No sound from certain internet radio stations

[Pokersut]

I have a number of internet radio stations added to my Favourites, but they have stopped working.

When I click them, they appear to start playing, but I hear no sound. If I look at the Now Playing screen, the seconds are ticking away, but nothing comes out.

If I log into the SC web interface and click on the link from there, it starts up Windows Media Player, and the radio starts playing fine - so it is not a case of broken links. For some reason the stations just don't work when I select them on the Controller.

I can play other radio stations and all my stored music - I only have problems with a handful of radio stations (e.g. http://opml.radiotime.com/StationPla...e&PartnerId=16).

What could be the problem?

[Pokersut]

Me again.

I just checked the server log, and it gives an entry like this one every time I start a radio station:

Streaming: Launching mplayer -really-quiet -vc null -vo null -cache 128 -af volume=0 -ao pcm:file=/dev/fd/3 http://wmscr1.dr.dk/e04ch12m?wmcontentbitrate=300000/.wma

Can anyone see if this looks ok? The link (http://wmscr1.dr.dk/e04ch12m?wmconte...te=300000/.wma) works if you click on it.

[bpa]

Always provide as much system info as possible.

What sort of player are you using ?
Have you installed AlienBBC to handle WMA streams ?

If it is Softsqueeze and you are using 7.3.x then it could be a known Softsqueeze bug.

If you are using a Linux platforms with a new PC then it could also be an AlienBBC bug - if so what version of AlienBBC installed and what PC/OS.

[Pokersut]

What sort of player are you using ?

Duet. Two receivers connected to separate amps/speakers - doesn't work on any of them, nor on the internal speaker.

Have you installed AlienBBC to handle WMA streams ?

No - should I?

If it is Softsqueeze and you are using 7.3.x then it could be a known Softsqueeze bug.

Haven't tried it with softsqueeze. My SqueezeCenter is a nightly (7.4-25231) and the Controller firmware is 7.3 r4673 (will probably soon be auto-updated - I just installed SC 7.4).

I have tried different versions of SC 7.3 too, but the problem is the same.

If you are using a Linux platforms with a new PC then it could also be an AlienBBC bug - if so what version of AlienBBC installed and what PC/OS.

SC is running on a Linux based Synology NAS (DS-107+), and it has been working flawlessly since I got it.

[bpa]

The "Mplayer" message should only appear if the player cannot play WMA natively. The SBR can play WMA but SBC (controller) cannot.

If the problem occurs when playing these station on your receivers (NOT the controller) you should check that WebUI Settings/Advanced/FileTypes Windows Media is set to "native" and not "disabled".

If problem i still there with "Windows Media" set to native, then MPlayer is not part of SC config and since you have not installed AlienBBC, SSODS must be bundling it in with SC so it looks like an SSODS configuration problem.

[Pokersut]

If the problem occurs when playing these station on your receivers (NOT the controller) you should check that WebUI Settings/Advanced/FileTypes Windows Media is set to "native" and not "disabled".

It is set correctly - but I have just discovered that I do, in fact, have AlienBBC installed. Must have forgotten that I installed it ...!

The settings under Windows Media are this:

FLAC: mplayer.sh/flac  	
MP3: mplayer.sh/lame
PCM: deactivated (greyed out) 	
WAV: mplayer.sh 	
Windows Media: native

If problem i still there with "Windows Media" set to native, then MPlayer is not part of SC config and since you have not installed AlienBBC, SSODS must be bundling it in with SC so it looks like an SSODS configuration problem.

And when I do have AlienBBC installed ...?

[bpa]

How did you install SC on the Synology box ?
Is it a full Linux which has overwritten the vendors firmware or did you use something like SSODS ?

Please be clear about what is being used to play the WMA streams ? You mention using receivers and then talk about its internal speaker. Receivers do not have speakers - the controller does ?

Normally, when playing WMA on the receivers (not the controller which hass a speaker) MPlayer should not be used unless you have enabled bit rate limiting - have you enabled bit rate limiting ?

[Pokersut]

How did you install SC on the Synology box ?
Is it a full Linux which has overwritten the vendors firmware or did you use something like SSODS ?

I used SSODS. And, as I said, it has been playing flawlessly for a very long time.

Please be clear about what is being used to play the WMA streams ? You mention using receivers and then talk about its internal speaker. Receivers do not have speakers - the controller does ?

Sorry, I meant the internal speaker on the Controller - but from your comments I understand that the Controller cannot handle internet radio streams on its own?

Anyway, it doesn't work with the receivers either (connected to my amp and speakers).

Normally, when playing WMA on the receivers (not the controller which hass a speaker) MPlayer should not be used unless you have enabled bit rate limiting - have you enabled bit rate limiting ?

Nope, no bitrate limiting.

[bpa]

The station should work with the receivers and SC should not use mplayer. I think receivers not paying this stations is a separate problem.

Can you play other WMA stations through the controller and receivers ?

If you can then it is possible the problem is associated with the Danish station using a 48kHz sample rate rather than more common 44.1kHz and as SSODS has altered the AlienBBC conf files - there may be a mistake.

[Pokersut]

Can you play other WMA stations through the controller and receivers ?

Okay, this is weird: When I try to play the station using the url from my original post (http://opml.radiotime.com/StationPla...e&PartnerId=16) nothing happens.

But if I use another url to the same station - http://www.dr.dk/netradio/Metafiler/..._oline_128.asx - all is fine!

I have no idea what the difference is between the two - but I guess this means that I can actually play WMA and that there is not a sample rate issue?

Thanks for all your help so far!