Softsqueeze won't play Alienbbc

[mphearn]

I have downloaded and installed the AlienBBC plugin into Squeezecenter. It works fine with my Squeezebox but Softsqueeze won't play and gives 'wrong filetype error'

What is wrong?

SqueezeCenter Version: 7.2.1 - 23630 @ Tue Oct 21 07:44:57 PDT 2008 - Windows Vista - EN - cp1252

Alienbbc version: AlienBBC-v2.02b1_7.1-7.2.exe

Softsqueeze newly installed from link in Squeezecenter.

For AlienBBC info see: http://www.x2systems.com/AlienBBC/

TIA for any assistance.

Malcolm

[jonbartlam]

Correct me if I'm wrong but AlienBBC is used to decode the REAL stream that the BBc transmits over. They also transmit over a windows alternative. Add the following to your favourites or radio stations to listen (It worked for me)

Radio 1 : http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/wm_asx/aod/radio1.asx
Radio 2 : http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/wm_asx/aod/radio2.asx
Radio 4 : http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/wm_asx/aod/radio4.asx

I think you'll probably see a pattern. The limitation I think, will lie with listen again features, although theoretically, if you find out their naming patterns for the feeds you should be able to get these too. No flashy interface doing it this way though (not used alienBBC...Yet)

To get other radio stations you can go to their player page which plays the sound, and right click the site. View the source for the link to the feed.

Hope this helps.

[bpa]

The WMA streams only work if you are in the UK. If you are not in the UK then the RealAudio streams are the only option - hence the need for AlienBBC.

User have reported some problem with Softsqueeze npt starting when play is presses and it requires pause and play again.

However the "wrong filetype" error looks like a configuration issue strange that AlienBBC works already with Squeezebox.

Are you using bit rate limiting with Softsqueeze ?

[mphearn]

I am in UK.

Squeezebox plays all SqueezeCenter channels (including alienBBC) perfectly.

Softsqueeze will play all radio channels ok EXCEPT for alienBBC channels. Displays "Problem: Unable to play filetype"

I have standard softsqueeze 3.7 installation.

Malcolm

[bpa]

Can you do a log with player.source set to INFO both for Squeezebox and for Softsqueeze playing the same URL.

[mphearn]

Can you do a log with player.source set to INFO both for Squeezebox and for Softsqueeze playing the same URL.

Thank you bpa. I will be happy to do what you suggest, but please can you give me more explicit instructions. How do I set player.source? and how do I do a log? Sorry for my ignorance!

Malcolm

[bpa]

Settings/Advanced/Logging will present a table of login options - set player.source to INFO and click apply button. Must be using the Default skin.

Do your tests - for the playing URL just play for 10 secs.

To get the log - Settings/Status and click on the entry top show the server.log entries - select the 500 lines. Copy entries from the windows into a .txt text file and then attached to a post. If necessary zip the .txt file first before attaching.

[mphearn]

Settings/Advanced/Logging will present a table of login options - set player.source to INFO and click apply button. Must be using the Default skin.

Do your tests - for the playing URL just play for 10 secs.

To get the log - Settings/Status and click on the entry top show the server.log entries - select the 500 lines. Copy entries from the windows into a .txt text file and then attached to a post. If necessary zip the .txt file first before attaching.

OK bpa, done it! Two txt files attached. Looking forward to your conclusions.

Couldn't do 500 lines because table disappeared after about 5 seconds!

Malcolm

[bpa]

These are not data entries from server.log as the Socketwrapper entries (prefixed by "SW:") only appear on console output.

The server.log browser window is a scrollable windows and you can use click & shift click top & bottom to select all the text. The output in a console windows can be saved by increasing the size of the window (e.g. 300 wide by 9000 lines down) using the menu in the top left corner of windows and then using menus again, Edit, Select All, Copy after you have captured entries.

That said, both entries show alienbbc has started playing a BBC stream and has received data so the problem is not AlienBBC.

A more complete record of server.log entries may enable a better explanation of what is happening.

At worst attach a zipped copy of server.log file.

[mphearn]

These are not data entries from server.log as the Socketwrapper entries (prefixed by "SW:") only appear on console output.

The server.log browser window is a scrollable windows and you can use click & shift click top & bottom to select all the text. The output in a console windows can be saved by increasing the size of the window (e.g. 300 wide by 9000 lines down) using the menu in the top left corner of windows and then using menus again, Edit, Select All, Copy after you have captured entries.

That said, both entries show alienbbc has started playing a BBC stream and has received data so the problem is not AlienBBC.

A more complete record of server.log entries may enable a better explanation of what is happening.

At worst attach a zipped copy of server.log file.

Sorry about that bpa, I didn't read your instructions carefully enough. Attached now are the zipped server.log entries. Can you now draw any conclusions?

Thanks for your patience and efforts to help...

Malcolm

[bpa]

[08-11-11 23:37:19.7592] Slim::Player::TranscodingHelper::checkBin (185) couldn't find binary for: lame


Unless you have done some very special per player editing of the custom-convert.conf file. It looks like you have bit rate limiting enabled for Softsqueeze and you have not installed lame.

However it is pointless since Bit rate limiting will not work with AlienBBC.