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[johnkaess]

I am using Media Center 32.0.45 but this issue has existed for a very long time, at least a year, maybe longer. I'm on a 2020 intel iMac running Sonoma 14.5 and my stereo receiver is an Onkyo TX-8270.

This issue applies ONLY to using Media Center for DLNA to my Onkyo Stereo. None of my playlists exhibit this following problem playing directly in Media Center to my iMac, to Airplay or to my DAC. The issue only occurs when my stereo is accessing a playlist via DLNA.

I have been working diligently for some months trying to find out why only SOME of my Playlists will not progress from song to song, but just continually repeat the same song over and over. I have around 100 or so playlists I've constructed over the years and some are pretty complex, but the problem only occurs in a few of them. They all play fine directly on my iMac in Media Center, but SOME seem to hang over DLNA to my stereo.

After months of playing with my various playlist parameters, I've finally found the culprit. If i use the "Last Played" is "Not in the last" and then set a number of weeks, the playlist will function perfectly directly in Media Center, but only play a single song over DLNA and keep repeating it. If i remove this paramenter from the Playlist, it then functions normally over DLNA.

I'd appreciate confirmation and/or a solution.

[johnkaess]

It's been a week since i posted this problem. Can someone at least confirm that they can duplicate the problem:

If i use the "Last Played" is "Not in the last" and then set a number of weeks, the playlist will function perfectly directly in Media Center, but only play a single song over DLNA and keep repeating it. If i remove this paramenter from the Playlist, it then functions normally over DLNA.

My best recollection is that in MC 29 and earlier i did not have this problem, but that it exists now and has for the past 6 months or more.

[johnkaess]

So after 2 full weeks, not a single person has replied to say, NO, I don't see that problem using Last Played as a Playlist criteria over DLNA, or to confirm, YES, i also have that problem.

The lack of any kind of response after 2 weeks is very disappointing. I can repeat this issue 100% of the time and solve it by removing the Last Played criteria from a playlist.

[JimH]

Sometimes nobody knows the answer.  Try playing jiust one filetype.  The device may not be able to play what you're sending.

[johnkaess]

I have over a hundred playlists with FLAC, Apple Losless and mp3 files. The ONLY playlists to hang after playing one song are the playlists with the 'Last Played' attribute. When i remove the Last Played attribute from the playlist criteria, the playlist plays without any problems. It can not be the file type.

[Matt]

I created this smartlist:
[Last Played]=>4w [Media Type]=[Audio]

I play it to my JRiver Id (a DLNA device) and playback advances perfectly.

The program doesn't know where files came from.  It simply looks at the playlist.  As long as the playlist has entries, they should play.

What else should I try?

Thanks.

[JimH]

Try toggling SetNextAVTransport in MC's DLNA settings.  Right click on the DLNA Renderer under Playing Now.

[johnkaess]

I hate to sound like a complete idiot, BUT:

I have no DLNA showing under Playing Now in the left sidebar nor in the Player drop down menu from the top menu. I'll attach a screenshot. I'm using the Thunderstorm skin.

[JimH]

Your first two paragraphs in your first post mention DLNA.

[johnkaess]

Yes. DLNA is playting right now in the screen shot i attached. I go to my stereo, select Music Server from it's list of sources (others are spotify, airplay, etc), and then select JRiver DLNA as the sopurce, then choose playlistds and then select a playlist, and the music plays over my stereo. Nothing has ever shown up in Media Center to showm that this is occuring. I am attaching a screenshot of the DLNA set up under Media Network / Configure DLNA Servers.

[johnkaess]

Here os a screenshot of the previous section under Media Network

[Matt]

I'm wondering if the playlist is simply not resolving to many files for some reason.

If you hit "Next" does it advance to another track?

Can you look at what's in the playing now list on the device?

Thanks.

[johnkaess]

After it plays the first song, it just repeats it. Hitting next does not do anything.

Playing now in JRiver does not show anything that the DLNA server is sending to the stereo.
The Stereo shows the current song playing once it starts. I can hit the back key to go back out and choose another playlist, but the playlist with the "Last Played" parameter will not go forward or rewind or skip tom next track once it starts playing. It acts as if the DLNA send the first song, but then can no longer access that playlist with the "Last Played" parameter, but if i back out and choose a different playlist without the "Last Played" paramenter in it, everything works as it should.

I should point out that this was not a problem until a year or so ago. I can't r3emember which version, I've had JRiver for many years and my playlists all worked fine until 1 or 2 years ago. I did not realize until a few weeks ago that the cause was the "Last Played" parameter. I just assumed that DLNA no loinger worked and i quit using it until my wife had a party and wanted music from the stereo, so i set about trying to solve the problem and discovered that "Last Played" was the cause.

[Matt]

So it seems like the playlist is only resolving to one track for some reason.

You could browse the same playlists with Panel and see if you get all the files showing.

Do you have another DLNA device you could test with?

Thanks.

[johnkaess]

"You could browse the same playlists with Panel and see if you get all the files showing."

I'm not sure exactly what you mean. When i select one of the problematic playlists from my stereo, i can scroll down through the playlist to select a song to start playing, which then just repeats.

All of the playlists with this problem play perfectly directly in JRiver Media Center on my iMac.

Unfortunately, my stereo is the only DLNA device i have. Playing to another device would be a good troubleshooting step.

[Matt]

So the DLNA device can scroll through all the tracks on the playlist, but when you play the playlist it only plays one file?  I was thinking maybe the playlist only had a single file.

[Matt]

You could click the link to configure DLNA servers and try toggling things.  Maybe you can find a setting causing you grief.

[johnkaess]

So the DLNA device can scroll through all the tracks on the playlist, but when you play the playlist it only plays one file?  I was thinking maybe the playlist only had a single file.

Exactly.

[johnkaess]

You could click the link to configure DLNA servers and try toggling things.  Maybe you can find a setting causing you grief.

I'd love suggestions.

[Matt]

If you see a list of tracks but play only plays one file, it seems like a problem with the renderer.

You might scour the settings for the device and see if you can find anything.  Maybe updating the device as well.

You said old MC builds worked differently, so you could go back builds and see if you can find the build where it changed.

Thanks.

[johnkaess]

If you see a list of tracks but play only plays one file, it seems like a problem with the renderer.

You might scour the settings for the device and see if you can find anything.  Maybe updating the device as well.

You said old MC builds worked differently, so you could go back builds and see if you can find the build where it changed.

Thanks.

The Onkyo Stereo Receiver is updated to the latesat version which has not changed in a few years.

I'm willing to install old versions of Media Center to see if i can determine what version broke this ability for DLNA. Can you give me a link back to final versions from 27 and later? I don't see them available from the Forums.

[JimH]

See "Old Versions" on the wiki.

[bob]

Make sure the play control (the repeat to the right of the time slider) is not set to "Stop after each item". This is ZONE specific. Each zone (local, DLNA, etc) has it's own control.
If it still doesn't work:
Turn on logging and try to play a playlist. Attach the log here.
The logic for DLNA playback is pretty extensively logged.

[johnkaess]

Make sure the play control (the repeat to the right of the time slider) is not set to "Stop after each item". This is ZONE specific. Each zone (local, DLNA, etc) has it's own control.

Bob, Thank you for finally jumping in. I do not have a zone set up for DLNA. It has never needed one since everything i do for DLNA originates from my Onkyo Stereo and NOT from within JRiver. I do have 2 zones set up for playback originating in JRiver to output to my DAC and to my Homepods via Airplay.

I have posted my DLNA settings in earlier posts. I do NOTHING in JRiver Media Center when playing playlists to my Stereo. JRiver simply acts as the music server. On my Stereo, I select "Music Server" from the Sources, i then select "JRiver DLNA" as the music server, it then displays all the options which show up in the sidebar under the "Audio" category (Album, Artists, Playlists, etc), and i select Playlists, and then choose a playlist to play directly from my Stereo. I do not do ANYTHING in JRiver. It just needs to be running. The problem i'm experiencing with the playlists ONLY occurs on Playlists with the parameter of "Last Played". ALL my playlists without this parameter in the smartplaylist criteria function without any issue, and all non-smartlist playlists function without issue.

I'd appreciate suggestions on what i should try given this issue. I am currently going to try some earlier versions as this problem did not exist several years ago.

If you tell me how to enable logging of the DLNA, i'll do that and post the log.

[johnkaess]

THE PROBLEM DOES NOT EXIST IN MC28 which i just downloaded and installed and restored playlists and files from backup, but did NOT restore setrtings.

I am going to move forward to newer versions one release at a time until the problem recurs, and then will look at all the DLNA settings in JRiver, but i am confident that i can say definitively that whatever the problem is, it is in JRiver Media Center and NOT in the stereo which is acting to receive the music files from the JRiver DLNA server.

[johnkaess]

MC 27, 28, and 29 all play without any issues for ALL playlists including those with the "Last Played" parameter.

MC 30, 31, and 32 all do NOT exhibit the problem of playing one song repeatedly for any playlist containing the "Last Played" parameter whil playing flawlessly all other playlists.

I'm not sure what changed or why this problem showed up in MC30 and onwards, but i am going to look at all my DLNA settings to see if i notice anything.

Meanwhile, i'm punting this back to Jimh and Matt now that I've confirmed when the issue arose (MC30) and what specifically is causing some playlists to hang and repeat the same song (the "Last Played" parameter).

[johnkaess]

Checked the settings in MC29 which works and MC30 which does not work:

Options/Audio and Options/Media Network and Options/Media Network/Configure DLNA all appear to be the same in both versions.

[bob]

Checked the settings in MC29 which works and MC30 which does not work:

Options/Audio and Options/Media Network and Options/Media Network/Configure DLNA all appear to be the same in both versions.

In your case then, MC is just providing a list of files and the Onkyo is the controller and is responsible for the calling for the next file from MC when it needs it.
What are the file formats in the playlist?

[johnkaess]

The file types in my playlists are almost all apple lossless with a few mp3's.

The file type is irrelevant to the issue. I can construct a playlist of any typoe of file you'd like and it plays without any problem until the "Last Played is not in the past X weeks" is added to the playlist criteria. This is the critical issue, and it does not occur in any MC version prior to MC30. The issue is not with my Stereo. If it was, then it would exist in all versions of MC instead of just the versions from MC30 forward.

I have over 21000 songs in my library and around 100 playlists. Every playlist works until i insert the "Last Played" is not since X weeks parameter. If the problem was file type then it would show up in every playlist.

The issue ONLY involves SMARTLISTS, and then ONLY if it has the "Last Played" criteria, and only in MC 30 and later. Non-Smartlist playlists and Smarliists without the "Last Played" Criteria ALL play without any problems at all.

[Matt]

Please test these two builds and let us know if you see a difference:
https://files.jriver-cdn.com/mediacenter/channels/v30/stable/MediaCenter300025-Universal.dmg

https://files.jriver-cdn.com/mediacenter/channels/v30/stable/MediaCenter300045-Universal.dmg

Thanks.

[johnkaess]

Please test these two builds and let us know if you see a difference:
https://files.jriver-cdn.com/mediacenter/channels/v30/stable/MediaCenter300025-Universal.dmg

https://files.jriver-cdn.com/mediacenter/channels/v30/stable/MediaCenter300045-Universal.dmg
.

Now we're getting somewhere!

The older version 30.0.25 works, the newer version 30.0.45 does not work, it exhibits the problem i'm having.

[Matt]

Now we're getting somewhere!

The older version 30.0.25 works, the newer version 30.0.45 does not work, it exhibits the problem i'm having.

We are getting somewhere.

Please test this one too:
https://files.jriver-cdn.com/mediacenter/channels/v30/latest/MediaCenter300035-Universal.dmg

[johnkaess]

Yes. This version, 30.0.35 works without any problems.

[bob]

Please try 32.0.56 Thanks.

[johnkaess]

32.0.56 does not work. It still exhinits the problem.

[bob]

32.0.56 does not work. It still exhinits the problem.

32.0.57 coming shortly, try it when it's posted.

[bob]

32.0.57 coming shortly, try it when it's posted.

It's there now.

[johnkaess]

Regretfully, 32.0.57 did not fix the issue.

[bob]

Just to update everyone, this is what I just sent in a PM:

This is kind of a catch22. Your player appears to be re-getting the playlist after each track played BUT your smartlist parameters make the playlist change after the first track is played (it won't show up in the smartlist any more). MC resets the cache on each call to get the playlist so the one returned next is different (starts with the 2nd track of the first playlist) and that messes up your player.
If we don't reset the cache (that was a fix back in MC30 to make smartlists update) you won't ever see smartlists change until you restart MC.

[johnkaess]

I believe that Bob is correct in his analysis.

I would modify his comment by saying that MC will reset the playlist any time you change playlists. The way that i use MC, this is perfectly acceptable as i rarely use a smart playlist for more than a few hours before changing to another playlist, and if i then go back to the previous smartlist, it will reload it using the updated "Last Played" info which is what i expect.

From my perspective, this behavior is perfectly acceptable and does not impact my use of MC in any negative way, and is much more preferable than having any smartlist with the "Last Played" parameter in it hang and not go to the next song. I can understand that for some, this may not be the case.

At any rate, Bob has nailed down the issue and is looking at possible solutions.

[marko]

I'm a Windows user, but have been following the thread here...

The majority of my listening these days is when driving, via JRemote for IOS.

In there, there are many smartlists that use [Last Played], mostly, in that I do not want to hear the same track in any seven days. Also, most of these smartlists will pick a random selection of tracks within given criteria, and shuffle the results.

MC on the server can run, 24/7, for anything between 14 and 40 days.

Just in case whatever happens here goes 'cross-platform', I, and anyone else using MC in this way, simply cannot have these random, shuffled and [last played] filtered smartlists returning the same files every time they're selected in JRemote.

If there's nothing to worry about here, that's all good, I'll shut up and move along, and if there is, thank you for your time and consideration

-marko

[johnkaess]

In my experience, every time a new playlist is selected, it does in fact apply all the criteria and update the playlist. The issue that has frustrated me since MC 30 is that in the effort to continually update the playlist after every song with a Last Played parameter, it hangs the playback to repeat the first song played and never moves on.

I also use JRemote, in a similar method to yours controlling playback from my iPad.

[marko]

Yes, and if I understand correctly, this smartlist update is upsetting your playback device.

I only chipped in to highlight the importance of that smartlist cache reset to some of us.

I have no doubt that, if possible, an agreeable solution will be found

[bob]

Talking about it with Matt, the only thing we could think of is to not reset the cache, only for DLNA when MC is the server. That wouldn't affect remotes, MCWS or library server clients but would mean you'd need to restart MC or Media Network to force a fresh browse of smartlists when using MC DLNA server services.

[johnkaess]

Would the playlists reset when selecting a different playlist? As long as the playlist resets each time a new playlist is selected, it would solve my issue and i don't see a downside to that for JRemote and Library servers.

[EnglishTiger]

Would the playlists reset when selecting a different playlist? As long as the playlist resets each time a new playlist is selected, it would solve my issue and i don't see a downside to that for JRemote and Library servers.

Smartlists are Dynamic - they will only provide a list of tracks that satisfy the smartlists criteria , i.e.  not played in the last 2 weeks, at the time the smartlist is run.
So if you run such a smartlist start it playing and then after 5 tracks you switch to another smartlist/playlist then the smartlist you originally ran will not list the 5 tracks you played until they satisfy the "not on the last 2 weeks" criterai

[marko]

Smartlists are Dynamic - they will only provide a list of tracks that satisfy the smartlists criteria , i.e.  not played in the last 2 weeks, at the time the smartlist is run.
So if you run such a smartlist start it playing and then after 5 tracks you switch to another smartlist/playlist then the smartlist you originally ran will not list the 5 tracks you played until they satisfy the "not on the last 2 weeks" criterai

Which is causing problems for johnkaess, because his DNLA player is having trouble dealing with the fact that the smartlist changes 'on the fly'.

Bob explains here...

Your player appears to be re-getting the playlist after each track played BUT your smartlist parameters make the playlist change after the first track is played (it won't show up in the smartlist any more). MC resets the cache on each call to get the playlist so the one returned next is different (starts with the 2nd track of the first playlist) and that messes up your player.
If we don't reset the cache (that was a fix back in MC30 to make smartlists update) you won't ever see smartlists change until you restart MC.

The proposed fix is to not reset for DNLA connected devices only. If that goes ahead, the only way that users with DNLA connected playback devices will get current smartlist results is if they restart MC (as per Hendrik a few posts up). While this won't affect me at the moment as I have no DNLA devices, they seem to be very popular, and I don't know, just my gut tells me a lot of users might get caught out by this if it goes through.

-marko

[bob]

What we ended up trying is for DLNA to only reset the playlist if the one being accessed by the content directory call is different from the last call. This means if the same playlist is requested multiple times for each play it won't reset (until one has browsed another playlist then back to the original again in which case you'd expect to see an update)

Seems like it's solved the issue.