Stutter/skips in Android client

[kingwaffle]

I guess I'm "relieved" that I'm not the only issue with this problem. I'm running the Fission ROM on my Droid 2 Global. Getting the same skips/stutters that everyone else is complaining about. Server is running the latest build (4.4 beta) and latest Android app.

"server" is my home connection Road Runner (15/768kbps).

I get stuttering even when I downsample to 96kbps or leave it on unlimited.

[GJ51]

If u are using a droid 2, rooted and having skipping issues id recommend trying squidlys rom. He must have done something with stagefright/opencore or some kind of audio tweaks cause the problem has vanished for me. It also fixed lastfm stuttering while scrolling thru anything with a big list on my phone. I asked him what he tweaked and waiting for a response. Anyhow I installed this one here : http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid- ... lblur.html

He has a different version here as well : http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid- ... icial.html

It seems most of these issues are related to the Droid series and stagefright.

768kbps up, although not spectacular, should be more than enough for audio streaming to your phone, provided your 3g signal is good. Skipping/stuttering seems to be an inherent problem on the Droids. I'm not sure that anyone has yet pinpointed the cause or the cure, but if you read back in this thread starting at page 6 it should give you some ideas.

[kingwaffle]

I read the entire thread to see if there were any fixes I could try. Apparently if I enable StageFright Media it'll work?

What is the trade-off to doing so? I am streaming pc-to-pc right now from work and it's working swimmingly.

[GJ51]

Sorry, I really don't know as I use an EVO 4G. Just thought I'd point you to others who may have found workarounds for this issue. You could try a PM to anyone you think might have specific information that applies to your phone.

You're also welcome to test your phone on my public site just to be sure it's the phone and not the server.

http://maplegrove.subsonic.org

guest = user and password.

Good Luck

[starnostar]

I think I figured out whats causing the issue on android devices (although credit for the fix itself goes to frankoid on XDA-Developers). Keep in mind this REQUIRES ROOT ACCESS.

The read ahead buffer on my evo (and from what I have read many other android devices) is set to a very low number, giving it very very slow read speed, for mine is was WELL below the the specified speeds for the class of my SD card.

I have NO IDEA how to fix this on the subsonic end of things, but on my EVO this fix was like night and day, I went from unbearable skipping to not a single skip in 10 hours of straight playing.... (things on my sd card load dramatically faster too)

Essentially, the file that designates the read buffer for the SD card is very very low (it was 4 on mine, this is also the default stock value for the EVO and apparently Desire), for optimal performance this should actually be 128. Unfortunately this specific file cannot be changed in a way that persists on reboot (with the stock kernel at least), as a workaround you can use a script in cron (init.d) that changes this value on boot. The link below has the instructions, and again, these are instructions MIGHT NOT WORK ON ALL PHONES!!! if you need to know how or whether you can do this on your device, ask in the XDA forums in the section for your phone.

I can imagine that with such a small read buffer, playing would be choppy due to slow read speeds (hence less skips or no skips when playing from cache), but combine that with subsonics need to WRITE files to the sd card while reading at the same time, and the amount of skips would go up exponentially. Im also guessing that some custom kernels impliment this fix automagically, hence why some users report no skipping with a custom kernel or rom with a custom kernel cooked in.

Also, this fix (as far as I know) is not a flashable zip, it must be done manually via the adb shell. It consists of using push to send a script (linked on the forum in the link below) to /system/ect/init.d and making it executable (chmod 775).

if anyone plans on trying this fix, make sure to read the threads, and make sure your rom or phone has:
/sys/devices/virtual/bdi/179:0/read_ahead_kb
/system/etc/init.d
you can check with root explorer avalable in the market, it is a PAID app, you can also check the value of your read_ahead_kb file with root explorer

details on what I did can be found in these threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthr ... 57&page=19

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=921530

---i am just a messenger, this fix worked beautifully for me, but i take no responsibility if you brick your phone, NANDROID BACKUP FIRST---

[kingwaffle]

The above method doesn't work on Droids. Mine is already set at 128.

[kingwaffle]

Here's what I think happened. Out of the box, Froyo has Stagefright enabled. I went ahead and enabled Stagefright and my subsonic problems went away. The tradeoff is that, the video-playback in the Gallery breaks. The video records successfully, but if you turn around and try and play it, it will display about a second or two of it and then hang.

So in other words, instead of Motorola adjusting their camcorder app to work with Stagefright, they simply disabled it.

This is a Motorola problem, not Subsonic.

I'd fathom they'll have it fixed in the next update, but I won't hold my breath.

[Pishtim]

After enduring this problem for 7 months I was exited to see that someone finally discovered a solution that worked for me (at least so far, will report back after more testing)

starnostar's "read_ahead_kb" fix has so far solved this problem for me and, in addition, boosted my overall data read performance from 4.1 mb/s to 10+!

I'm REALLY hoping to report back with positive news Thanks!

HTC Evo 4G

[jzanitsch]

I've been running into the stuttering problem with my Samsung Vibrant (Galaxy S) running a custom 2.2 ROM (Bionix-v-1.3.1). I've had the stuttering issue with every ROM (Official 2.1 and many Unofficial 2.2) that I have tried. I checked and the read ahead on this ROM is set for 128 already and has Stagefright enabled by default. I did a logcat while streaming a song, the stutter seems to happen right around the DRM_E_FILEREADERROR:
Here it is:

I/FileUtil( 9567): Serialized object to /data/data/net.sourceforge.subsonic.andr
oidapp/cache/downloadstate.ser
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): IDLE -> DOWNLOADING (DownloadFile (Intro))
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): Buffering /mnt/sdcard/subsonic/music/0-F/Boris/200
3 Akuma no Uta/01-Intro.128.partial.mp3 (0/165120, false)
I/ActivityManager( 2973): Starting activity: Intent { cmp=net.sourceforge.subson
ic.androidapp/.activity.DownloadActivity }
I/XXXX ( 9567): 0 x 0
I/AudioService( 2973): Remote Control registerMediaButtonEventReceiver() for
ComponentInfo{net.sourceforge.subsonic.androidapp/net.sourceforge.subsonic.andr
oidapp.receiver.MediaButtonIntentReceiver}
D/RESTMusicService( 9567): Connections in pool: 5
I/RESTMusicService( 9567): Using URL http://dls.endofinternet.net:1999/rest/getC
overArt.view?u=droid&p=enc:64726f6964&v=1.2.0&c=android&id=643a5c6d656469615c6d7
57369635c302d465c426f7269735c3230303320416b756d61206e6f205574615c466f6c6465722e6
a7067&size=288
D/dalvikvm( 9567): GC_EXTERNAL_ALLOC freed 13183 objects / 765264 bytes in 49ms
I/ActivityManager( 2973): Displayed activity net.sourceforge.subsonic.androidapp
/.activity.DownloadActivity: 359 ms (total 359 ms)
W/PowerManagerService( 2973): Timer 0x7->0x3|0x0
I/PowerManagerService( 2973): Ulight 7->3|0
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): Buffering /mnt/sdcard/subsonic/music/0-F/Boris/200
3 Akuma no Uta/01-Intro.128.partial.mp3 (270336/165120, false)
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): DOWNLOADING -> IDLE (DownloadFile (Intro))
D/MediaPlayerService( 2613): getPlayerType : url = /mnt/sdcard/subsonic/music/0-
F/Boris/2003 Akuma no Uta/01-Intro.128.partial.mp3, filePath = /mnt/sdcard/subso
nic/music/0-F/Boris/2003 Akuma no Uta/01-Intro.128.partial.mp3
E/MediaPlayerService( 2613): create PVPlayer
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): IDLE -> PREPARING (DownloadFile (Intro))
E/ ( 2613): DRM_E_FILEREADERROR
E/ ( 2613): DRMTOOLS_OpenASF_File( inFileName, &((*in_oToolContext)->oMed
iaFile ))
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=19968
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=19968
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=19968
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=19968
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=19968
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): message received msg=200, ext1=1, ext2=44
W/MediaPlayer( 9567): info/warning (1, 44)
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): callback application
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): back from callback
I/MediaPlayer( 9567): Info (1,44)
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): message received msg=1, ext1=0, ext2=0
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): callback application
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): back from callback
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): PREPARING -> PREPARED (DownloadFile (Intro))
E/PlayerDriver( 2613): Command PLAYER_GET_TRACK_FORMAT completed with an error o
r info -5
E/AudioSink( 2613): AudioOutput::open get audioFlinger!!
E/AudioSink( 2613): AudioOutput::open new R2VS!!
I/AudioR2VS( 2613): [R2VS] InitR2VS initBit[0xf]
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): PREPARED -> STARTED (DownloadFile (Intro))
I/DownloadServiceLifecycleSupport( 9567): Serialized currentPlayingIndex: 0, cur
rentPlayingPosition: 0
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromCompleteScan: clipDuration=19983
D/ ( 2613): Returning from GetDuration : duration=19983
D/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613):
D/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613): ALSA OPEN mode 0,device 2
I/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613): Try to open ALSA PLAYBACK device AndroidPlayback_Spe
aker_normal
I/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613): Initialized ALSA PLAYBACK device AndroidPlayback_Spe
aker_normal
D/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613): Set PLAYBACK PCM format to S16_LE (Signed 16 bit Lit
tle Endian)
D/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613): Using 2 channels for PLAYBACK.
D/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613): Set PLAYBACK sample rate to 44100 HZ
D/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613): Buffer size: 2048
D/AudioHardwareALSA( 2613): Latency: 46439
I/FileUtil( 9567): Serialized object to /data/data/net.sourceforge.subsonic.andr
oidapp/cache/downloadstate.ser
D/CancellableTask( 9567): Stopping thread for BufferTask (DownloadFile (Intro))
I/DownloadFile( 9567): Downloaded 841 KB of Intro
D/KIPC ( 2608): KIPC_SendMessage: len = 4, socket = 13
D/KIPC ( 2608): Sent 4 bytes
D/KIPCapp (10271): doSocketRead returning 2 bytes
D/KIPCapp (10271): Attempt to read 4 bytes
D/KIPCapp (10271): calling recv(40)
D/KIPCapp (10271): doSocketRead returning 4 bytes
D/KIPCapp (10271): Issuing MsgInd callback, len = 4
D/KIPCapp (10271): READ FD = 40
D/KIPCapp (10271): calling recv(40)
I/Kineto::main(10271): Kineto: WifiAppStatusCallback Enter ganMode: 80
D/LocationMasfClient( 2973): getNetworkLocation(): Returning cache location with
accuracy 48.0
I/DownloadFile( 9567): Downloaded 1.75 MB of Intro
D/WifiService( 2973): releaseWifiLockLocked: WifiLock{NetworkLocationProvider ty
pe=2 binder=android.os.Binder@485ba0d8}
I/DownloadFile( 9567): Downloaded 2.70 MB of Intro
I/DownloadFile( 9567): Downloaded 3.65 MB of Intro
I/DownloadFile( 9567): Downloaded 4.65 MB of Intro
I/DownloadFile( 9567): Downloaded 5.58 MB of Intro
W/PowerManagerService( 2973): Timer 0x3->0x1|0x0
I/PowerManagerService( 2973): Ulight 3->1|0
I/PowerManagerService( 2973): Setting target 2: cur=41.0 target=20 delta=-1.9090
909 nominalCurrentValue=41
I/PowerManagerService( 2973): Scheduling light animator!
I/PowerManagerService( 2973): Light Animator Finished curIntValue=20
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): message received msg=2, ext1=0, ext2=0
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): callback application
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): back from callback
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): STARTED -> COMPLETED (DownloadFile (Intro))
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): Requesting restart from 19969 of 581000
D/CancellableTask( 9567): Cancelling BufferTask (DownloadFile (Intro))
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): COMPLETED -> IDLE (DownloadFile (Intro))
D/CancellableTask( 9567): Starting thread for BufferTask (DownloadFile (Intro))
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): IDLE -> DOWNLOADING (DownloadFile (Intro))
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): Buffering /mnt/sdcard/subsonic/music/0-F/Boris/200
3 Akuma no Uta/01-Intro.128.partial.mp3 (6856704/7021824, false)
I/DownloadFile( 9567): Downloaded 6.57 MB of Intro
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): Buffering /mnt/sdcard/subsonic/music/0-F/Boris/200
3 Akuma no Uta/01-Intro.128.partial.mp3 (7176192/7021824, false)
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): DOWNLOADING -> IDLE (DownloadFile (Intro))
D/MediaPlayerService( 2613): getPlayerType : url = /mnt/sdcard/subsonic/music/0-
F/Boris/2003 Akuma no Uta/01-Intro.128.partial.mp3, filePath = /mnt/sdcard/subso
nic/music/0-F/Boris/2003 Akuma no Uta/01-Intro.128.partial.mp3
E/MediaPlayerService( 2613): create PVPlayer
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): IDLE -> PREPARING (DownloadFile (Intro))
E/ ( 2613): DRM_E_FILEREADERROR
E/ ( 2613): DRMTOOLS_OpenASF_File( inFileName, &((*in_oToolContext)->oMed
iaFile ))
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=453120
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=453120
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=453120
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=453120
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=453120
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): message received msg=200, ext1=1, ext2=44
W/MediaPlayer( 9567): info/warning (1, 44)
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): callback application
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): back from callback
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): message received msg=1, ext1=0, ext2=0
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): callback application
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): back from callback
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): PREPARING -> PREPARED (DownloadFile (Intro))
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): Restarting player from position 19969
E/AudioSink( 2613): AudioOutput::open get audioFlinger!!
E/AudioSink( 2613): AudioOutput::open new R2VS!!
I/AudioR2VS( 2613): [R2VS] InitR2VS initBit[0xf]
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=453120
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=453120
E/PlayerDriver( 2613): Command PLAYER_GET_TRACK_FORMAT completed with an error o
r info -5
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromRandomScan: clipDuration=453120
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): message received msg=200, ext1=1, ext2=44
I/DownloadServiceImpl( 9567): PREPARED -> STARTED (DownloadFile (Intro))
W/MediaPlayer( 9567): info/warning (1, 44)
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): callback application
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): back from callback
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): message received msg=4, ext1=0, ext2=0
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): callback application
E/MediaPlayer( 9567): back from callback
I/DownloadServiceLifecycleSupport( 9567): Serialized currentPlayingIndex: 0, cur
rentPlayingPosition: 19969
I/FileUtil( 9567): Serialized object to /data/data/net.sourceforge.subsonic.andr
oidapp/cache/downloadstate.ser
I/MediaPlayer( 9567): Info (1,44)
I/MediaPlayer( 9567): Info (1,44)
D/CancellableTask( 9567): Stopping thread for BufferTask (DownloadFile (Intro))
D/dalvikvm( 9493): GC_EXPLICIT freed 401 objects / 13960 bytes in 45ms
D/ ( 2613): After GetDurationFromCompleteScan: clipDuration=453120
D/ ( 2613): Returning from GetDuration : duration=453120
I/DownloadFile( 9567): Downloaded 7.60 MB of Intro

[GJ51]

Uninstall SS, reboot phone, reinstall latest SS. Test on other servers as well as your own.

[jensonc]

So I've had subsonic for a couple weeks now, and first off, props to Sindre and all the other folks on this project, what an amazing piece of software!! Phone details: I have a rooted Droid 2 Global from VZW, but still have the stock ROM (I just simply renamed all the bloatware apps from .apk to .bak so they wouldn't load during phone's boot). I don't use task-killer, and I really don't have much else installed on here. So here's a list of my observations and what I've done to resolve the issue (still having issue, btw)...

Anyways, I've noticed the skipping problems too...The song will play for about 10 seconds, then pause for about 5 seconds. Then it will play for a longer period (30 seconds or so), and pause for another 5 seconds. And on some songs I have noticed a 3rd pause, others only 2. NOTE: I was not queueing additional songs during all of my testing, I would just choose 1 song from my library and play it without queueing anything else. So it does seem that this issue might have more to do with the phone/OS messing with the caching of the file that's downloading, as opposed to the player skipping during the caching of the next songs in line (but if additional songs are cached, then the OS is probably doing the same things with those files as well, causing more pauses in the song playing).

First off, streaming works flawlessly through my web-browser on the PC and Dolphin browser on my Droid, it's the Droid SS app that does the skipping (as already has been thorougly laid out in previous posts).

I have tried streaming of the SS app on both 3g and wifi, both have the same issues. I have tried streaming different types of audio files (mp3 vs m4a), and the issue persists no matter what I play. I looked at my logs to ensure my downsampling was occurring, but it was not for some reason. In my android player settings I had set a max bitrate of 96kbps, but for some reason the logs indicated it that lame was resampling at 128. So I edited the Downsample command in Settings > Advaned to:

Code: Select all

lame -S -h --resample 44.1 -b 96 --tt %t --ta %a --tl %l %s -

. (Notice I changed %b variable to 96). I realize this is a static change and foregos all other custimizations in the other players, but this is just for testing. Anyways, the downsampling then started occuring at 96kbps, but the skips still were occurring. My home connection is fine, not as fast as others, but my upload throughput is still around 0.95Mbps. I mean c'mon we're only talking about a 96kpbs stream here, so a 1Mb pipe should be more than enough for that (or even 7-8 streams at that rate).

I do believe that the pauses have gotten better after I went to forced 96kbps, as the length of pauses seem a little shorter, and the number of pauses per song has been reduced (just listened to Say You'll Haunt Me in its entirety with only the first pause occurring...and that's going from 320 > 96 kpbs). Then again, maybe bitrate has nothing to do with it, or at least not as a big a factor as the Android OS is.
-------more testing here---------------
Well, I didn't want to leave without putting my foot in my mouth at least once. So, I was just flipping back and forth between wifi and 3g playing songs off the same album (so all encoded the same), and I noticed virtually no pauses on wifi. There were some minor pauses but I think they were occurring right as the song finished downloading. I'd switch to 3g, play a different song off that album, and the pauses returned..one around 10 seconds, another around 45, etc. So, I guess I'm a little overwhelmed at this point...so many variables, so many things in the equation..I don't think this solution is going to be recursed back to 1 single cause.

One thing I will say though, is that after switching to forced 96kbps downsampling, the streaming while on my wifi is MUCH improved over what it was before. Maybe I'll mess with that more later and drop it down to 64 or something and test 3g again, but not tonight. I need sleep.

EDIT: Ok I wanted to test out Gary's server before bed, so I did. I noticed the same pauses while on 3g as I noticed while on 3g and connected to my SS server. I walked around my house where the 3g dips in and out and noticed that the weaker my 3g signal, the more it would pause, presumably to buffer. I switched to wifi and only the first pause occurred, and for only 2-3 seconds. The rest of the song was fine. So, from my eyes at this point, it seems like more of a VZW 3g or droid issue rather than the SS software. It is quite apparent that the faster your connection to a SS server, the faster the song can buffer in its entirety, therefore the less frequent that the OS has to molester the file as its playing.

[Mamba]

@jensonc:

I recently had to reload my server PC, and for whatever reason the latest SS 4.4 would not work. Wouldn't stream locally or otherwise. So I went back to 4.3 (keeping the latest client on my DInc).
Mine streams perfect, songs start almost immediately (no long buffer) even over 1X 3G in the office at work. I left all SS settings default, but capped my phone user account at 64k. Server pipe is 15down/4up.

[jensonc]

@jensonc:

I recently had to reload my server PC, and for whatever reason the latest SS 4.4 would not work. Wouldn't stream locally or otherwise. So I went back to 4.3 (keeping the latest client on my DInc).
Mine streams perfect, songs start almost immediately (no long buffer) even over 1X 3G in the office at work. I left all SS settings default, but capped my phone user account at 64k. Server pipe is 15down/4up.

What version of Android OS is on your DInc? I'm on 2.2 (from VZW, not flashed).

I'll try setting my android player to 64kb and see how that fares.

Or maybe you're onto something else by installing the older 4.3 server and keeping latest client? Can anyone else do some testing on a 4.3 version of the SS server? I really don't want to uninstall 4.4 and go back, not sure how to save all my users and settings. Then again, they wouldn't take long to recreate.

[Mamba]

Mine is Android 2.2, stock, not rooted. Tho' at some point I may do so like you just to be rid of the annoying bloat (sounds like a TV ad .
I'm fairly sure I was running 4.3 before the rebuild, judging by the 4.4 release date. I might backup my 4.3 install and try the 4.4 upgrade to see if that still works. But then "if it ain't broke".....

[GJ51]

@jensonc

Remember that upload speed from the server is only half the equation. I test my 3g speeds once in a while and often notice that ping times and the speeds have a wide variation. Also noticeable is that the test often shows that the data seems to run in spurts, rather than a nice even data flow.

I use the speedtest.net app. Compare results with running from a destop at:

http://speedtest.net/

You'll see how differently they react.