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Author Topic: NEW: DLNA Audio Path  (Read 10674 times)

Matt

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NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« on: April 29, 2020, 07:57:49 am »

Our friend Chris Connaker (of Audiophile Style) was looking at DLNA devices with convolution.  He found that the Audio Path was empty even though he had DSP enabled.  He reported it to us and we paused a while, then told him that's just the way it is because it's a complicated problem.

But then Bob and I decided to address it.

Now with the current builds, if you play to a DLNA device, the Audio Path is fully populated with all the DSP and other goodness.

There was a lot of celebration when we got it working, and hopefully you can enjoy it as well :)

Instructions
Audio Path is shown when you hover your mouse over the settings icon in the upper right corner during playback.  It shows any changes made to the audio.  Volume,  for example, or upsampling. 
DSP settings are under Player > DSP Studio.  They are zone specific.
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RoderickGI

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2020, 05:35:01 pm »

This new feature is great, when it works. It is most useful to see what DSP is being applied. I have had some trouble with it. See reference threads below.

The original Release Notes said the DLNA " Audio > Mode" must be set to "Specified Output Format" for DSP to be applied to DLNA playback.

Quote
20.0.27 (10/20/2014)
11. NEW: Added DSP studio to DLNA server audio advanced options. REQUIRES the output format to be set to "Specified Output Format".

Is that statement still correct? Does the Audio > Mode need to be set to "Specified Output Format"?


I ask because until this morning in all of my testing DSP was only actually applied if audio is being converted in MC for playback on the DLNA Renderer, and conversion was only actually being done with the "Specified Output Format" setting.

Setting the DLNA " Audio > Mode" to "Specified output format only when necessary" did not appear to result in audio conversion even if the file type is listed to be converted. (EDIT: I need to confirm that. It might be converted, but the Audio Path still isn't showing it.) If conversion was not happening, DSP was not applied. Hence the Audio Path was not of much value. I think it just said, "Not using JRiver audio engine", so MC knew it was playing something but didn't show what was happening.

As of this morning playing via DLNA to JRiver for Android or BubbleUPnP with the "Specified output format only when necessary" setting resulted in DSP being applied and those changes being shown in the Audio Path.

I am confused. This is on my Workstation installation of MC, which has shown some DLNA oddities. So I'm wondering if changes have been made to DSP over DLNA that are don't appear to be documented in the Release Notes.

Reference threads:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,125094.msg866441.html#msg866441
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,125057.0.html


PS:
DSP settings are under Player > DSP Studio.

Not for DSP via DLNA. Accessing that menu option just give the popup message "DSP Studio is only available for local zones". Ctrl+D gives the same message. At least when playing to a DLNA Renderer and with the DLNA Zone selected at the time.

Of course if I select another Zone, the DSP Studio displays. But that is DSP for the selected Zone.

Access DSP for DLNA via "Options > Media Network > Add or configure DLNA servers > {select the DLNA server} > Audio > Advanced > DSP Studio".


PPS:
If you pull audio from a MC DLNA Server using a DLNA Controller/Renderer, I think DSP is still applied (confirmed as the Sample Rate is the converted rate), but the Audio Path does not show it, just saying "Not using JRiver audio engine". I was testing with BubbleUPnP when I found this.
If I use JRiver for Android to pull audio from the MC Library, DSP isn't applied with the setting "Specified output format only when necessary" and the Audio Path in MC shows "Not using JRiver audio engine". I guess because it is not actually using DLNA, and it would be using the built-in JRiver for Android setting for playback. i.e. The FLAC files is being sent to JRiver for Android unmodified.
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

The Computer Audiophile

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2020, 07:05:37 pm »

Hi Guys, I know some of my request and questions are a bit off the wall, but thanks a ton for listening and making this a great feature. Sometimes our ears play tricks on us, so it’s really nice to have real data showing what’s going on with just a mouse-over.

Thanks guys!
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jmone

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2020, 07:45:12 pm »

I see that HTTP Radio Streams are still just handed off as a URL to the DLNA Renderer.  Will it be possible to have them instead routed via the MC DSP for processing and hence sent as a "normal" audio stream?

This would solve the issue that there are many different HTTP Streams that it is hit and miss what will play with DLNA Renderers at present.  If they went though the MC DSP then they would all work. 

Thanks for considering
Nathan
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bob

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2020, 08:39:40 am »

This new feature is great, when it works. It is most useful to see what DSP is being applied. I have had some trouble with it. See reference threads below.

The original Release Notes said the DLNA " Audio > Mode" must be set to "Specified Output Format" for DSP to be applied to DLNA playback.

Is that statement still correct? Does the Audio > Mode need to be set to "Specified Output Format"?


I ask because until this morning in all of my testing DSP was only actually applied if audio is being converted in MC for playback on the DLNA Renderer, and conversion was only actually being done with the "Specified Output Format" setting.

Setting the DLNA " Audio > Mode" to "Specified output format only when necessary" did not appear to result in audio conversion even if the file type is listed to be converted. (EDIT: I need to confirm that. It might be converted, but the Audio Path still isn't showing it.) If conversion was not happening, DSP was not applied. Hence the Audio Path was not of much value. I think it just said, "Not using JRiver audio engine", so MC knew it was playing something but didn't show what was happening.

As of this morning playing via DLNA to JRiver for Android or BubbleUPnP with the "Specified output format only when necessary" setting resulted in DSP being applied and those changes being shown in the Audio Path.

I am confused. This is on my Workstation installation of MC, which has shown some DLNA oddities. So I'm wondering if changes have been made to DSP over DLNA that are don't appear to be documented in the Release Notes.

Reference threads:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,125094.msg866441.html#msg866441
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,125057.0.html


PS:
Not for DSP via DLNA. Accessing that menu option just give the popup message "DSP Studio is only available for local zones". Ctrl+D gives the same message. At least when playing to a DLNA Renderer and with the DLNA Zone selected at the time.

Of course if I select another Zone, the DSP Studio displays. But that is DSP for the selected Zone.

Access DSP for DLNA via "Options > Media Network > Add or configure DLNA servers > {select the DLNA server} > Audio > Advanced > DSP Studio".


PPS:
If you pull audio from a MC DLNA Server using a DLNA Controller/Renderer, I think DSP is still applied (confirmed as the Sample Rate is the converted rate), but the Audio Path does not show it, just saying "Not using JRiver audio engine". I was testing with BubbleUPnP when I found this.
If I use JRiver for Android to pull audio from the MC Library, DSP isn't applied with the setting "Specified output format only when necessary" and the Audio Path in MC shows "Not using JRiver audio engine". I guess because it is not actually using DLNA, and it would be using the built-in JRiver for Android setting for playback. i.e. The FLAC files is being sent to JRiver for Android unmodified.

It's easier to state what's going on by saying that Specified output Format is required. It likely also works When Necessary is set and the output format matches.

IIRC the Audio Path is not shown if MC is not the controller even if the DSP is being applied (ie when you pull content from a renderer that's using a specific DLNA server that has conversion turned on). It doesn't seem very important to display that information in MC if you are sitting at a device pulling content with it.

Remotes (JRemote, Gizmo, MC as a client) are not zones so they will not use DSP either.
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RoderickGI

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2020, 05:49:20 pm »

Thanks for clarifying Bob.

I didn't find any change in the Release Notes regarding DSP being added to audio played via DLNA when the Audio Mode was set to "Specified output format only when necessary", but the original change was six years ago, and I might have missed it, or as you say, it may have worked that way from the start.

I noted that MC must be the controller, and push audio to the Renderer. That makes sense.

The DLNA Audio Path is a nice feature.
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

Fabith

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2020, 06:43:05 pm »

Can I use the DSP with video files?
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bob

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2020, 09:27:10 am »

Can I use the DSP with video files?
No. For remote playback that would require de-muxing and re-muxing the streams.
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rip66

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2020, 09:26:11 am »

I guess this wouldn't have anything to do with DLNA not playing gapless? JRiver has never played DLNA to my OPPO UDP-205 gapless and other than if that was fixed I don't see any significant reason to upgrade when looking at what's new.
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bob

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Re: NEW: DLNA Audio Path
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2020, 09:40:09 am »

I guess this wouldn't have anything to do with DLNA not playing gapless? JRiver has never played DLNA to my OPPO UDP-205 gapless and other than if that was fixed I don't see any significant reason to upgrade when looking at what's new.
I have an Oppo. It doesn't support gapless playback.
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