Adding/updating and removing your media
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-removing-your-media-files.37266/#post-840193
EDIT 1: Added 2nd Audio setting image showing Pass-through options for common Dolby and DTS codecs
EDIT 2: Added link to next How To post
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