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[voodoo5_6k]

I'm currently experimenting with zones and ZoneSwitch (MC28 28.0.106). I have four zones, and video playback is directed to one of these zones based on the "height" of the actual video in pixels. (The "why?" is not that important here but can be found in the MC29 board: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,131919.0.html)

There are four rules in ZoneSwitch.
1: If height is less than or equal to 480 pixels then use zone 1 and stop playback in all others.
2: If height is less than or equal to 576 pixels then use zone 2 and stop playback in all others.
and so on.

Every file I throw at it is directed to the correct zone. Therefore, I assume that my ZoneSwitch rules are correct.

However, sometimes MC won't make that zone "active" (or whatever it is called). I have to manually CTRL+T through the zones until I find the one with the playback running.

I have also now grouped all these zones. That way, I can at least hear the audio and know that the playback has actually started. But it won't affect the issue I'm observing ("black screen" because the "active" zone has no playback running, another one has).

Is there an error on my end, did I miss a setting, or is there something not working correctly?

Thanks in advance!

Logfile etc. attached
(startup TheaterView, select one video, playback in correct zone, and zone active, stop playback, select another video, playback in correct zone, and zone not active, manually switch to zone, stop playback, exit TheaterView)

[terrym@tassie]

Are all your zones included in the zoneswitch rules? If you start playback in a zone that is not included in the rules, playback will not automatically switch to 'rules zones'.
It might be helpful if you posted more details of your zones/zoneswitch rules.
You mention that the issue happens 'sometimes', is this problem intermittent? Does it happen in Standard view or only in Theater view?
I've been using zoneswitch (mainly for video playback) since it was introduced and to date have never seen the issue you are describing but if you post your rules I'll try and reproduce it.

Terry

[voodoo5_6k]

Hi Terry,

I've just these four zones right now, and they are all in the ZoneSwitch rules. I have attached screenshots of the respective parts. Please let me know if you'd like to see something else.

This happens intermittent, but I don't have a way to reliably reproduce it yet. Yesterday, it happened a few times, today, while taking the screenshots, I tried for a long time, and it didn't happen at all (although I went through all different resolution types, several times). I'd say, don't "waste" your time just yet, I'll watch it for a while. I think, without a way to reproduce it, it's just guesswork. I thought, maybe something within the logs would show or highlight an hopefully obvious issue (be it on my end or MC's).

Oh, on this system (HTPC), I'm only using TheaterView, it'll never be used in another way (it's in the living room, a dedicated HTPC).

Thank you

[terrym@tassie]

The only thing that I can see that might be worth trying is to make your searches in the rules more specific.
So edit the search in the rules as follows;
576p rule:  [Height]=<=576 [Height]=>480, 720p rule: [Height]=<=720 [Height]=>576, 1080p rule: [Height]=<=1080 [Height]=>720.
The above searches will only evaluate true for the files you're interested in and don't rely entirely on the 'precedence' feature of Zoneswitch.

As things stand your 1080p rule will evaluate true for ALL the video files in your library (apart from 4k if you have any) and it works because Zoneswitch is evaluating the searches in your other rules first (which in theory should be fine).
 
Your searches should be OK given the way you've organised the precedence of the rules but as you are having intermittent issues I don't think it would do any harm to make them more specific.

Terry

EDIT: I've just found the time to have a look at your other thread regarding why you are doing this and also the log file, I think this issue is unrelated to Zoneswitch rules but may be to do with .ifo file handling (your iso backups).
Does this ever occur when playing back mkv files or is it always when you playback iso files?

[voodoo5_6k]

Thanks for looking into this, Terry.

Regarding the rules. I deliberately created them that way and order because of the "first match wins" logic, like e.g. my pfSense works, or my switches handle ACLs. That's the reason why e.g. the 1080p rule, individually, doesn't make much sense. Only in the context of all rules, and the order in which they are organized, does it make sense and works. Until now I had no reason to doubt that ZoneSwitch honors that logic. All files always end up in the correct zone. Based on your edit, I think you also consider the rules correct (in their entirety and order of course), right?

It feels like sometimes DisplayView doesn't realize which zone starts with the playback stays with another zone (thinking about it, maybe I should've picked another title for the thread). That brings up a question. What part of MC is the authority for the "current" flag of a zone (assuming that "current" equals my "active" designation)? Maybe, whatever makes a zone the "current" one is having an issue with something.

It might be related to *.iso files because, from what I recall, it happened always with them ("always" meaning that in the few cases I observed, it was "always" an *.iso file that was playing *). But. Several "buts". First, I cannot reproduce it reliably yet (trying again later). Second, in all these cases, the playback had been initiated in the correct zone, but DisplayView doesn't switch over to that zone automatically (so maybe it's a DisplayView issue?). Third (and please correct me if I'm wrong), doesn't MC "see" *.iso files as real discs, once they're mounted? At least they do show up in TheaterView and the zones itself (StandardView) as a DVD or BD movie, respectively.

(* Also, in my case, the video part of my library consists of ca. 99% *.iso files, and then a few *.mkv and *.mp4. So, the probability for encountering a random issue while using an *.iso file is pretty high anyway ;-) That's why I'm a little hesitant attributing it to *.iso file handling, before having a way to reproduce it.)

To cut a long story short: I need to find a way to reliably reproduce it. Before that, any testing especially on e.g. your end is a waste of your time. Maybe Matt can have a look at the logfiles to check if something catches his eye.

Thanks again!

[voodoo5_6k]

I have upgraded to MC29 a while ago, and now encountered the issue again. Therefore, I'll continue this in the MC29 board.

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,132665.0.html