Internet Radio "Now Playing" Update Frequency

[HoZ]

When listening to Internet radio stations in Squeezecenter, the "Now Playing" information is not updated and displayed in a timely manner; often not until the current song is almost over. When listening to the same station with other apps (say Amarok), the information is updated much faster. Often,the title of the next track is displayed before the current track even ends. Is there some way to configure a quicker refresh of this info in Squeezecenter?
Thanks.

[andyg]

Do you have a specific example?

[HoZ]

Just did a few quick comparisons with a couple of different radio streams. On average, it takes Squeezecenter 60 seconds after a new track starts to update the display on my SB2 will the current "Now Playing" information. Listening to the same streams using Amarok, I am notified of the next tracks information approximately 10 seconds before the current track ends.

[andyg]

Again, do you have a specific example?

[HoZ]

As examples:
http://smoothjazz.com/streams/smoothjazz_128.pls
http://fs-insidejazz.fast-serv.com:8034/listen.pls
both can be used to consistently reproduce the above described scenario. The SB2 display, as well as the web interface, are not updated with the current "Now Playing" information until about 60 seconds into the track.

[andyg]

As examples:
http://smoothjazz.com/streams/smoothjazz_128.pls


Updates immediately upon startup and exactly at every song transition. We are actually a lot better in this respect than any software player I've seen, which update the metadata displayed when it is received rather than when it is played. We delay the update according to how much data is buffered (~16 seconds in the case of this stream) so the metadata changes at the correct time.



http://fs-insidejazz.fast-serv.com:8034/listen.pls


Same.

So I don't see the problem. Please enable player.streaming.direct and player.streaming.remote debug and get a log if you can. This will show you what is going on regarding metadata and the delay, etc.

[HoZ]

I'm not sure how much of the log you want. What I've included below shows a delay of 70+ seconds.

[08-11-16 21:31:55.9474] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::readMetaData (84) Metadata size: 96
[08-11-16 21:31:55.9482] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::readMetaData (111) Metadata: StreamTitle='Ray Parker, Jr. - Sunset Ray - I'm Free!';StreamUrl='http://www.smoothjazz.com';���
[08-11-16 21:31:55.9500] Slim::Music::Info::setDelayedTitle (554) Delaying metadata title set by 0 secs
[08-11-16 21:31:55.9619] Slim::Music::Info::__ANON__ (577) Setting title for http://smoothjazz.com/streams/smoothjazz_128.pls to Ray Parker, Jr. - Sunset Ray - I'm Free!
[08-11-16 21:33:42.8465] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::readMetaData (84) Metadata size: 112
[08-11-16 21:33:42.8471] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::readMetaData (111) Metadata: StreamTitle='David Wells - Bahama's Blues - Friday Afternoon';StreamUrl='http://www.smoothjazz.com';������������
[08-11-16 21:33:42.8528] Slim::Music::Info::setDelayedTitle (554) Delaying metadata title set by 75.9107482993197 secs
[08-11-16 21:34:58.7797] Slim::Music::Info::__ANON__ (577) Setting title for http://smoothjazz.com/streams/smoothjazz_128.pls to David Wells - Bahama's Blues - Friday Afternoon
[08-11-16 21:37:22.4505] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::readMetaData (84) Metadata size: 96
[08-11-16 21:37:22.4511] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::readMetaData (111) Metadata: StreamTitle='PROMO - Smoothjazz.com Spot - lp - ';StreamUrl='http://www.smoothjazz.com';��������
[08-11-16 21:37:22.4560] Slim::Music::Info::setDelayedTitle (554) Delaying metadata title set by 71.9398458049887 secs

[andyg]

Ah OK, so that could happen if the bitrate of the stream was not detected properly and it calculates the wrong duration for the audio in the buffer. It worked here, so I'd like to see the scan.scanner log from when you first connect to the stream.

[HoZ]

[08-11-17 17:02:50.7044] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::readRemoteHeaders (345) Updating content-type for redirected URL http://scfire-ntc-aa10.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1005 to mp3
[08-11-17 17:02:50.7130] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::readRemoteHeaders (352) This URL is an audio stream
[08-11-17 17:02:50.7138] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::readRemoteHeaders (377) Found bitrate in header: 128000
[08-11-17 17:02:52.7211] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (195) Error: Can't connect to remote server to retrieve playlist: Connect timed out: Transport endpoint is not connected.
[08-11-17 17:02:52.7230] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (195) Error: Can't connect to remote server to retrieve playlist: Connect timed out: Transport endpoint is not connected.
[08-11-17 17:02:52.7243] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (195) Error: Can't connect to remote server to retrieve playlist: Connect timed out: Transport endpoint is not connected.
[08-11-17 17:02:53.1560] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (195) Error: Can't connect to remote server to retrieve playlist: Connect timed out: Transport endpoint is not connected.
[08-11-17 17:02:53.1577] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (195) Error: Can't connect to remote server to retrieve playlist: Connect timed out: Transport endpoint is not connected.
[08-11-17 17:02:53.1590] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (195) Error: Can't connect to remote server to retrieve playlist: Connect timed out: Transport endpoint is not connected.
[08-11-17 17:02:53.3686] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (195) Error: Can't connect to remote server to retrieve playlist: 400 Bad Request.
[08-11-17 17:02:54.1437] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (195) Error: Can't connect to remote server to retrieve playlist: Connect timed out: Transport endpoint is not connected.
[08-11-17 17:02:54.1444] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (651) Playlist scan of http://smoothjazz.com/streams/smoothjazz_128.pls finished
[08-11-17 17:02:54.1609] Slim::Utils::Scanner::Remote::__ANON__ (667) Found at least one audio URL in playlist
[08-11-17 17:02:54.1676] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::onOpen (760) Getting next audio URL from playlist http://smoothjazz.com/streams/smoothjazz_128.pls
[08-11-17 17:02:54.1860] Slim::Formats::RemoteStream::open (60) Opening connection to http://scfire-ntc-aa10.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1005: [scfire-ntc-aa10.stream.aol.com on port 80 with path /stream/1005 with timeout 5]
[08-11-17 17:02:54.3145] Slim::Formats::RemoteStream::request (136) Request: GET /stream/1005 HTTP/1.0
Cache-Control: no-cache
Connection: close
Accept: */*
Host: scfire-ntc-aa10.stream.aol.com
User-Agent: iTunes/4.7.1 (Linux; N; Red Hat; i686-linux; EN; utf8) SqueezeCenter/7.2.1/23630
Icy-Metadata: 1

[08-11-17 17:02:54.5111] Slim::Formats::RemoteStream::request (143) Response: ICY 200 OK
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5138] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: icy-notice1: <BR>This stream requires <a href="http://www.winamp.com/">Winamp</a><BR>
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5144] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: icy-notice2: Firehose Ultravox/SHOUTcast Relay Server/Linux v2.6.0<BR>
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5149] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: icy-name: SMOOTHJAZZ.COM - The Internet's Original Smooth Jazz Radio Station - Live from the Monterey Bay
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5154] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (193) Setting new title for http://scfire-ntc-aa10.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1005, SMOOTHJAZZ.COM - The Internet's Original Smooth Jazz Radio Station - Live from the Monterey Bay
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5242] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: icy-genre: Smooth Jazz
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5248] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: icy-url: http://www.smoothjazz.com
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5253] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: content-type: audio/mpeg
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5339] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: icy-pub: 1
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5345] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: icy-metaint: 16384
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5350] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (184) Header: icy-br: 128
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5435] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (208) Bitrate for http://scfire-ntc-aa10.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1005 set to 128000
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5483] Slim::Formats::HTTP::parseHeaders (300) Stream does not support seeking
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5497] Slim::Formats::RemoteStream::request (202) Opened stream!
[08-11-17 17:02:54.5750] Slim::Utils::Misc::msg (1398) Warning: [17:02:54.5743] Use of uninitialized value in hash element at /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/Slim/Player/Squeezebox.pm line 1215.
[08-11-17 17:02:54.6790] Slim::Player::Squeezebox2::directHeaders (333) Processing headers for direct streaming:
HTTP/1.0 200 OK
Server: SqueezeCenter (7.2.1 - 23630)
Connection: close
Content-Type: audio/mpeg

[08-11-17 17:02:54.7728] Slim::Music::Info::__ANON__ (577) Setting title for http://smoothjazz.com/streams/smoothjazz_128.pls to SS - TOURS & FESTIVALS - msc out -
[08-11-17 17:02:54.8360] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::readMetaData (84) Metadata size: 96
[08-11-17 17:02:54.8367] Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTP::readMetaData (111) Metadata: StreamTitle='Denny Jiosa - Angel's Kiss - Inner Voices';StreamUrl='http://www.smoothjazz.com';��
[08-11-17 17:02:54.8384] Slim::Music::Info::setDelayedTitle (554) Delaying metadata title set by 0 secs
[08-11-17 17:02:54.8492] Slim::Music::Info::__ANON__ (577) Setting title for http://smoothjazz.com/streams/smoothjazz_128.pls to Denny Jiosa - Angel's Kiss - Inner Voices

[andyg]

OK, that log looks pretty normal to me, other than all the connection failures, but that wouldn't cause this issue.

[HoZ]

I just thought of something. I use a custom convert.conf to pipe flac and mp3 through BruteFir to apply digital room correction. Could this cause such an issue?

flc wav * *
[flac] -dcs --force-raw-format --endian=little --sign=signed --skip=$START$ --until=$END$ -- $FILE$ | brutefir -quiet -nodefault /usr/share/squeezecenter/.brutefir_config1

mp3 wav * *
[lame] --mp3input --decode -t --silent $FILE$ - | brutefir -quiet -nodefault /usr/share/squeezecenter/.brutefir_config1

[andyg]

Bingo. Since your player is full of PCM data but the delay calculation is not taking this into account, that's why it thinks you have 70+ seconds of audio in the buffer. Thanks, this is a bug.

[andyg]

http://bugs.slimdevices.com/show_bug.cgi?id=10036

[HoZ]

Thanks for your help Andy.