BBCiPlayer V1.5.2 beta test

[bpa]

This is a new thread for beta testing of BBCiPlayer 1.5.2 and later.

BBCiPlayer 1.4.x implemented DASH and has been available for nearly 12 months.
Some users of 1.4.x have "Rebuffering" problems especially with live stream and particularly on Windows platforms when transcoding for SB3, Classic, Boom and Transporter.

For users of 1.4.x to install change the repository in Settings/Plugins tab to http://downloads.sourceforge.net/pro...lease-repo.xml

1.5.x fixed two sources of the rebuffering problem and has been tested by a small number of users.

1.5.2 has a few small changes from 1.5.1. There is still a known rebuffering issue with live streams Windows system.

The BBCiPlayer 1.5.2 has two settings which mainly of interest to Windows users.
* "Seconds to delay start live stream" - This setting is for Windows systems - all other systems can leave at no delay or up to 15 secs.
* "Buffer fullness threshold" - leave at 255. Too low a value can stop playback. On Windows with rebuffering may be useful to test reduction to 100 when playing 320kbps.

For windows system adjusting the "Seconds to delay start live stream" setting can avoid rebuffering. The delay setting will be read each time a stream is started so no need to restart LMS between changes.

For low power system and/or playing low data rate streams 48k/96k (e.g. non UK users) set to at least "1 mins" for 96k and "2 min" for 48k.

For most Windows system of a few years old - use a delay of at least 15 secs. If rebuffering still occurs - increase and report to thread.

The max value of 3 min in 1.5.1 does not work for higher end Windows system (e.g. typically i5/i7 4 core).
V1.5.2 has a max delay of 6 min. If users of these system experience rebuffering/long start up on live streams try longer delays 4 min,5 min and 6 min and report if it helps.

BBCiPlayer 1.5.2 Release notes
- Increase "Live delay" range hopefully to fix Quad Core Windows problem
- Fix cosmetic bugs which produced very large "!XXXXX seconds delay" after program names
- DASH is the initial default playback format for Live and Listen Again for new installation.
- Reduced "prefetch" buffer which will reduce number of "select kill task " messages in log.
- No change has been made to HLS so rebuffering may still occur when playing HLS.
- Added alternative menu for live streams using Limelight CDN.
- Added alternative menu for live streams MP3 only but with metadata (make sure MP3 is a format in Live preferences).
- Add "Buffer Threshold" as a setting. Affects DASH, HLS and Flash formats.

edit:

24-Jun-17 This now deliver V1.5.3 which has following fixes to V1.5.2

11-Feb-17
Release notes for BBCiPlayer 1.5.3 beta
- Change to live streaming behaviour due to a problem noted by BBC.
- Fix to problem of metadata getting stuck/not updating on live stream
- Fix to "delay" message after skipback so that time shown is sensible.
- Better handling of failed http request and tidyup after http requests.
- Reduced default timeouts of http requests.
- Fix for "Listen Again" on DASH 9-Feb-17 bug
- "Recent Tracks" menu to provide info on latest tracks played on some stations.

Also delivers BBCiPlayerExtra V2.x which delivers reduced functionality compared to V.19.* due to BBC removing some APIs.

[bpa]

After tidyup the code and turning off all the diagnostic message and doing final check before uploading - I got the rebuffering issue on my Win7 i5-3210m laptop. Once extra delay due to logging message were removed, it may have been enough to make the system fast enough to trigger the issue but using longer "live delay" seem to have been a workaround.

[Owen Smith]

So what settings do I need with buffers and delays on windows to get the v1.4.9 behaviour? It's working great for me so I want to carry on using the same settings.

[bpa]

So what settings do I need with buffers and delays on windows to get the v1.4.9 behaviour? It's working great for me so I want to carry on using the same settings.

If 1.4.9 has been working for you OK - then the installed settings should be OK as well. When playing a live stream if you have a long start delay or a burst of audio and then a long delay - then you should alter the delay setting.

The user who needs to play with the settings are the ones which Live streams in DASH or HLS have been usable or nearly usable with logn start up delay.

[davidismynaim]

hi bpa
listening to R2 right now with 1.5.2 and no rebuffer so far 6 mins in. set the buffer fullness to 100.

fingers crossed.

[davidismynaim]

switched to R6 listening now for 4 mins, not a single glitch. Bit too early to get too excited, but so far so very good.

[davidismynaim]

btw still have delay set to 3 mins.

[whitman]

Bpa, I'm assuming that as I'm on a Mac, with no rebuffering problems, I can safely stick to 1.4.9 ... even when this moves out of beta?

[bpa]

Bpa, I'm assuming that as I'm on a Mac, with no rebuffering problems, I can safely stick to 1.4.9 ... even when this moves out of beta?

Yes. If you don't have many messages in the log about long packet response times and your system/LAN isn't stressed by many TCP connections per sec needed to stream - then there is no reason but I would expect all users to eventually migrate.

However if BBC changes their site - updates will only be applied to latest version of the plugin i.e. 1.5.2 or later.

The BBCiPlayerExtra 1.9.5 works with 1.4.7 and later.

[PaulinPosset]

1.5.2 running without issue from the office (poor internet connection) through squeezelite on a Win7 laptop.

One thing I've noticed is that the metadata stops updating/changing after an hour or so. Not really a problem and I'd also noticed it in previous versions, but as the stream consistency has been improved and now doesn't require a 'restart' the quirk is more noticeable.

Purely for academic reasons, I can't see how you select the alternative menu for live streams using Limelight CDN in the settings?

Many thanks.

[majones]

Good result here running Windows 10 with a i5-4460 processor! When I use BBCiPlayer for Radio 4 live, there is no start-up delay or rebuffering when "Seconds to delay start live stream" is set to 2 mins, but there is when set to 15 s. Many thanks, bpa.

[bpa]

1.5.2 running without issue from the office (poor internet connection) through squeezelite on a Win7 laptop.

One thing I've noticed is that the metadata stops updating/changing after an hour or so. Not really a problem and I'd also noticed it in previous versions, but as the stream consistency has been improved and now doesn't require a 'restart' the quirk is more noticeable.

I noticed it too but it is not consistent. I'll have to look at it again.

Purely for academic reasons, I can't see how you select the alternative menu for live streams using Limelight CDN in the settings?

Near bottom of BBciPlayer menu "Listen Live - alt CDN". I've no idea whether there is any streaming difference as there is no audio difference but included it for completeness (and possibly testing). If a user wants the menu in a different location - they can change the menu.opml files.

[bpa]

Good result here running Windows 10 with a i5-4460 processor! When I use BBCiPlayer for Radio 4 live, there is no start-up delay or rebuffering when "Seconds to delay start live stream" is set to 2 mins, but there is when set to 15 s. Many thanks, bpa.

Did you have long delays/gaps/rebuffering with 1.4.9 on live streams ?

[PaulinPosset]

Near bottom of BBciPlayer menu "Listen Live - alt CDN". I've no idea whether there is any streaming difference as there is no audio difference but included it for completeness (and possibly testing). If a user wants the menu in a different location - they can change the menu.opml files.

Can't find it where you've described it to be and I've reloaded the default menu and cleared the cache.

[bpa]

Can't find it where you've described it to be and I've reloaded the default menu and cleared the cache.

Attached is screenshot of menu. Very strange - I've double checked that update menu.opml is in the 1.5.2 zip file on sourceforge