Topic: Dynamic? playlists on server (Read 7757 times)

Micromecca · « **on:** January 09, 2013, 07:38:15 pm »

I have recently been setting up all my favourite radio streams as playlists on my Media Server so that I can easily play them on my MC clients, or select them via Gizmo however, I have encountered an issue with some of the playlists. The BBC Radio AAC streams appear to use playlists where the entries change at (ir)regular? intervals, I can import them into MC and then launch them from any client without issue for maybe an hour but then they will stop working. I have now realised that if I download the playlist again after it stops working then the new playlist has different entries. Is there anyway that I can get this working perhaps MC can update the playlist at regular intervals?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r3_aaclca.pls

Micromecca · « **Reply #1 on:** January 10, 2013, 12:12:15 pm »

Micromecca · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2013, 12:13:04 pm »

glynor · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2013, 01:42:05 pm »

Hmmmmm....

You might be able to make a View that points to the playlist, and have it refresh that way. I'm really not sure. You're adding this via File -> Open URL, and then checking the Add To Web Media box, right?

Or, are you already in Connected Media and adding it as a Named entry via the Right Click > Add Website option?

Micromecca · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2013, 03:38:41 pm »

Hi Glynor, I was adding it as a playlist on the server under my playlist group 'Radio' this was the only way I could think of to make it available to all clients from the server, is there an easier way to do this and keep it updated with the online changes?

glynor · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2013, 03:41:04 pm »

Quote from: Micromecca on January 21, 2013, 03:38:41 pm

Hi Glynor, I was adding it as a playlist on the server under my playlist group 'Radio' this was the only way I could think of to make it available to all clients from the server, is there an easier way to do this and keep it updated with the online changes?

Could you tell me the exact steps you're using to do that?

Micromecca · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2013, 03:48:46 pm »

Sure, I was saving the playlists locally and then dragging them into my playlists group on the server, it was then I realised that the entries for the BBC Radio 3 Playlist changed approx every hour.

MrC · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2013, 03:58:30 pm »

If this is any help, it appears that the s and e values of the URL are start and end times:

File2=http ...q?s=1358797831&e=1358812231&h=5c675b72ed4c527fd1a8826a2557cef8

$ echo 1358797831 | perl -ane 'print scalar localtime($_)'
Mon Jan 21 11:50:31 2013

$ echo 1358812231 | perl -ane 'print scalar localtime($_)'
Mon Jan 21 15:50:31 2013

I wonder if you could just extend the end time, or remove them altogether.

Micromecca · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2013, 04:06:56 pm »

Quote from: MrC on January 21, 2013, 03:58:30 pm

I wonder if you could just extend the end time, or remove them altogether.

Thanks Mr C. I had already tried this to no avail, it seems that the server will only stream when the full string is used.

MrC · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2013, 04:11:24 pm »

Did you try a larger end value?

Micromecca · « **Reply #10 on:** January 21, 2013, 04:12:59 pm »

yes, only the exact entries provided when you download the playlist will work for me $:-\$

glynor · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2013, 01:14:48 pm »

I intended to test this last night, but my HD-PVR decided to break instead.

I'll try to get to it tonight.

Micromecca · « **Reply #12 on:** January 22, 2013, 03:12:38 pm »

No worries Glynor, I appreciate any input and am grateful for folk taking the time to investigate.
I have been mulling this over a little more today and thought about using wget to fetch the playlist at regular intervals but then how would I make MC stay up to date with the new version with the up to date entries $:-\$

MrC · « **Reply #13 on:** January 22, 2013, 03:20:27 pm »

If you pull the playlist URL periodically, and located it in an auto-import directory, perhaps this will work?

Micromecca · « **Reply #14 on:** January 22, 2013, 03:22:56 pm »

is MC clever enough to realise that the original playlist it imported from the specified 'auto import directory' has changed and re-import it?

MrC · « **Reply #15 on:** January 22, 2013, 03:31:35 pm »

It will by default detect external changes and re-import changes to changed files.

You can manually test this - add a playlist file to an auto-import folder. Make a change with an external editor, and auto-import will pick up the new URLs.

You'll have to delete the old ones periodically. If you use a smartlist to show only the recent URL, that should work out, and you can do your housecleaning at your convenience.

Micromecca · « **Reply #16 on:** January 22, 2013, 03:37:45 pm »

Sorry perhaps my question wasn't too clear, if I simply replace the only playlist in the auto import directory will MC know that its contents have changed and re-import it ?

MrC · « **Reply #17 on:** January 22, 2013, 03:40:00 pm »

Micromecca · « **Reply #18 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:05:21 pm »

Well, the auto import seems to work and stay updated with external changes however, the playlist will not play on MC clients, I get a Playback Failed dialogue box stating 'The selected files can not be played'

glynor · « **Reply #19 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:08:53 pm »

Quote from: MrC on January 22, 2013, 03:20:27 pm

If you pull the playlist URL periodically, and located it in an auto-import directory, perhaps this will work?

I'm just wondering (and what I wanted to test) if it'd work if you add the "playlist" a different way...

You can also add it by:

1. Go to Audio > Connected Media in the tree.
2. Right click on Connected Media and choose Add Website.
3. Enter a name and the URL of the feed.
4. Hit OK. Now you have an entry under Connected Media that points to the playlist. This should use not the contents of the playlist, but the dynamic playlist URL itself (pulling the contents whenever you "play" it).

(See attached screenshot.)

The thing I don't know is if the Connected Media items are shared by the Library Server, so that they're accessible on the Client-end, because I haven't used them much. It also might not work if you want to access them from a DLNA client or something (though I'm pretty sure you can get to them from Theater View, so you should be able to add them to the Media Network system too, I think)...

Micromecca · « **Reply #20 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:14:16 pm »

Thanks Glynor, I had already fiddled with connected media a bit earlier and then discovered that I could not start playback of these items via Gizmo which is an absolute must in my setup, My android tablet is the only means of controlling the Audio Library on the Lounge MC.

MrC · « **Reply #21 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:15:53 pm »

I wasn't able to get the resulting rtmp URL to play either in MC. Had to use a browser.

glynor · « **Reply #22 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:17:48 pm »

Quote from: MrC on January 22, 2013, 04:15:53 pm

I wasn't able to get the resulting rtmp URL to play either in MC. Had to use a browser.

It works here when I add it that way...

There's a lady on there right now talking about Sherlock Holmes.

glynor · « **Reply #23 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:18:08 pm »

Quote from: Micromecca on January 22, 2013, 04:14:16 pm

Thanks Glynor, I had already fiddled with connected media a bit earlier and then discovered that I could not start playback of these items via Gizmo which is an absolute must in my setup, My android tablet is the only means of controlling the Audio Library on the Lounge MC.

Ahh... Bummer. That was the part I wanted to test.

Micromecca · « **Reply #24 on:** January 22, 2013, 05:11:07 pm »

Guys, any idea why THIS is happening on the clients when the playlist imports and plays fine on the server?

Micromecca · « **Reply #25 on:** January 24, 2013, 10:01:25 am »

anyone ? $:-\$

glynor · « **Reply #26 on:** January 24, 2013, 11:41:12 am »

Quote from: Micromecca on January 22, 2013, 05:11:07 pm

Guys, any idea why THIS is happening on the clients when the playlist imports and plays fine on the server?

Nope, sorry.

I can try to replicate it if you post more about exactly how you're importing the playlists (the wget script you have or whatever).

Micromecca · « **Reply #27 on:** January 24, 2013, 11:55:32 am »

I think we can forget Wget for now as its not really relevant to the issue.
I setup an auto import folder that contains an up to date working copy of the BBC Radio 3 Playlist, it imports to the server just fine and plays ok. If I then go the client and start playback of the playlist via the Servers library I see this error $:-\$

Micromecca · « **Reply #28 on:** January 27, 2013, 02:11:00 pm »

Bump, anyone ?

Micromecca · « **Reply #29 on:** January 29, 2013, 02:24:33 pm »

Bump $:-\$

MrC · « **Reply #30 on:** January 30, 2013, 02:18:04 pm »

I'm able to play the playlist you reference here just fine here on both the server and client.

Micromecca · « **Reply #31 on:** January 30, 2013, 03:21:10 pm »

I can play it directly on the server and also directly on the client (if I open it manually using the network path to the sever) but when I try to play it on the client via the servers library I am presented with that error

Micromecca · « **Reply #32 on:** January 30, 2013, 03:41:13 pm »

I have enabled logging and am seeing the following:

Code: [Select]

0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFile: Start
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFile: Filename: m01p://media-server:52199/MCWS/v1/File/GetFile?File=31417\Length2=-1\Length2=-1\Title1=No Title
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFileData: Start
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFileData: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFileData: Start
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFileData: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFile: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFile: Start
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFile: Filename: m01p://media-server:52199/MCWS/v1/File/GetFile?File=31417\Length2=-1\Length2=-1\Length1=-1
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFileData: Start
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFileData: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFileData: Start
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFileData: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFile: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFile: Start
0032011: 43424: Import: JRAnalyzer::AddFile: Filename: File2=http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_lc1_radio3_q?s=1359572954&e=1359587354&h=f888d1b76903dbac2c7b3affc3ed9f30
0032011: 43424: Reader: CWinINetReader::Open: Start
0032011: 43424: Reader: CWinINetReader::Open: Opening File2=http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_lc1_radio3_q?s=1359572954&e=1359587354&h=f888d1b76903dbac2c7b3affc3ed9f30
0032011: 48232: Reader: CWinINetReader::Thread: Start
0032011: 48232: Reader: CWinINetReader::Connect: Start
0032011: 48232: Reader: CWinINetReader::Connect: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 48232: Reader: CWinINetReader::Thread: failed, unknown protocol.
0032011: 48232: Reader: CWinINetReader::Thread: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 43424: Reader: CWinINetReader::Open: ConnectToURL failed, m_bConnectError=true, URL=File2=http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_lc1_radio3_q?s=1359572954&e=1359587354&h=f888d1b76903dbac2c7b3affc3ed9f30
0032011: 43424: Reader: CWinINetReader::Close: Start
0032011: 43424: Reader: CWinINetReader::Close: Finish (0 ms)
0032011: 43424: Reader: CWinINetReader::Open: Finish (0 ms)

The problem would appear to be related to '0032011: 48232: Reader: CWinINetReader::Thread: failed, unknown protocol'

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Author Topic: Dynamic? playlists on server (Read 7757 times)