Display Off screensaver

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  • Triode
    Senior Member
    • Apr 2005
    • 8410

    Display Off screensaver

    I will post this here as its clearly unproven and something to discuss on the audiophile board....

    I've just posted a new app to the repro for Squeezebox Touch - this provides an alternative to the built in Screen Off screensaver which disables some of the processing associated with the screen when the screen is off. It does the same as TT screen off + also disables some internals to the squeezeplay application related to rendering the screen when it is off (reducing cpu load for scrolling text etc when the screen is off).

    The intention is you may want to try it as a "when playing" screensaver which will bank the screen after the delay and hence use less cpu power. Whether this has an impact on the audio quality is unproven and the reason I am posting here...

    To install: On the player goto 3rd Party Apps, unselect "recommended Apps only" and then select "Display Off"

    [As an aside - I note that with the EDO app installed and the internal digital out selected so that the analog output is not enabled, if you measure the analog outputs on an oscillocope then you see a much lower noise floor than when the analog dac is enabled. At the limit of my simple scope's gain I can see noise which is related to cpu activity - I believe looking at this, that disabling the screen does have a measurable impact, but it is very much at the limit of what I can see and well below the normal noise floor of the analog output. Whether this impacts what you can hear is a completely different matter....]
  • lake_eleven
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2011
    • 147

    #2
    Originally posted by Triode
    I will post this here as its clearly unproven and something to discuss on the audiophile board....

    I've just posted a new app to the repro for Squeezebox Touch - this provides an alternative to the built in Screen Off screensaver which disables some of the processing associated with the screen when the screen is off. It does the same as TT screen off + also disables some internals to the squeezeplay application related to rendering the screen when it is off (reducing cpu load for scrolling text etc when the screen is off).

    The intention is you may want to try it as a "when playing" screensaver which will bank the screen after the delay and hence use less cpu power. Whether this has an impact on the audio quality is unproven and the reason I am posting here...

    To install: On the player goto 3rd Party Apps, unselect "recommended Apps only" and then select "Display Off"

    [As an aside - I note that with the EDO app installed and the internal digital out selected so that the analog output is not enabled, if you measure the analog outputs on an oscillocope then you see a much lower noise floor than when the analog dac is enabled. At the limit of my simple scope's gain I can see noise which is related to cpu activity - I believe looking at this, that disabling the screen does have a measurable impact, but it is very much at the limit of what I can see and well below the normal noise floor of the analog output. Whether this impacts what you can hear is a completely different matter....]
    Can this be installed over EDO and TT3.0

    Comment

    • Triode
      Senior Member
      • Apr 2005
      • 8410

      #3
      Originally posted by lake_eleven
      Can this be installed over EDO and TT3.0
      Yes, but not the screen off part of TT3 as it is intended to to that function (and slightly more) tied to the screensaver activation.

      Comment

      • Covenant
        Member
        • Feb 2010
        • 54

        #4
        [QUOTE=Triode;703900]I will post this here as its clearly unproven and something to discuss on the audiophile board....



        [As an aside - I note that with the EDO app installed and the internal digital out selected so that the analog output is not enabled, if you measure the analog outputs on an oscillocope then you see a much lower noise floor than when the analog dac is enabled.

        Does this explain why so many of us report an improvement in SQ using 16/44 material?

        Comment

        • Triode
          Senior Member
          • Apr 2005
          • 8410

          #5
          [QUOTE=Covenant;704043]
          Originally posted by Triode
          I will post this here as its clearly unproven and something to discuss on the audiophile board....



          [As an aside - I note that with the EDO app installed and the internal digital out selected so that the analog output is not enabled, if you measure the analog outputs on an oscillocope then you see a much lower noise floor than when the analog dac is enabled.

          Does this explain why so many of us report an improvement in SQ using 16/44 material?
          The lower noise floor at the analog output is only because the dac is not running - which looks to generate quite a lot of low level noise for digital 0 output. When it is turned off then this is much lower. However I think the impact could be more significant in that with the dac on at full volume then the power rails are not only powering the dac but also seeing some level of signal related current draw. With the dac off this is not there and there should be direct no audio signal related modulation on the power rails.
          Last edited by Triode; 2012-05-09, 22:40.

          Comment

          • lake_eleven
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2011
            • 147

            #6
            Once turned off, how to turn on if needed?

            Comment

            • kiat
              Member
              • May 2009
              • 44

              #7
              Originally posted by lake_eleven
              Once turned off, how to turn on if needed?
              It's a screensaver. So it will only be activated after certain period of inactivity based on your configuration

              Comment

              • Triode
                Senior Member
                • Apr 2005
                • 8410

                #8
                Originally posted by lake_eleven
                Once turned off, how to turn on if needed?
                By touching the screen or using the remote control - it acts as any other screensaver in that it only triggers after a timeout on inactivity.

                Comment

                • rgro
                  Senior Member
                  • Nov 2009
                  • 891

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Triode
                  I will post this here as its clearly unproven and something to discuss on the audiophile board....

                  I've just posted a new app to the repro for Squeezebox Touch - this provides an alternative to the built in Screen Off screensaver which disables some of the processing associated with the screen when the screen is off. It does the same as TT screen off + also disables some internals to the squeezeplay application related to rendering the screen when it is off (reducing cpu load for scrolling text etc when the screen is off).

                  The intention is you may want to try it as a "when playing" screensaver which will bank the screen after the delay and hence use less cpu power. Whether this has an impact on the audio quality is unproven and the reason I am posting here...

                  To install: On the player goto 3rd Party Apps, unselect "recommended Apps only" and then select "Display Off"

                  [As an aside - I note that with the EDO app installed and the internal digital out selected so that the analog output is not enabled, if you measure the analog outputs on an oscillocope then you see a much lower noise floor than when the analog dac is enabled. At the limit of my simple scope's gain I can see noise which is related to cpu activity - I believe looking at this, that disabling the screen does have a measurable impact, but it is very much at the limit of what I can see and well below the normal noise floor of the analog output. Whether this impacts what you can hear is a completely different matter....]
                  Hi Triode,

                  Just to clarify, am I correct in that for your app to function when music is playing, the "Display Off" option should be selected under "Screensavers>When Playing"?

                  Thanks,
                  Rg

                  System information
                  ------------------------
                  Main: RPI4B/PiCorePlayer/LMS> RPI4B/piCoreplayer/Squeezelite > USB>RME ADI-2 DAC > Benchmark AHB2 > Revel Performa F208 speakers, 2X REL R-305 subs.

                  Home Theatre: RPI4 B/HifiBerry Dac+ Pro>Pioneer VSX 919 > Energy Take 5 Classic 5.1.

                  LMS 8.1.2 - 1612773843 on RPI4B with 1tb Samsung T5 SSD.

                  Comment

                  • Triode
                    Senior Member
                    • Apr 2005
                    • 8410

                    #10
                    Originally posted by rgro
                    Hi Triode,

                    Just to clarify, am I correct in that for your app to function when music is playing, the "Display Off" option should be selected under "Screensavers>When Playing"?

                    Thanks,
                    Yes, and probably set the timeout to 10 seconds. After the 10 seconds timeout, this will cause the screen to blank by turning off the backlight and disabling the display in the same was as TT3 and also stopping the render of the screen which happens within the squeezeplay application. The later means than if the display would have shown scrolling text then it will not be updated taking cpu time even though you can't see it.

                    Comment

                    • rgro
                      Senior Member
                      • Nov 2009
                      • 891

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Triode
                      Yes, and probably set the timeout to 10 seconds. After the 10 seconds timeout, this will cause the screen to blank by turning off the backlight and disabling the display in the same was as TT3 and also stopping the render of the screen which happens within the squeezeplay application. The later means than if the display would have shown scrolling text then it will not be updated taking cpu time even though you can't see it.
                      Got it...thanks. It seems to work just fine. I do prefer the flexibility of being able to access the Touch's screen (though I mainly use iPeng) without needing to give up the potential noise benefit of having the screen off. This app does away with the slight inconvenience of having to ssh into tt 3.0 in order to turn the screen back on/off when I need to get at the Touch's screen menus. Much appreciated, Triode.
                      Last edited by rgro; 2012-05-15, 19:21.
                      Rg

                      System information
                      ------------------------
                      Main: RPI4B/PiCorePlayer/LMS> RPI4B/piCoreplayer/Squeezelite > USB>RME ADI-2 DAC > Benchmark AHB2 > Revel Performa F208 speakers, 2X REL R-305 subs.

                      Home Theatre: RPI4 B/HifiBerry Dac+ Pro>Pioneer VSX 919 > Energy Take 5 Classic 5.1.

                      LMS 8.1.2 - 1612773843 on RPI4B with 1tb Samsung T5 SSD.

                      Comment

                      • Stratmangler
                        Senior Member
                        • Oct 2008
                        • 615

                        #12
                        Installed and working - thanks.
                        I haven't noticed any improvement in sound quality, but it doesn't sound any worse.
                        I'll have to bring the other Touch downstairs and link it up to the DAC and synchronise playback to enable A/B comparison.
                        T'aint happening tonight....

                        Chris
                        Chris :)

                        Comment

                        • Zombie
                          Senior Member
                          • Feb 2009
                          • 829

                          #13
                          Display Off gone?

                          Can't find the app. Is it removed?

                          Comment

                          • Triode
                            Senior Member
                            • Apr 2005
                            • 8410

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Zombie
                            Can't find the app. Is it removed?
                            No - its still on the 3rd party list. You should look on the player Apps Gallery, 3rd Party Apps

                            Comment

                            • Zombie
                              Senior Member
                              • Feb 2009
                              • 829

                              #15
                              OK, looked in the LMS, but found it on the Touch menu. Thanks.

                              Comment

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