Aura HD 3.11.0 Firmware PDF performance

ottdmk · 09-05-2014, 08:33 PM

Hi all,

I noticed when I installed (sideloaded) 3.5 that PDF performance with the build in RMSDK software was severely degraded from 3.2. I've sideloaded 3.8.0 and I've noticed the same thing.

To illustrate I shot two extremely amateurish videos and posted them to Youtube.

The PDF I used in the test is 16.6 MB in size and is on the main memory, not a SD card.

Anyone else seeing problems like this?

Ripplinger · 09-05-2014, 09:36 PM

If the comparison has 3.2.0 on the top video, and 3.8.0 on the bottom, to be a fair comparison opening both PDFs should start from the same place, the homescreen.

It looks like in the video with 3.2.0, you already have the PDF open on the cover page and you're just advancing to the next page. You can see the page numbers at the bottom. Unless 3.2.0 had some odd homescreen since I never saw that firmware.

ottdmk · 09-06-2014, 10:35 AM

Hi Ripplinger,

It's true, I didn't time opening the PDF on 3.2. It was a lot faster than 43 seconds though. However, the page turn that I did was from the first page to the second... just like the page turn I did in the 3.8 video.

The page turn on 3.2 took about 4 seconds. The page turn on 3.8 took around 23. Something's just not right there.

Ripplinger · 09-07-2014, 12:59 AM

I didn't keep going far enough in the 2nd video then.

I just tried one of my few PDFs on my readers. It's only 4.1MB, but it takes less than 2 seconds to open on firmware 2.4.0 (the one I really use for reading), and the identical copy takes 8 seconds to open on 3.8.0. So there seems to be something going on with PDFs in the newer firmware.

I probably have larger PDFs buried on my hard drives from old games, etc. that I could try another test on with a larger PDF, but if it happens with only 4.1MB, I'm sure there's going to be a huge difference with larger files.

Edit: Second time I opened the PDF from the home screen, it took much longer, almost 20 seconds. Page turns between the 2 firmwares seem to take almost double the time on the newer firmware as well.

arspr · 09-07-2014, 02:16 AM

I cannot replicate the issue in my AuraHD with 3.8.0.

I mean I've got some big pdf files and, in a 90Mb one (mainly text with embedded pictures) and in another 20Mb big one (scanned pages, so just pictures), the page turn or loading book times are about 2-3 s at most. (I didn't use a stopwatch, but I can assure you it doesn't take the huge times you are posting...)

(As I don't usually read pdfs, I don't really remember if 3.8.0 is slower or faster than 3.2.0... I just remember that, at last, landscape navigation is fixed...)

Something really weird here!!!

Just in case, please check through Kobo Utilities plugin for Calibre that your database is not corrupted.

EDITED ----

Nevertheless, testing this issue I think I've found another bug about pdfs with pages of different sizes, but I'll perform more tests.

EDITED (2) ----

I've opened a new thread for this issue in different page sized pdfs.

Risto40 · 09-16-2014, 03:28 AM

i have the same huge delay issue with pdf books. For me, it started from the FW 3.5, and 3.8 did not fix it.

arspr · 09-16-2014, 03:11 PM

I insist, please check your device database as a first diagnosis step.

ottdmk · 09-17-2014, 09:31 PM

I've checked the database with KoboUtilitities. I've even logged out of my Kobo account and back in again to generate a new database. Same behaviour.

Risto40 · 09-18-2014, 04:16 AM

how would i check the database? I am not a hacker, just a plain user using ereader to read books.

Ripplinger · 09-18-2014, 08:09 AM

For my reader with 3.8.0, I had purchase it as a spare, and I had logged out just a day or 2 before and reloaded all books on it. It's not a corrupt database issue.

ottdmk · 09-18-2014, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Risto40

how would i check the database? I am not a hacker, just a plain user using ereader to read books.

If you use Calibre, you can install the KoboUtilities plugin. Amongst its many capabilities it can do a sanity check on the database. No hacking required... just select the menu entry.

PeterT · 09-18-2014, 09:15 AM

Not meaning to stir up controversy, the KOBO ereaders have never got good feedback on their PDF reading abilities with their supplied firmware. I'm not even sure why people bother to point out these issues.

Ripplinger · 09-18-2014, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

Not meaning to stir up controversy, the KOBO ereaders have never got good feedback on their PDF reading abilities with their supplied firmware. I'm not even sure why people bother to point out these issues.

I agree, I rarely read PDFs on any ereader. I do have certain maps, trails, etc. that I could use in a pinch, but if I need to actually read a PDF, I use my PC, netbook or even a tablet is better.

But the fact still remains that PDF viewing shouldn't be that bad on an ereader, and in Kobo's case, it's progressively gotten worse (slower) than in previous firmwares. Even though I'm not really affected, I don't particularly find that acceptable if they claim you can read PDFs at all on their readers.

ottdmk · 09-18-2014, 10:23 AM

PeterT, while I agree that reading PDFs was never great, it was acceptable... until 3.5. Going from a ~4 second page turn to a ~23 second page turn on the same PDF? Something's gone seriously wrong here, and my first guess would be the updated RMSDK.

For now I'm gonna stick with 3.2. I may look at installing koreader or something similar under 3.8 in a while.

arspr · 09-18-2014, 11:05 AM

I insist that just saying pdf and 3.8.0 is broken is not exact.

I'm on 3.8 and I don't suffer the issue. More info would be great. Can you post a conflictive pdf? Is the issue dependant on the pdf size? How many books, pdfs, GBytes do you store on your device? (I don't know, whichever info you can think of.

09-05-2014, 08:33 PM	#1
ottdmk Wizard Posts: 1,220 Karma: 3804496 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Libra 2, Lenovo Tab M10 FHD Plus, Lenovo Tab M9	3.11.0 Firmware PDF performance Hi all, I noticed when I installed (sideloaded) 3.5 that PDF performance with the build in RMSDK software was severely degraded from 3.2. I've sideloaded 3.8.0 and I've noticed the same thing. To illustrate I shot two extremely amateurish videos and posted them to Youtube. The PDF I used in the test is 16.6 MB in size and is on the main memory, not a SD card. Anyone else seeing problems like this?

09-07-2014, 12:59 AM	#4
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	I didn't keep going far enough in the 2nd video then. I just tried one of my few PDFs on my readers. It's only 4.1MB, but it takes less than 2 seconds to open on firmware 2.4.0 (the one I really use for reading), and the identical copy takes 8 seconds to open on 3.8.0. So there seems to be something going on with PDFs in the newer firmware. I probably have larger PDFs buried on my hard drives from old games, etc. that I could try another test on with a larger PDF, but if it happens with only 4.1MB, I'm sure there's going to be a huge difference with larger files. Edit: Second time I opened the PDF from the home screen, it took much longer, almost 20 seconds. Page turns between the 2 firmwares seem to take almost double the time on the newer firmware as well. Last edited by Ripplinger; 09-07-2014 at 01:06 AM.

09-07-2014, 02:16 AM	#5
arspr Dead account. Bye Posts: 587 Karma: 668244 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: none	I cannot replicate the issue in my AuraHD with 3.8.0. I mean I've got some big pdf files and, in a 90Mb one (mainly text with embedded pictures) and in another 20Mb big one (scanned pages, so just pictures), the page turn or loading book times are about 2-3 s at most. (I didn't use a stopwatch, but I can assure you it doesn't take the huge times you are posting...) (As I don't usually read pdfs, I don't really remember if 3.8.0 is slower or faster than 3.2.0... I just remember that, at last, landscape navigation is fixed...) Something really weird here!!! Just in case, please check through Kobo Utilities plugin for Calibre that your database is not corrupted. EDITED ---- Nevertheless, testing this issue I think I've found another bug about pdfs with pages of different sizes, but I'll perform more tests. EDITED (2) ---- I've opened a new thread for this issue in different page sized pdfs. Last edited by arspr; 09-07-2014 at 05:41 AM. Reason: Testing done. Link to new thread.

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09-05-2014, 09:36 PM	#2
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	If the comparison has 3.2.0 on the top video, and 3.8.0 on the bottom, to be a fair comparison opening both PDFs should start from the same place, the homescreen. It looks like in the video with 3.2.0, you already have the PDF open on the cover page and you're just advancing to the next page. You can see the page numbers at the bottom. Unless 3.2.0 had some odd homescreen since I never saw that firmware.

09-06-2014, 10:35 AM	#3
ottdmk Wizard Posts: 1,220 Karma: 3804496 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Libra 2, Lenovo Tab M10 FHD Plus, Lenovo Tab M9	Hi Ripplinger, It's true, I didn't time opening the PDF on 3.2. It was a lot faster than 43 seconds though. However, the page turn that I did was from the first page to the second... just like the page turn I did in the 3.8 video. The page turn on 3.2 took about 4 seconds. The page turn on 3.8 took around 23. Something's just not right there.

09-16-2014, 03:28 AM	#6
Risto40 Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 11532 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Glo	i have the same huge delay issue with pdf books. For me, it started from the FW 3.5, and 3.8 did not fix it.

09-16-2014, 03:11 PM	#7
arspr Dead account. Bye Posts: 587 Karma: 668244 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: none	I insist, please check your device database as a first diagnosis step.

09-17-2014, 09:31 PM	#8
ottdmk Wizard Posts: 1,220 Karma: 3804496 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Libra 2, Lenovo Tab M10 FHD Plus, Lenovo Tab M9	I've checked the database with KoboUtilitities. I've even logged out of my Kobo account and back in again to generate a new database. Same behaviour.

09-18-2014, 04:16 AM	#9
Risto40 Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 11532 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Glo	how would i check the database? I am not a hacker, just a plain user using ereader to read books.

09-18-2014, 08:09 AM	#10
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	For my reader with 3.8.0, I had purchase it as a spare, and I had logged out just a day or 2 before and reloaded all books on it. It's not a corrupt database issue.

09-18-2014, 09:15 AM	#12
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,515 Karma: 78910202 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Not meaning to stir up controversy, the KOBO ereaders have never got good feedback on their PDF reading abilities with their supplied firmware. I'm not even sure why people bother to point out these issues.

09-18-2014, 10:23 AM	#14
ottdmk Wizard Posts: 1,220 Karma: 3804496 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Libra 2, Lenovo Tab M10 FHD Plus, Lenovo Tab M9	PeterT, while I agree that reading PDFs was never great, it was acceptable... until 3.5. Going from a ~4 second page turn to a ~23 second page turn on the same PDF? Something's gone seriously wrong here, and my first guess would be the updated RMSDK. For now I'm gonna stick with 3.2. I may look at installing koreader or something similar under 3.8 in a while.

09-18-2014, 11:05 AM	#15
arspr Dead account. Bye Posts: 587 Karma: 668244 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: none	I insist that just saying pdf and 3.8.0 is broken is not exact. I'm on 3.8 and I don't suffer the issue. More info would be great. Can you post a conflictive pdf? Is the issue dependant on the pdf size? How many books, pdfs, GBytes do you store on your device? (I don't know, whichever info you can think of.

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