Media Center, das Videos und Diashows innerhalb und außerhalb des Unternehmens streamen kann
LibreELEC wird auch von Industrial Raspberry Pi getragen

It is no secret that the industrial Raspberry Pi is in demand for harsh environments like factories, mainly for system-like uses. It is often thought that entertainment environments such as media playback, like a media center, are not necessary.

When it was still Pi 3B, it was used in a world-famous theme park attraction. It is a kind of attraction guide video or a kind of production. Nowadays, it is famous for the waiting status screen and order menu screen of a certain conveyor-belt sushi chain.

Other uses that were probably handled by VCRs and DVD players in the past, such as playing videos of instructions and explanations for educational purposes, and videos of products that continue to be played at company counters, exhibitions and shop windows, have been replaced, though not all by the Raspberry Pi.

Naturally, it can also be controlled programmatically, so it may be used to switch between videos and images to be played back as needed.

This time, we will let the industrial Raspberry Pi handle video playback, which is in surprisingly high demand.
We will install LibreELEC, a well-known media center, in ComputeModule 4 (hereafter CM4).

A chassis that is small enough that there is no shortage of space for installation, such as the industrial Raspberry Pi PL-R4, is useful in high-temperature environments, vibration concerns, and dusty environments, etc. Since the Raspberry Pi only needs to be connected to a monitor, the size and weight can be easily transported, even assuming it is for stationary use. The Raspberry Pi can be connected to a monitor.

You can save videos in advance or have them streamed from a file server over the network, or you can simply save them to a USB flash drive.

Environment of this time

• PL-R4 (CM4 eMMC 32GB memory 4GB)
• LibreELEC (v12.0.2)
• USB flash drive with video files
• Files stored on NAS

backup

See our previous article on rpi-boot.

„How to Compress Image Files in PiShrink Using RPI BOOT and dd Commands for Backups“
https://pilink.jp/image_backup_pl-r4/

As per the article, back up the environment in which the Raspberry Pi OS is already installed so that it can be restored later.

LibreELEC’s main focus is kodi

First, as an extra, we will show you how to install and play Kodi on the Raspberry Pi OS.

LibreELEC is an OS that comes together as a media center.
Since the main media center is called Kodi, you can simply install kodi and use it in the same way.

One thing to note is that because it runs on the Raspberry Pi OS, it will inevitably take up CPU tasks, so the operation will feel sluggish. If you just want to try it out for a few minutes, it is fine, but if you want to use it regularly, we recommend installing LibreELEC because the specs are not sufficient.

To install Kodi only on Raspberry Pi OS desktop, apt command

sudo apt update
sudo apt install kodi

Install to eMMC

This time we will install LibreELEC as an OS on a new eMMC area.
The version of LibreELEC used is 12.0.2. (LibreELEC-RPi4.aarch64-12.0.2.img.gz)

Pi4/400/CM4 had the same file name.
*LibreELEC does not support ComputeModule 5 at the time of writing.

As in the previous article, you simply use rpi-boot to recognize CM4 as external storage space and write to it with Raspberry Pi Imager.

Formatting first and then writing is reliable.
Specify this as the OS on which LibreELEC will be installed after formatting.
After rpi-boot, it is recognized as an external storage device and can be selected as a write destination.

Additional work

If you installed LibreELEC in CM4 (or Pi 4), you will need to modify the config.txt file after installation.
Description to enable USB.

Required for Pi 4/CM4, not required for Pi 400 or Pi 5.

Up to CM4, one USB connector is used to switch between host mode and device mode.
Since the device is still in device mode when the OS is written, changing it to host mode and then booting it will enable the use of devices connected to the USB port.

Procedure for adding Config.txt

After writing LibreELEC, connect again with rpiboot.
If it is a Windows PC, it will appear as drive D. If it is a Windows PC, append it to the config.txt file.
If rpiboot succeeds, it will be mounted as an external memory and then appended to config.txt.

Appended to the last line of /boot/firmware/config.txt

otg_mode=1

USB On-The-Go
otg_mode=1 requires a higher-performance XHCI USB 2 controller to be used as an alternate host controller for its USB-C connector.
otg_mode=0 is the default (standard) setting.

Cited from: https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/config_txt.html#otg_mode-raspberry-pi-4-only

After writing, remember to turn back the write-enable switch on the PL-R4 main unit and reboot to start LibreELEC.
Now you can use a USB keyboard and mouse.

Japanische Einstellung

Dieser Bereich ist für Benutzer der japanischen Sprache bestimmt. Wenn Sie interessiert sind, klicken Sie zum Öffnen unten.

▶LibreELEC in Japanese

LibreELEC is also available in Japanese. The previous procedure for Japanese localization is different from the current one.
The current version of LibreELEC can be converted to Japanese by downloading & installing in the add-on settings.

One thing you should change ahead of time is to change the interface font to Arial based instead of the skin default. This is no different than before.

The only language in the Region (Languages) is English.

After changing the font to Arial-based, install the Japanese language pack.
The location is entered through the add-ons on the main menu.

Add-ons –> Kodi Add-on repository –> Look and feel –> Languages –> Japanese

Finally, if you choose to install the software, it will be in a Japanese-enabled state.
It is now easier to understand than ever.

If the font is not changed to Arial based and a Japanese language pack is applied, the characters will be garbled.

garbled condition

All displays in LibreELEC are based on the skin setting.
Changing to another skin may result in garbled text, as many skins are not designed for Japanese. It is recommended to use the default (standard) Estuary.

Video File Designation

The easiest way to playback a video file is to put it on a USB flash drive.
Once recognized, it will appear in the media source in the menu, so all you have to do is plug in the USB.

The media sources Videos and TV Shows, which are present from the beginning, point to the folders videos and tvshows, respectively, in ~/storage/.

Settings –> File Manager allows you to create a new folder or copy files from a USB flash drive.

Unique operating method

LibreELEC is a bit unique in its controls and appearance. It can be operated with either mouse or keyboard.
It is also compatible with the CEC standard for TVs, so if your TV remote control has cross-arrow keys and buttons for back and decision, you can use them to control the TV. It is convenient not to need a separate remote control.

It is a little confusing to use the keyboard, for example when setting up.
You can do most of the operations if you learn the five operations, so we will show you a few of them.

1. Enter key
2. ESC key
3. Long press of Enter key
4. c key
5. space bar
6. arrow key

(*3 and 4 are the same)

Enter key is decision

Remember, the Enter key is the decision button.
With a mouse operation, it is a left click.

ESC key

The escape key is cancel.
It also means the same thing in back, as it may return to the previous screen.
This is a right click if it is a mouse operation.

Long press of Enter key

If you press and hold the Enter key, you can display a submenu on the condition that the cursor is hit.
It is the same as the middle button of a mouse.
Same with the next C key.

C key

Pressing the C key on the keyboard will bring up a submenu display with the condition selected by the cursor.

Pressing the C key or pressing and holding the Enter key on the USB memory item in the main menu brought up a submenu for safely removing the USB memory stick.
The content of the submenu changes depending on where the key is pressed.

space bar

The space bar (spacebar) is used to select multiple items.
The main operation is with the file manager.
It serves as a pause during video playback.

Arrow keys as option keys

In addition to this, look for the option keys that appear on the screen, such as left arrow and up arrow, which vary from screen to screen, but are mainly shown in the lower left corner.

The arrow keys are basically up and down to move items, so other keys can be assigned. On some other display screens, you can only select left or right, in which case the up arrow key may be assigned.

In this screen configuration, the left arrow key is the option display.
Press to select from the following display types: search, video playback operation, and updating of labraries (list update).

It is a little confusing because of the simplicity of the screen.

Incidentally, if you press Enter during video playback, the seek bar will also appear and the operation panel for playback, stop, fast forward, and rewind will be displayed.

There are more keyboard assignments.
Here are the minimum key operations; check the official LibreELEC site or the forum.

Slide show of images

Next is a slideshow of images.
It is simple and can display images one after another.
Keep your pictures together in the Pictures folder.

Settings –> Player Pictures to make minimal settings.

The display time, zoom effects, and random display are the only things that are practical.
Slideshows can be started on the image list screen, for example, when the option is displayed.

Since it is built in as a menu, you only need to provide an image.

Display media stored on the NAS.

LibreELEC itself is open to the network from the beginning.
Since there is no password authentication, you should be able to see inside LibreELEC from the machine at hand.

Main Menu –> LibreELEC

To view media from a NAS already in the network, go to Add Video and add the NAS location.

It is sure to choose „Add network location“ at the bottom of the list from the Browse button and add it manually.

The NAS we are specifying is using OpenMediaVault installed on a Pi 5.
You can connect by selecting SMB as follows: server name, shared folder name, user name and password.
Read according to your environment.

Add with the add button and the media source name is movie. Enter arbitrarily.

Movie is now displayed as NAS in the video category.
Videos, etc. in the NAS are displayed and playback is smooth.

Finally, categories that are not needed in the main menu can be deleted.
It is also possible to add to favorites or skip the home screen in the first place.

Video playback depends on how it is used.

LibreELEC may be basic for home use. Since it can be installed on an industrial Raspberry Pi, depending on its use, it may be useful for educational, promotional, or event purposes, as mentioned at the beginning of this article.

It only needs to be connected to a large TV or monitor.
If the network environment is poor, storing files on a USB flash drive is the only way to secure a power supply.
If you can connect to a network, you can play files directly from another server, no need to copy files in advance.

Although it may seem a bit wasteful to only play video files for industrial use, an industrial Raspberry Pi in a robust enclosure case has the advantage of being able to be installed in a wider variety of environments than a regular Raspberry Pi.
It is easier to operate and takes up less space than a laptop. Playlists can be created for long periods of time.

Feel free to run a guide to your company’s products.

Reference:

• KODI ( https://kodi.tv )
• LibreELEC (https://libreelec.tv)
• Big Bug Bunny ( https://peach.blender.org )
• Public Domain Movies ( https://publicdomainmovie.net/ )