Utility: Web Radio and TV Encoder

[michaeldjcox]

WebFeedEncoder 0.9.6 RC2

• os.commands file no longer used - beta testers pls delete it
• Fix for VLC kill on windows XP and server 2003
• New encoder.props property to disable the above
• Uninstall now also tidies up old backup files
• After add/edit channel delay before progress message appears is removed
• Empty existiing channel for 2nd URL dialog bug fixed
• SageTV7 fixes

Michael

[CanadianEh]

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

I need to transcode to MP3 to crowbar such feeds into SageTV. VLC 0.9.8a was completely unable to do this. VLC 1.0.5 which WFE 0.9.6 can use does better. However, it seems that while VLC can play the stream OK, transcoding it to MP3 is still a problem. It may be that a few parameters changes for VLC will fix this. I will google this one - see what I can find out.

Hi Michael,

Were you able to get anywhere with this? Just curious.

Thanks!
Jay

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by CanadianEh

Hi Michael,

Were you able to get anywhere with this? Just curious.

Thanks!
Jay

HI,

I did a little googling - enough to find out that various people at had various problems with various versions of VLC.

Are you using the latest 1.0.5?

Then I had a play on my home system - in the config tool test mode.

I found that I had stereo sound but it was very choppy.

I changed the video mux from MPEG-TS to MPEG-PS and it sounded fine.

The I played it through a Sage client on the same machine and it went choppy.

I need to try it on an extender next.

Michael

[CanadianEh]

Very cool. All of my playback is through an HD100. I am currently using 1.0.5... I tried checking for an update, and it states it's the latest version.


Thanks again!

Jay

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by CanadianEh

Very cool. All of my playback is through an HD100. I am currently using 1.0.5... I tried checking for an update, and it states it's the latest version.


Thanks again!

Jay

Does your channel work now?

Michael

[CanadianEh]

No.. still the same issue as, before, unfortunately.

[pleyraki]

Hi all.

I have read all the posts, and I have not found a solution to my problem:

The playback is havily intermittent, and getting worse as long as I leave the channel on. That means it tunes OK, but the sound has a lot of stops. Say, it starts playing for one second, stops for two and that goes on and getting only worse.

The same thing happens in both the server and the old hauppauge client. Maybe my server is outdated? I have a via epia motherboard, but it works OK in all other uses.

Anything I could try? Also, could I use the squeezeserver mp3 stream with WFE? It is:
http://localhost:9000/stream.mp3

Thanks.

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by pleyraki

Hi all.

I have read all the posts, and I have not found a solution to my problem:

The playback is havily intermittent, and getting worse as long as I leave the channel on. That means it tunes OK, but the sound has a lot of stops. Say, it starts playing for one second, stops for two and that goes on and getting only worse.

The same thing happens in both the server and the old hauppauge client. Maybe my server is outdated? I have a via epia motherboard, but it works OK in all other uses.

Anything I could try? Also, could I use the squeezeserver mp3 stream with WFE? It is:
http://localhost:9000/stream.mp3

Thanks.

Hi,

What version of WFE and VLC are you using?

Can you send me the webfeedencoder/channels/<callsign>.props file for your feed pls.

WFE should work with any URL feed. I do a transcode to mp3 to get around WMV streams. But if its already an mp3 stream this is not needed. Try and see on this one.

Michael

[pleyraki]

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

Hi,

What version of WFE and VLC are you using?

Can you send me the webfeedencoder/channels/<callsign>.props file for your feed pls.

WFE should work with any URL feed. I do a transcode to mp3 to get around WMV streams. But if its already an mp3 stream this is not needed. Try and see on this one.

Michael

VLC is 0.9.9 Grishenko
WFE is 0.9.5

Please find attached the encoder.log file (as a txt here)

This is the .props file:
(bear in mind the icon shows ok, and that it plays, but with often and long -2 to 5 seconds- pauses).

# ======================================================================
# Channel properties: RadioIOVocalJazz
# ======================================================================
callsign=RadioIOVocalJazz
desc=Standards and contemporary favorites and interpretations, featuring the biggest names, the most beloved voices, and some of the best songs ever performed and recorded.
icon=http\://radiotime-logos.s3.amazonaws.com/s45224q.png
id=s73491
lang=en
name=RadioIO Vocal Jazz
type=radiotime
url=http\://opml.radiotime.com/Tune.ashx?id\=s73491
# ======================================================================
# End of channel properties: RadioIOVocalJazz
# ======================================================================


Any Ideas? Thanks.

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by pleyraki

VLC is 0.9.9 Grishenko
WFE is 0.9.5

Please find attached the encoder.log file (as a txt here)

This is the .props file:
(bear in mind the icon shows ok, and that it plays, but with often and long -2 to 5 seconds- pauses).

Any Ideas? Thanks.

Hi,

There are some known WFE issues with those symptoms - although sometimes it can be other factors like the reliability of the stream.

You can rule out the later by running up VLC directly , doing file->open network stream, and pasting in the URL.

Is playback on an extender, a placeshifter client or on PC?

I reckon you are playing back on a PC.

Can you look at file:

webfeedencoder/commands/tune.radio.windows.commands

If you have text

vb=4000

on the third line

can you try making it

vb=800

please.

Michael

[pleyraki]

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

Hi,

There are some known WFE issues with those symptoms - although sometimes it can be other factors like the reliability of the stream.

You can rule out the later by running up VLC directly , doing file->open network stream, and pasting in the URL.

Is playback on an extender, a placeshifter client or on PC?

I reckon you are playing back on a PC.

Can you look at file:

webfeedencoder/commands/tune.radio.windows.commands

If you have text

vb=4000

on the third line

can you try making it

vb=800

please.

Michael

Thanks for the reply.

No, I am trying it on a Hauppauge MediaMVP.

Will check your ideas and get back to you.

Thanks.

[pleyraki]

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

Hi,

There are some known WFE issues with those symptoms - although sometimes it can be other factors like the reliability of the stream.

You can rule out the later by running up VLC directly , doing file->open network stream, and pasting in the URL.

Is playback on an extender, a placeshifter client or on PC?

I reckon you are playing back on a PC.

Can you look at file:

webfeedencoder/commands/tune.radio.windows.commands

If you have text

vb=4000

on the third line

can you try making it

vb=800

please.

Michael

Hello.

Well, I tried entering vb=800 on the third line of that file (there was no vb= entry), and nothing changed. Is there anything else I should try/check? Remember, I have very bad sound (big stops, and then just half a second of sound and then repeat) in both the server and mediaMVP.

Thanks.

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by pleyraki

Hello.

Well, I tried entering vb=800 on the third line of that file (there was no vb= entry), and nothing changed. Is there anything else I should try/check? Remember, I have very bad sound (big stops, and then just half a second of sound and then repeat) in both the server and mediaMVP.

Thanks.

Hi,

I have tried this channel on my vista laptop using a 3G mobile dongle with both WFE0.9.5/VLC0.9.8a and WFE0.9.6/VLC1.0.5 and it sounds fine.

I will give it a go at home as soon as I can get my home installation working again and try on an MVP.

I think I have ruled out the station as the problem.

Whats you broadband speed like?

Whats the spec of your PC?

When it is running can you look in task manager and tell me what % of CPU the VLC session(s) are using to play the channel?

I assume you are using SageTV6?

Michael

Michael

[pleyraki]

Thanks for your reply.

I think the problem is something with vlc: When playing at the server, the task manager shows two vlc tasks (!) one at 70% cpu and the other at 20% (!!)

Should there be two sessions and with so high cpu use?

Other than that, my dsl is 24Mbps, that should not be a problem. The pc though is low on specs: Via 1GHz fanless, with 2GB of ram. But it works ok everywhere except hidef video.

Thanks,
Antonis.

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

Hi,


Whats you broadband speed like?

Whats the spec of your PC?

When it is running can you look in task manager and tell me what % of CPU the VLC session(s) are using to play the channel?

I assume you are using SageTV6?

Michael

Michael

[michaeldjcox]

WebFeedEncoder 0.9.6RC3

• Fix bug where pid for errant VLC process that needs killing cannot be found because of extra space in the process command line.
• Fix NullPointerException related to second URL which occurs when saving an edited TV channel
• Extend scope of property disabling the new VLC process kill feature to include the bit where it scans for OS processes

If on 0.9.5 choose "Upgrade" if on 0.9.6 choose "Repair". Always shutdown webfeedencoder/configtool/SageTV, leave webfeedencoder directory from command shells and explore windows, close any open files in webfeedencoder directory.

Michael

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by pleyraki

Thanks for your reply.

I think the problem is something with vlc: When playing at the server, the task manager shows two vlc tasks (!) one at 70% cpu and the other at 20% (!!)

Should there be two sessions and with so high cpu use?

Other than that, my dsl is 24Mbps, that should not be a problem. The pc though is low on specs: Via 1GHz fanless, with 2GB of ram. But it works ok everywhere except hidef video.

Hi,

Also trying with VLC 0.9.9 on my 1.8Ghz Core duo laptop and it sounds good VLC sessions peaking at 15% and 5%.

In VLC 0.9.5 the first session transcodes the audio to mp3, the second session injects a video stream needed to make SageTV play.

The latter is the one that uses the most CPU and is essential to get around the annoying SageTV restriction of having to have a video stream.

This restriction of SageTV the reason for this plugin in the first place - its main job is to add video.

Transcoding takes a bit of CPU and with 1Ghz single core machine its probably too much.

WFE 0.9.6 uses only one VLC session and the latest VLC. It may be worth having a go at that.

Do you have success with other channels by the way?

Michael

[koelec]

Hi Michael,
First, I like to compliment you with the excellent configtool and smooth integration of this with sagetv.

I'm trying to get webfeedencoder working with slimplayer as an alternative to the Universal Network Encoder. First attempt was to use the squeezecenter's mp3 stream, which I was able to get working successfully. But this is a limited solution, because you cannot get the commercial internet radio station working without a proper squeezebox player, like slimplayer (Softsqueeze).
So I tried to setup a channel with channel type device(audio) and Virtual Audio Cable as device, but when testing this an exception is thrown (and VLC player window is not opened):

17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Request recording VirtualCable1 E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1_test.mpg 
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: ********** Starting recording VirtualCable1 E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1_test.mpg
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Command: VlmConf "%commands%\addvideo.conf" "%tmp%\%callsign%.conf"
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Command: VlmConf "E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\commands\addvideo.conf" "E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1.conf"
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Failed to create vlm conf file
java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 0
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.replaceTokens(RecordingThread.java:298)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.replaceTokens(RecordingThread.java:346)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.vlmConf(RecordingThread.java:579)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.processCommand(RecordingThread.java:544)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.startRecording(RecordingThread.java:172)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.run(RecordingThread.java:75)
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Command: Vlc "VLC" --vlm-conf="%tmp%\%callsign%.conf" -I rc --rc-host=localhost:%streamAsVideoCommandPort% --rc-quiet %vlclogging%
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Command: Vlc "VLC" --vlm-conf="E:\PROGRA~1\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1.conf" -I rc --rc-host=localhost:5001 --rc-quiet --extraintf=logger --logfile="E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\logs\VirtualCable1_VLC.log" -vvv
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Recording started

this is the content of the tmp\VirtualCable1.conf file:

new audio broadcast enabled
setup audio input "dshow://"
setup audio option dshow-vdev=none
setup audio option dshow-adev="Virtual Cable 1"
setup audio option sout-transcode-audio-sync
setup audio output #transcode{acodec=mpga,ab=128,channels=2}:bridge-in:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=ts,dst='E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1_test.mpg'}}
setup audio enabled
new video broadcast enabled
setup video input "fake://"
setup video option fake-file="E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\cache\images\VirtualCable1.jpg"
setup video option fake-duration=9999999999
setup video option fake-aspect-ratio="16:9"
setup video option fake-file-reload=5

Can you tell me what's wrong. I'm using the latest 0.9.6 RC2 version.

thanks,
- Chris

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by koelec

Hi Michael,

So I tried to setup a channel with channel type device(audio) and Virtual Audio Cable as device, but when testing this an exception is thrown (and VLC player window is not opened):

17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Request recording VirtualCable1 E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1_test.mpg 
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: ********** Starting recording VirtualCable1 E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1_test.mpg
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Command: VlmConf "%commands%\addvideo.conf" "%tmp%\%callsign%.conf"
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Command: VlmConf "E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\commands\addvideo.conf" "E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1.conf"
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Failed to create vlm conf file
java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 0
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.replaceTokens(RecordingThread.java:298)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.replaceTokens(RecordingThread.java:346)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.vlmConf(RecordingThread.java:579)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.processCommand(RecordingThread.java:544)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.startRecording(RecordingThread.java:172)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread.run(RecordingThread.java:75)
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Command: Vlc "VLC" --vlm-conf="%tmp%\%callsign%.conf" -I rc --rc-host=localhost:%streamAsVideoCommandPort% --rc-quiet %vlclogging%
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Command: Vlc "VLC" --vlm-conf="E:\PROGRA~1\webfeedencoder\tmp\VirtualCable1.conf" -I rc --rc-host=localhost:5001 --rc-quiet --extraintf=logger --logfile="E:\Program Files\webfeedencoder\logs\VirtualCable1_VLC.log" -vvv
17-jun-2010 20:56:10: Recording started

Can you tell me what's wrong. I'm using the latest 0.9.6 RC2 version.

Hi Chris,

It looks like a bug.

I have uploaded a fix for this - plus a problem killing VLC sessions which refuse to die.

WebFeedEncoder 0.9.6 RC4

Run the installer and choose "Repair". Make sure webfeedencoder, config tool and sagetv are all down. Leave any command shells, explorer windows or edit sessions in the webfeedencoder directory.

Thanks,

Michael

[n9cqs]

Originally Posted by koelec

Hi Michael,

I'm trying to get webfeedencoder working with slimplayer as an alternative to the Universal Network Encoder.
- Chris

Chris,
When you do get things working well, could you please put instructions on here for the rest of us? Thanks!
Jeff

[pleyraki]

Hi.

This version works like a charm on my super-thin server, but does not work on my mediaMVP extender: It cracks every second or so for maybe half a second and so on.

I see on the server's process manager that when running, the vlc process is at roughly 70% (oops!).

Is there some way I could reduce this load? Maybe doing something with the vlc's video stream? I am sure there is nothing to be done to the audio, since the station I am listening to is from radioio and it is already mp3?

About video: What if there was a debug setting in wfe, to just have black video instead of the logo and song title? Just for testing.

About audio: Now that I am thinking about it, maybe MediaMVP does re-recode the audio stream to something else, I don't know. If so, and if wfe does recode audio in some way, is there a setting for wfe to leave the stream intact (as it comes from the radioio server).

Where should I search? Can I play with advanced setting like Video width, Height and scale, frames per second, mpeg-TS/mpeg-PS, audio bit rate? Please help.

Thanks, Antonis.

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

Hi Chris,

It looks like a bug.

I have uploaded a fix for this - plus a problem killing VLC sessions which refuse to die.

WebFeedEncoder 0.9.6 RC4

Run the installer and choose "Repair". Make sure webfeedencoder, config tool and sagetv are all down. Leave any command shells, explorer windows or edit sessions in the webfeedencoder directory.

Thanks,

Michael