Announce: Whitebear Media Server v2.2 Released

[Wigster]

Hi Wigster,

Although I installed the Shark codecs, WMP12 was still not able to stream flac files to Whitebear or Squeeze players. Could you please give me more details of what parts of Shark you installed, and how you set it up? I am running Windows 7 64 bit, and I am wondering if that makes any difference.

Sorry for relying so late:

Well, it seems to just work on my setup. I have the Shark codecs for Win 7 installed (you need both the 32-bit and the 64-bit versions, since WMP-12 is a 32-bit app) and set to their recommended settings. I am also running a plugin called WMP Tag Plus, which allows me to add to the library the files which are not normally supported. Maybe this is a key?

I am not sure whether this matters, but I used to worry about this a lot previously, so this is how my system is set up: the server has file access to the directory in which the music files are located: I am running the LMS service on the server using the same user as I use on the laptop, so that the permissions work out. You should be able to test if this is possible by browsing to the music folder through LMS's menus and playing the files (you may have to add some kind of link across machines?).

Given the above, playing FLACS works perfectly fine. It is also possible to play AAC files in this way. However there is a problem: the same track will repeat over and over once it reaches the end, instead of progressing onto the next track in the list (or stopping if it's over).

What doesn't work for either FLAC or AAC is skipping to a different point in the track. WIth the FLAC nothing happens, with the AAC, playing restarts from the beginning.

You have sent me a new version by PM: I am not sure whether you changed anything with regard to the above, but I'll let you know if there is any change.

[AndrewFG]

I am also running a plugin called WMP Tag Plus, which allows me to add to the library the files which are not normally supported. Maybe this is a key?

Yes that could be the cause (because I don't have that plug-in installed). I will give it a try, and keep you posted.

I am not sure whether this matters, ...

I think that is unlikely to matter...

What doesn't work for either FLAC or AAC is skipping to a different point in the track. WIth the FLAC nothing happens, with the AAC, playing restarts from the beginning.

Yes that sounds like a classic problem with LMS/SBS -- I can confirm your experience... ;-(

You have sent me a new version by PM: I am not sure whether you changed anything with regard to the above, but I'll let you know if there is any change.

I changed quite a bit in the Play To functionality. Players should now display much more track meta data and album art. Also if you Play To with WAV, PCM or AIF, then Whitebear fixes the above mentioned LMS/SBS problems with Seek and Pause, by proxying the streams and applying the Seek internally itself.

[Wigster]

Hi Andrew,

So I've tried out v2381. Unfortunately, with the new version I can no longer play the FLAC files from the local WMP library. Playing AACs works (although they still repeat once they reach the end and the progress bar and time remaining counter are completely off).

The FLAC file appears in the PlayTo list, the interface seems to think it's playing for a few seconds (i.e. the pause button appears) and then it skips onto the next track in the list.

Is there some subset of logs I could send to you from the two versions so you could compare?

[AndrewFG]

Unfortunately, with the new version I can no longer play the FLAC files from the local WMP library. Playing AACs works (although they still repeat once they reach the end and the progress bar and time remaining counter are completely off).

Hmm. That one works and the other doesn't sounds unusual...

What type of player are you using? Is it a Touch? Does it have in player support for Flac and not Aac? Or vice versa? And what version of SBS/LMS are you using?

Edit: could you also please send me the logs (log Http server and log Cli) of what happens when you do Play To for a) an AAC track and b) an FLAC one?

[Wombat66]

Wow!

I'm running Whitebear 2.2.2.2196 and I'm very pleased. I tried a version back in October 2010 and it wasn't working nearly as well a this one. I'm so glad I came back and gave it another try. As soon as I'm done writing this I'm going to be clicking on that donation button.

BTW, I'm using JRiver Media Center 17, and with Whitebear pushing audio to a Squeezebox Boom and/or my Squeezebox Radio while controlling it all with JRemote from my iPhone. I'm so happy! Yes!!!

Now, I believe something was mentioned about the possibility of gapless play? That will totally seal the deal!

Looking forward!

Cheers!

[AndrewFG]

Now, I believe something was mentioned about the possibility of gapless play? That will totally seal the deal!

i am delighted that you like Whitebear. And you are correct: I am indeed working with the guys at J River to provide gapless play. expect a new release in ten days or so...

[AndrewFG]

Status Update:

I have created a new test version of Whitebear which addresses the issues raised in this post. If have sent a PM to Wigster and )p( with a link where you guys can get it.

The new test version also includes code to support Play To with gapless playback. This is currently under testing by the guys over at J. River.

If I get positive feedback both here and on the J. River forum, that the fixes work, and that nothing else got broken, then I expect to post the new version officially in a few days time.

[AndrewFG]

I have added support for SetNextAvTransportURI in Whitebear, but it turns out that JRMC does not call it. It seems they announced support for SetNextAvTransportURI in their RENDERER "for those control points that support it", but they did not choose to support that feature temselves in their own control point (go figure). So adding the new feature to Whitebear is (currently) a pointless exercise. However I posted a comment about it on their forum...

Update: I am delighted to announce that Whitebear v2.3 now fully supports SetNextAvTransportURI and so does J. River Media Center v17 -- This means that JRMC can deliver gapless playback on Playing To Squeeze players (by Whitebear). Indeed (really cool) if you have SBS/LMS set for cross-fade you can even have a "negative" gap between tracks.

[AndrewFG]

Sorry for relying so late:
Well, it seems to just work on my setup. I have the Shark codecs for Win 7 installed (you need both the 32-bit and the 64-bit versions, since WMP-12 is a 32-bit app) and set to their recommended settings.

Hi Wigster,

I finally got back to this topic because someone else has posted another thread about WMP on this forum.

I cleaned out all my WMP codecs, and reinstalled the latest Shark set. And yes, I can now play all kinds of music files locally in WMP. But the Play To function still only "almost" works; which is to say that WMP does properly send the UPnP commands to set up playing, and Whitebear safely parses them and adds the track to the player's playlist. However when the Squeezeplayer tries to actually play the track WMP returns an HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request error.

This means that the player and WMP are talking to each other, but that WMP does not want to serve the file. I suppose this could be a firewall issue, but when WMP is serving a natively supported mp3 track there is no error, and only when trying to serve a Shark transcoded flac track does the HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request error occur.

=> Any suggestions?

[vinhattieu]

I can play mp3s from WMP12 to my Touch, but cannot get Flacs to work. I've tried madFlac, then Win7Codecs 3.5.8, both with WMP Tag Plus installed, but nothing happens.

Can anybody help me with that?