Plugin: Workaround for annoying VBR MP3 problem in V2.2.2+

[nielm]

I have figured out a workaround to that annoying VBR MP3 problem where Sage plays a long period of silence at the end of the track...

Rumour has it that it will be fixed in 2.2.4, but in the meantime here it is, as a Java plugin.

It takes advantage of what might be bugs, and will only work in 2.2.2 and 2.2.3, and it will also only work if you have deleted and re-added your music library since installing 2.2.2 or 2.2.3 (because these are the first versions that know internally the correct duration of VBR MP3's, and you need to do a library delete/re-import to recalculate durations.)

Install instructions:

• Play back a VBR MP3 and go to the full screen/visualisation view
• If it shows up in the timebar with an incorrect duration then you need to do a rescan:
  -> remove the music library from the import list,
  -> rescan the media libraries
  -> check in the music jukebox that you have no music
  -> then re-add the music library
• Stop the SageTV/SageClient instance
• Unpack the attached zipfile into youe SageTV directory
• Edit Sage.properties or (if running a client, or the SageTV service,) SageClient.properties
• add the value "net.sf.sageplugins.Mp3Fixer" to the properties line "load_at_startup_runnable_classes="
  If anything already exists in this line, separate each item with a semicolon ';'
  Note that this is case-sensitive and there must be no spaces at all in this line. eg:
  

  load_at_startup_runnable_classes=net.sf.sageplugins.Mp3Fixer

Restart Sage...
There should be some lines in the logging beginning with MP3FIXER...

Now, playback some VBR MP3's, and enjoy the sound of no silence!

[matterw]

If I am running the client AND server do I set this up on the server, client or both? I was thinking just the server because that is where the re-scan happens, no?

Thanx,Matt

[Cayars]

Nielm can correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you want it installed on the client as the "Server" doesn't do the playback, the client does and it appears this is a fix for the "client playback".

[nielm]

yep: client -- the bit that does the playback
hence the line:

Edit Sage.properties or (if running a client, or the SageTV service,) SageClient.properties

[NickSD]

nielm,

Thanks so much! I've hated the fact that I can't use the music library due to this bug... Thanks for the workaround! Hopefully it'll get fixed for good in the next beta...

Nick

[hoep]

@nielm
thanks a lot for this wonderful fix, it lets me throw meedio from my harddisk and stay only with sage. i'm happy (especially because i have not noticed any issues with the actual beta 2.2.3 - which i also reported already)
thank you VERY much

[matterw]

So, if the client does the work why do I need to "... delete/re-import to recalculate..."?

[nielm]

.. because the plugin code in the client needs to know the true length of the VBR MP3 file, which sage (server) reads from the MP3 when scanning the import directory, and stores in it's DB.

Pre 2.2.2 versions, Sage calculated the length of the VBR file incorrectly (a 3min file would show up at 6min in the timebar). This got fixed in 2.2.2, so in 2.2.2 NEWLY IMPORTED Mp3's would have the correct length and would show up as 3min in the timebar... BUT it still played back for 6 mins...

This plugin uses the difference between the real time in the DB and the playback time to figure out that the file is a VBR MP3 that has already ended...

Anyway... 2.2.4 has fixed the problem, and although this plugin should disable itself in 2.2.4, you should also remove it from the .properties file.