Author Topic: Back to the Basics  (Read 5494 times)

LmceCape

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Back to the Basics
« on: June 07, 2011, 07:10:01 am »
Hi Guys

I was hosting a party this weekend and found out the hard way that the LMCE basics are not working.

1. Tried to play some old music videos (avi) across the house and found that when you try and use the floor plan on those files, they only play properly on the MD where you start it from, on the other MDs' it staggers. Those where some really old AVIs', but never the less would play fine on any ONE MD but badly accross multiple MDs'

2. I added a playlist with the newer AVIs' and .mpg files and the staggering was gone but the media was completely out of sink. If you then sink them it goes out of sink when the next track/video starts (music files or video files).

3. Workaround for the party was to start the playlists from the core and go to the FloorPlan and add the MDs'. Then the MDs' are in sink but the Core/Hybrid is about 3-5 sec behind. This is fine because my core is in the garage, but what if it where a hybrid?

4. What would I do if my Core was actually a just Core with no sound card or MD runnuing?, then I would not be able to start the media on the core so as to sink the MDs'

5. I was always under the impression that when you go to the FloorPlan it was always streamed from the Core, it seems that I was wrong.

6. I also booted my old core to test and it behaves exactly the same.

Is anyone else aware of this?
Is this how it has always been or am I doing something wrong?


LMCEcape 

tschak909

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2011, 12:54:04 am »
Due to the physics of transmitting data over TCP/IP, a hard sync is not possible. Not by anyone. No. Don't argue.

It is a very tough problem, which can only be achieved in highly contrived situations.

The best way to deal with it, is to use well designed gigabit ethernet switches, with good Cat 5e or 6 rated cabling. A good interconnect is worth its weight in gold.

As for how things are streamed, the first player that starts the Xine stream is the master (what we call the Source), and other players slave to it, with the master sending copies to the other devices. No. IP Multicast will not magically make everything sync.

So yes, what you are seeing is a problem, and it is not one that can easily be solved. Many have tried, with varying degrees of success.

-Thom

hari

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2011, 10:12:05 am »
Due to the physics of transmitting data over TCP/IP, a hard sync is not possible. Not by anyone. No. Don't argue.
come to my place and listen to my 3 squeezeboxes in sync..
br hari
rock your home - http://www.agocontrol.com home automation

grind

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2011, 03:20:09 pm »
Hari, can you tell me how you achieved that?
My SBs are not in sync...

Nicolai

Marie.O

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2011, 03:26:32 pm »
Your SBs are not in sync with each other, or the SB and the MDs are not in sync?

totallymaxed

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2011, 07:14:30 pm »
come to my place and listen to my 3 squeezeboxes in sync..
br hari

Yeah... and us too...we have several installations with 12+ Squeezeboxes... all play in sync... but only with each other and not with MM/MD's

All the best

Andrew
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bongowongo

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2011, 07:33:15 pm »
Idea:

Try to get the softsqueeze player to be integrated with the MD's?

Marie.O

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2011, 07:53:10 pm »
Bongowongo,

if you search the forum, you will note, that this idea is not new. Unfortunately, no one has yet come forward to do it.

tschak909

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2011, 09:26:34 pm »
This also of course, does not handle video.

-Thom

bulek

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2011, 07:23:12 pm »
Yeah... and us too...we have several installations with 12+ Squeezeboxes... all play in sync... but only with each other and not with MM/MD's

All the best

Andrew
Hi,

just quick question: does this stand also for Squeezeslave players on USB sound cards ? What version of Squeezecenter ?

Thanks in advance,

regards,

Bulek.
Thanks in advance,

regards,

Bulek.

sambuca

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2011, 07:35:52 pm »
It also is true for squeezeslaves yes, on internal sound card in my case, probably on usb sound cards also, but ymmv.
I use the squeezebox-server/center that is provided by a default lmce install.

best regards,
sambuca

totallymaxed

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2011, 07:47:00 pm »
Hi,

just quick question: does this stand also for Squeezeslave players on USB sound cards ? What version of Squeezecenter ?

Thanks in advance,

regards,

Bulek.


Yes we support any usb sound card supported by 10.10 and we ship currently with squeezeboxserver 7.5.4

All the best


Andrew
Andy Herron,
CHT Ltd

For Dianemo/LinuxMCE consulting advice;
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grind

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #12 on: June 14, 2011, 01:20:33 pm »
Hari, my SBs are not in sync to each other. So when you go from one room to another you notice a delay.
To be honest, my SBs are not yet integrated in LMCE but this shouldn't matter as LMCE is not doing anything else than telling the SB what to play?!

Cheers,
Nicolai

hari

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Re: Back to the Basics
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2011, 10:50:36 am »
Hari, my SBs are not in sync to each other. So when you go from one room to another you notice a delay.
To be honest, my SBs are not yet integrated in LMCE but this shouldn't matter as LMCE is not doing anything else than telling the SB what to play?!

Cheers,
Nicolai
Sounds like your network is b0rked...
rock your home - http://www.agocontrol.com home automation