8tracks ... can someone read this on its squeezebox (xspf/m4a) ?

[manatlan]

Are you using Windows ?

no ! ubuntu 11.04 up to date

Do you have Quicktime installed ?

what's that ?! ;-)

The problem is why has SBS decided to use "mov" file type and not "mp4".

sure

[manatlan]

The problem is why has SBS decided to use "mov" file type and not "mp4".

I've added a "custom convert" ( http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/AAC )
and now it says me :

[11-08-28 22:02:09.8757] Slim::Player::Song:pen (409) Error: Couldn't create command line for mp4 playback for [http://192.168.0.3:8080/static/zic.m4a]

and I really think the trouble is url-related since :

this works : faad -w -f 2 zic.m4a
this don't work : faad -w -f 2 http://192.168.0.3:8080/static/zic.m4a

"faad" with an url doesn't work ... and I get a "Couldn't create command line for mp4 playback" ... it makes sens, no ?

[bpa]

"faad" with an url doesn't work ... and I get a "Couldn't create command line for mp4 playback" ... it makes sens, no ?

That's correct - faad does not work with an URL. The URL is read by SBS and then passed to the faad through stdin.

The problem with the convert.conf, is that SBS will use the mime value has been set in the Content-type http header by the server that is serving up http://192.168.0.3:8080/static/zic.m4a] and not the suffix.

Since that is a local ip address - what is the Content-type value set to ?

When streaming an URL SBS has to create the transcoding stream before it reads the audio data so it uses http header Content-type first and if that doesn't exist it may use suffix but I'm not sure.

[bpa]

Did some more checking.

faad cannot play MP4 streams. faad only support playing from a file or stdin. SBS plays an internet stream to faad through stdin.

To play MP4 - faad needs to seek up/down the MP4 header and this can only be done with a file and not stdin.

To play MP4 streams on SBS you need to use a different player such as ffmpeg, mplayer or VLC.

There is an additional issue whether the mime type of the stream is in types.conf. I found the 8track stream I tested used "audio/mp4" so I added it to custom-types.conf

I think the following conf file break playing MP4 files seeking I don't know whether else it could breaks in MP4 support.

Don't try the MP4->PCM - there is something wrong.

custom-types.conf

# content types supported by the Squeezebox Server
# first column is unique three letter identifier or URL scheme
# second column is file suffixes or URL 
# third column are MIME content-types
# fourth column is a Squeezebox Server file type
# blank lines, non-three column lines and content after a # is ignored.

#########################################################################
#ID     Suffix          Mime Content-Type               Server File Type#
#########################################################################
mp4     m4a,mp4,m4b     audio/m4a,audio/x-m4a,audio/mp4           audio

custom-convert.conf

mp4 mp3 * *
	# IFRB:{BITRATE=-B %B}T:{START=--skip=%t}
	[ffmpeg] -loglevel quiet  -f mp4 -i $FILE$ -f wav - | [lame] --silent -q $QUALITY$ $BITRATE$ - -

mp4 pcm * *
	# IFRB:{BITRATE=-B %B}T:{START=--skip=%t}
	[ffmpeg] -loglevel quiet  -f mp4 -i $FILE$ -f u16le -

mp4 flc * *
	# IFRB:{BITRATE=-B %B}T:{START=--skip=%t}
	[ffmpeg] -loglevel quiet -f mp4 -i $FILE$ -f flac -

ffmpeg produces some text when playing - I haven't found a way to shut it up.

[giopas]

Any news about that? Would it be possible to create a sort of 8tracks plugin?

[pippin]

Only if the playback issue is resolved.
It's unfortunate. Originally 8tracks used mp3 streams which was when it also worked using iPeng and the links were even permanent so you could use them with favorites, playlists, etc. but since it doesn't play now...

[bpa]

See bug report http://bugs.slimdevices.com/show_bug.cgi?id=17201 for patches that will "fix" m4a podcast playback. The patches are not 100% correct - I know of one side effect which I think affects WMA streams - can't remember the details just now.

[jasell]

Is this why I get "playlist empty" when I try to send the stream to my SB from iPeng browser? It's a long string ending with *.m4a

[pippin]

Yes.
A few months ago at least some of 8tracks' links were mp3s and these did work that way but with these m4a files... the server simply can't play them.

Although... I don't get an empty playlist but a playlist with an empty entry IIRC.