Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[marko]

Dr. C.
I've read your post a couple of times. Here's my thoughts...

First, we need to decide if you have a playingnow problem, or an MC problem (or both)

I tried working in word with windowed mode 'on top' and visible. I see a popup and my ftp is updated. (works for me, not an MC problem?)

other questions were:

are you loading your library from an MC server? (I'm not, should I make the effort to test that? I could only do it over the LAN. any difference between behaviour over LAN\Interenet?)

and

are you running 64bit windows XP? if you are, is that on list of 'supported OS's'?

I have other questions, mostly regarding your installation paths/methods/playingnow. check your PM box.

[JONCAT]

Using x64 and even with MC maximized, if the Windowed View is on as well, no FTP update or Playing Now popup.

Another issue: When MC is set to jump always to Playing Now, no cover art is displayed. When I disable PN (pop-up), it works okay. Once in Playing Now, if I play another track the cover art comes on the screen. Obviously PN and MC's Playing Now are conflicting with each other as they fight over the image file. Kinda sucks...anyone else seeing this?

Dr. C

Dr. C

[JONCAT]

1. Tiles size is not sticking...it's always reverting to Medium when switching between views. FIXED with .27 I guess

2. Client (laptop) can not play video from server (both XPsp2). My x64 can play fine from either library server or networked drives. The laptop can play the files through MC tree fine. I can play a few files now but some that worked yesterday are locking up MC now.

EDIT - MAJOR issues w/ Library Server....I have the x64 server and the XP servers running ported to specific ports. I just connected to one server and it loaded the entire x64 library and the x64 server log showed nothing, but I watched the XP server (via remote control) stream out all the requests for media NOT in its library.

Getting various lockups and error playing file even though the XP server is feeding or attempting cover art and seems to follow my requests as I broswe ....just won't play.

AND now just got a critcal error on the laptop just trying to load the x64 library. Guess I should mentione as a disclaimer I have had no problems (until now) with x64 compatability except for the next issue.

Okay nothing is working ---the two servers are intermingling...it's all fragged snafu etc. even with one of either servers turned off. I'm off to bed.

3. x64 issue? - can't start media server.exe "via icon" either manually executing or placing in Startup folder (w/o MC running) on this rig and the target for the link in Start>Program Files changed to a My Computer link overnight somehow, it had this target yesterday:

C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\BBInstaller.exe /MediaServer


Dr. C

X64:
Media Center Registered 11.1.127 -- C:\Program Files (x86)\J River\Media Center 11\

 Workstation 5.2 Service Pack 1 (Build 3790)
AMD Unknown 2489 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 1047 MB, Free - 345 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.3790.1830 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82.3790 / Shlwapi.dll: 6.0.3790 / Shell32.dll: 6.0.3790 / wnaspi32.dll: N/A
Ripping /   Drive D: _NEC    DVD_RW ND-3520AW  Mode:ModeSecure  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: Yes /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
  Eject after ripping: Yes /  Play sound after ripping: No 

Burning /  Drive D: _NEC     DVD_RW ND-3520AW   Addr: 0:1:0  Speed:16  MaxSpeed:48  BurnProof:Yes
  Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: Yes /  Write CD-Text: Yes
  Use playback settings: No /


XP (laptop):

Media Center Registered 11.1.127 -- E:\MC11\

Microsoft Windows XP  Workstation 5.1 Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
Intel Pentium 4 1189 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 261 MB, Free - 93 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2900.2180 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82.2900 / Shlwapi.dll: 6.0.2900 / Shell32.dll: 6.0.2900 / wnaspi32.dll: N/A
Ripping /   Drive D: HL-DT-STRW/DVD GCC-4240N  Mode:ModeSecure  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: Yes /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
  Eject after ripping: No /  Play sound after ripping: No 

Burning /  Drive D: HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4240N   Addr: 1:0:0  Speed:1  MaxSpeed:1  BurnProof:Yes
  Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: No /  Write CD-Text: Yes
  Use playback settings: Yes /

[LonWar]

Tiles size is not sticking...it's always reverting to Medium when switching between views.

Dr. C

Media Center Registered 11.1.127 -- C:\Program Files (x86)\J River\Media Center 11\

 Workstation 5.2 Service Pack 1 (Build 3790)
AMD Unknown 2489 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 1047 MB, Free - 345 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.3790.1830 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82.3790 / Shlwapi.dll: 6.0.3790 / Shell32.dll: 6.0.3790 / wnaspi32.dll: N/A
Ripping /   Drive D: _NEC    DVD_RW ND-3520AW  Mode:ModeSecure  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: Yes /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
  Eject after ripping: Yes /  Play sound after ripping: No 

Burning /  Drive D: _NEC     DVD_RW ND-3520AW   Addr: 0:1:0  Speed:16  MaxSpeed:48  BurnProof:Yes
  Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: Yes /  Write CD-Text: Yes
  Use playback settings: No /

I'm not seeing this.... Mine are all staying on small.

[RhinoBanga]

Obviously PN and MC's Playing Now are conflicting with each other as they fight over the image file. Kinda sucks...anyone else seeing this?

Can't see how as MC *copies* the artwork before giving it to a plugin:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=30701.0

[marko]

my gut feeling is that something is not quite right on your system. I think that if anyone else was seeing this they'd have chimed in by now.

is there any way you can test things on xp-sp2 ?

Also, just a thought, but you don't say what filetypes you're playing. If they're .ogg files, there are several .ogg\album art fixes in the latest build that might help, and if not, it still could be relevant?

One last thing, did you know there's a switch for fullscreen in the playingnow ini file?
Look in the [popup] section for "PopupOnFullscreen=". If it's not there, that's fine, as the default is to always show the popup, obviously, if it is there, and it's set to "Never".....

I think you have bigger fish to fry than full screen popups though to be honest.

[Matt]

3. x64 issue? - can't start media server.exe "via icon" either manually executing or placing in Startup folder (w/o MC running) on this rig and the target for the link in Start>Program Files changed to a My Computer link overnight somehow, it had this target yesterday:

C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\BBInstaller.exe /MediaServer

That's not a link to Media Server.  Erase all the MC start menu items and reinstall MC.

[JONCAT]

Thanks Marko, it worked, changed Never to Always.
 btw, I am playing mostly .ape's

Aruba-neg still is not popping up and won't start when I switch skins like it did yesterday. ?

[General]
Background=.\bg.jpg
;PlaySound=.\..\Common\Sound.wav
TimeToShow=400
TimeToStay=15000
TimeToHide=400
Blend=false
position=620,800
debug=false


[Objects]
NumTexts=2
NumThumbnails=1
NumGradientFills=0

[Text 1]
WordWrap=true
Text=\'<Name>\' by \'<Artist>\' from the album \'<album>\'
Top=6
Left=42
Width=-10
Height=32
FontName=tahoma
FontSize=9
FontBold=1
FontItalic=0
FontUnderline=0
FontStrikeout=0
Alignment=c
ForegroundColor=0xDBDCFC
tooltip=Name: <name>\nAlbum: <album>\nArtist: <artist>


[text 2]
text=::: Duration: <"Duration"> ::: <"Bitrate"> kbps (<Type>) ::: <"file size"> ::: Played <"number plays"> times :::
top=40
left=47
width=-20
height=16
fontname=tahoma
fontsize=9
FontBold=0
Alignment=c
foregroundcolor=0xDBDCFC

[thumbnail 1]
MissingImage=.\..\Common\0987654321xx.jpg
type=5
border=true
borderstyle=0
top=13
left=9
tooltip=<artist>

[GradientFill 1]
Top=37
Left=55
Width=410
Height=1
StartColor=0xCFCFCF
StopColor=0xCFCFCF
Direction=Horizontal


And the Main ini:

;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  GENERAL SECTION
;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[General]
EnableMediaCentreMultiMediaKeys=False
EnablePopup=True
EnablePaste=True
EnableLogging=False


;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  POPUP SECTION
;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Popup]
Poll=750
ShowHotkey=Win+P
ToggleHotkey=Win+Ctrl+P
Skin=slim-aruba-neg
ExcludeExtensions=vob,mpg,mpeg,avi,dvd*,mov,asf
PopupOnFullscreen=Always
autoftp=1
EnableSound=False


;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  PASTE SECTION
;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Paste]
NumPastes=2

[Paste 1]
Hotkey=Win+F9
Tokens=/me is playing: <red><Name><purple> - <red><Album><purple>  [Time: <Duration> | <Bitrate> kbps <Type> | <FileSize>]

[Paste 2]
Hotkey=Win+F10
Tokens=/me is playing: <Name> - <Album>  [Time: <Duration> | <Bitrate> kbps <Type> | <FileSize>]


;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  SKINS SECTION
;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Skins]
JpegQualityOnSave=100
;Path=C:\Development\C\MediaCenter\PlayingNow\Skins
Random=False

;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  LOGGING SECTION
;--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Logging]
MaxEntries=50
Filename=c:\PlayingNowHistory.txt
Tokens=<Name>\t<Album>\t<Artist>
Thumbnail=LoggingThumbnail
;Script=C:\PlayingNow.bat
;UseTempThumbnailFilename=True
;HideScriptWindow=False


[LoggingThumbnail]
Type=1
MissingImage=c:\PlayingNowMissingImage.jpg







Dr. C

[JONCAT]

I did the first uninstall in a long time and started fresh.

C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\BBInstaller.exe /MediaServer


This is the target on express install of x64 windows (program files x86).

Now I can't restore my last library...critcal error. wtf......

Dr. C

[JONCAT]

Post yours, here's mine:

 Client (laptop) can not play video from server (both XPsp2). My x64 can play fine from either library server or networked drives. The laptop can play the files through MC tree fine. I can play a few files now but some that worked yesterday are locking up MC now.

EDIT - MAJOR issues w/ Library Server....I have the x64 server and the XP servers running ported to specific ports. I just connected to one server and it loaded the entire x64 library and the x64 server log showed nothing, but I watched the XP server (via remote control) stream out all the requests for media NOT in its library.

Getting various lockups and error playing file even though the XP server is feeding or attempting cover art and seems to follow my requests as I broswe ....just won't play.

AND now just got a critcal error on the laptop just trying to load the x64 library. Guess I should mentione as a disclaimer I have had no problems (until now) with x64 compatability except for the next issue.

Okay nothing is working ---the two servers are intermingling...it's all fragged snafu etc. even with one of either servers turned off. I'm off to bed.

[JONCAT]

I feel like I am losing my mind so please bear with me.

I had a lot of server issues last night, that I considered valid, since I literally watched two servers conflict with each other on my network.

More on that later, right now, I can't restore my library. I did an "upgrade" uninstall and started fresh with .28. The library created on the 22 of Feb is corrupt. I tried it on another system same thing.

I have used this backup the other day so I am not sure if it can get corrupted by my system (defrag with bad memory) or something MC related.

This system is running x64 but it has been really stable and will memtest and prime to make me confindent that it is a good bench of MC use with x64.

I spent a LOT of time messing with MC and don't appreciate posts being deleted when they are trying to be constructive. None of us are on the payroll remember? We do this for the love 

I'd appreciate you guys looking into library server conflicts; something  isn't right...I'm digging on this end.

Dr. C

[Matt]

Doctor,

You're seeing a lot of problems other people aren't.

We'll certainly take a look on our end, but it seems like you may have some other computer problem.

Several of your older posts got split off.  Please look there.  You own 3 or 4 of the top threads right now.  Let's try to stick with one of those moving forward.

Thanks.

[lalittle]

My Library Server issues are:

1)  Wave files stutter when changing positions.  They used to do this at the seam changes between songs as well, but this seems to have gotten better around the 127 build.  This does not happen when accessing the same songs directly over the network.

2)  Audible playback does not work over the Library Server.  According to JRiver, this is due to the new Audible SDK, which does not allow authorization to take place via http, which is what Library Server uses.  JRiver reported last week that they would contact Audible about this, but I have not heard any updates yet.  If this can't be changed, it puts a big dent into the usefulness of the Library Server and this version of MC for me.  I may have to end up reverting to MC 11 if this isn't something that can be fixed anytime soon.  If it can't be fixed at all, I really don't know what I'll do since this is part of my main usage of MC.  I really need Library Server to be able to play music AND audible files in order for it to be usable to me.

Note that I haven't tried 128 yet.

Larry

[JimH]

Several of your older posts got split off.  Please look there.  You own 3 or 4 of the top threads right now. 

I'll merge them later tonight.

[JimH]

My Library Server issues are:

1)  Wave files stutter when changing positions.  They used to do this at the seam changes between songs as well, but this seems to have gotten better around the 127 build.  This does not happen when accessing the same songs directly over the network.

Please try converting as you play to another format (APE or MP3).  It may be just a bandwidth problem.

[JONCAT]

I think my problem is codec related. suddenly I can't play avi or xvid files but I can play mpg. Dvd didn't seem to work either. This just started with the last build so I am scratching my head.

I think that the remote control session was somehow causing the craziness I mentioned earlier, but I can't figure ou this codec thing.

My wife was using her laptop all week watching avi's and now this....
guys I got apregant woman here who wants her sitcoms...HELP ME 

Dr. C

[JONCAT]

Getting a library failure with .28 so I installed .24 and it restored okay.

Dr. C

Media Center Registered 11.1.124 -- C:\Program Files (x86)\J River\Media Center 11\

Workstation 5.2 Service Pack 1 (Build 3790)
AMD Unknown 2489 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 1047 MB, Free - 377 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.3790.1830 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82.3790 / Shlwapi.dll: 6.0.3790 / Shell32.dll: 6.0.3790 / wnaspi32.dll: N/A
Ripping /   Drive D:   Mode:Normal  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: No /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
  Eject after ripping: Yes /  Play sound after ripping: No

Burning /  Drive D: _NEC     DVD_RW ND-3520AW   Addr: 0:1:0  Speed:48  MaxSpeed:48  BurnProof:Yes
  Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: Yes /  Write CD-Text: Yes
  Use playback settings: No /

[Matt]

I can't reproduce any library backup or restore problems.

I wonder if something is corrupting your installs.  You're also getting strange start menu shortcuts.

[JONCAT]

I have three PC's here....and two of them are getting the same exact behavior when trying to stream video from the server.

I installed .23 on all to see if it would rectify the Library Server issue since the restore worked when I switched.

I just loaded up the media server's library and got a failure:

"the download of the specified resource has failed"

If it doesn't fail it locks up MC while attempting to load:

EDIT - just took 2.5 minutes to stream video successful to x64 rig.
Using "safe mode" I still take forever on both machines to load video. I just re-connected and rebooted everything piece of hardware.

I can playback video 100% when browsing through MC .....



Dr. C

[Matt]

When you're having problems, try to simplify.

Don't use extra plugins or visualizations.  Don't use server playback.  Play basic file types instead of huge movies.

Then add complexities one-by-one as you think things are working.

[JONCAT]

I tried playing audio first and did move on to video which is the problem area. But now I see this delay also on the x64 box so I am going to reboot the entire network and yank off things like print server etc.

I jst upped my main rig back to .28 and can't play any files. Try to restore library and it fails. Right now I am back with .24 so I can hear some music.

I don't know what else to say...28 doesn't work .24 does, but I'll keep digging.

Dr. C

[JONCAT]

I re-installed Playing Now Marko and I replaced my custom ini for the aruba-neg and now the picture is small. Is there something in the main ini I can chaneg like I did before; I can't find it now.

The Aruba Gold and Aruba Neg are the problem skins for me, they just won't stay active (popup wise) after MC restart.

thanks
Dr. C

[JONCAT]

Here's the library that restores to my Xp & x64 systems with .24 (i don't have the others just .27 & .28) and fails to restore with .28

www.catuccio.net/drc22feb06.zip

Dr. C

[lalittle]

Please try converting as you play to another format (APE or MP3).  It may be just a bandwidth problem.

If the problem was due to insufficient bandwidth, it would effect the playback when playing the songs directly (i.e. when not using Library Server.)  Since the issue only occurs when using Library Server and not when playing the exact same files directly, it points to the LS as causing the issue somehow.

That said, I tried converting to mp3, and the songs NEVER play when I do this.  They say "waiting" for a while, and then "opening," but they never actually open, and the blue note icon is eventually replaced by an exclamation point, followed by an error message after a couple minutes.  Changing it back to "Don't convert" let's the songs play again, but I still have the occasional stutters, and I still have the pop in between songs.

Thanks,

Larry

[marko]

I wonder....

in the aruba skins' ini files, look for the position instruction:
[General]
Background=.\bg.jpg
;PlaySound=.\..\Common\Sound.wav
TimeToShow=400
TimeToStay=15000
TimeToHide=400
Blend=false
position=620,800
debug=false

I'm wondering if it's popping up 'off-screen'?
those co-ordinates suit me for a 19" monitor @ 1280 x 1024, if yours is wildly different from that, I'm guessing that might cause a problem. Try removing the co-ordinates and make the value 'systemtray' (without the quotes). does that help?

the other thing on my mind was your changing the size of the thumbnail. your description was not all that clear to me, but, to change the thumbnail size, you change its "type" in the ini file. it can be anything from 0 - 5, buuut..

anything bigger than 32 x 32 will not fit on the background, and I've a feeling that might be doing some wierd stuff as a result.
I'll need to check this here and get back to you.

The past 3 builds have also given me problems with some xvid files, I've been watching for a fix, but none so far, so it's possible we are seeing similar video problems. For me, the offending xvids cause Windows to intervene and shut MC down. The 'faulting module' is always xvid.dll.

more to follow

[marko]

sorted my xvid probs by uninstalling/reinstalling xvid.

All is cushty with my system once again

btw, if you were wondering why you sometimes see the aruba popup...

if you choose a default skin, you see the popup, if you then drag the popup to a different area of the screen, then, on changing the skin, the new skin popups pops-up, lol, in the same location the previous one was dragged to.
right-click, options > snap to origin sends it back to the location specified in the ini file.

[JONCAT]

I can play all my video files through mapped net drives so I think library server is not working, but I do remember the problem of the library crashing when I would load the video files, that was weird. If I see it again (not so far with .24), I'll try a re-install.

btw - not sure what you mean about sometimes popping up with Aruba Gold.

When I switch skins I can use the new one, move it around wherever, but as soon as I restart MC, I have no Playing Now pop-up until I edit the .ini to use a standard skin.

this and my program files' icon links may be x64 related. I'll be happy to try and figure it out because it's rather strange behavior, but I have exhausted all ideas.

Dr. C

[marko]

if you start playingnow with a default skin, drag the popup to the middle of the screen, then change it to aruba, do you see the popup then?

when you restart, it pops up in the default location, which is set in the skin ini file under position=620,800

and if that's off your screen, you won't see it.
Changing 620,800 to systemtray will fix that.

[JONCAT]

Geez Marko, thanks. I do have a large LCD so I wonder if that was the issue. I looked in the aruba skin'd .ini and changed it position=systray


thanks!!!!!! Have agreat weekend 

Dr. C