FLAC playback freezes Firefox

[PDent]

Problem Description:
Playback of FLAC files in Firefox 10 jutter and skip. It also causes Firefox to take about 60% of my CPU and lock up. I end up having to force close it through process explorer. MP3 files in Firefox do not present this problem. I have no issues playing FLAC files with IE9 on the same machine, or in Safari on OS X, or through the Android client.

Troubleshooting Steps:
Uninstalled and reinstalled both Firefox and Flash plugins. Rebooting the playback PC between each step. Rebooted Subsonic service.

Playback Application and version:
The problem application is Firefox 10.0.2. On Windows 7x64, fully patched and up to date.

Subsonic Version:
4.6 (build 2585) – December 6, 2011

Server Version:
jetty-6.1.x, java 1.6.0_20, Linux (69.6 MB / 96.7 MB)

Hardware Platform:
ASRock Ion 330 with custom Ubuntu XBMC Linux install.

Java Memory Limit:
100MB

Problem Filename:
All FLAC files regardless of filename.

Output from ffmpeg -i:

Code: Select all

ffmpeg version N-31780-gd5d74cf, Copyright (c) 2000-2011 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Aug  9 2011 14:18:27 with gcc 4.5.2
  configuration: --disable-ffplay --disable-ffprobe --disable-ffserver --enable-gpl --enable-nonfree --enable-postproc --enable-pthreads --enable-libfaac --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libvpx --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --enable-zlib --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libvpx --enable-version3 --enable-bzlib --enable-static --disable-shared --extra-libs=-static --extra-cflags=--static
  libavutil    51. 11. 1 / 51. 11. 1
  libavcodec   53.  9. 1 / 53.  9. 1
  libavformat  53.  6. 0 / 53.  6. 0
  libavdevice  53.  2. 0 / 53.  2. 0
  libavfilter   2. 28. 1 /  2. 28. 1
  libswscale    2.  0. 0 /  2.  0. 0
  libpostproc  51.  2. 0 / 51.  2. 0
[flac @ 0x9684a20] max_analyze_duration 5000000 reached at 5015510
Input #0, flac, from '/mnt/media/FFA.flac':
  Metadata:
    TITLE           : Arlandria
    ARTIST          : Foo Fighters
    ALBUM           : Wasting Light
    track           : 5/11
    CONTACT         : Encoded with FreeRIP
    album_artist    : Foo Fighters
  Duration: 00:04:28.02, bitrate: 1055 kb/s
    Stream #0.0: Audio: flac, 44100 Hz, stereo, s16
At least one output file must be specified


Last ten log file lines:

Code: Select all

[2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) TALB : Wasting Light [2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) TRCK : 5/11 [2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) CONTACT : Encoded with FreeRIP [2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) TPE2 : Foo Fighters [2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) TSSE : Lavf53.6.0 [2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) Stream #0.0: Audio: libmp3lame, 44100 Hz, stereo, s16, 128 kb/s [2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) Stream mapping: [2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) Stream #0.0 -> #0.0 [2/17/12 3:35:31 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) Press [q] to stop, [?] for help [2/17/12 3:36:36 AM MST] DEBUGInputStreamReaderThread(/var/subsonic/transcode/ffmpeg) av_interleaved_write_frame(): Operation not permitted


I noticed while gathering all this the issue may be the final line in that log. When playing the exact same file on the same machine, but in IE9, it plays back flawlessly without that error in the log. I'm just stuck at this point on what to do. It works great in everything else I try it in.

[BKKKPewsey]

I have recently been inundated with FF updates so I thought I would test.
FF 10.0.2 Flash 11,1,102,55
Flac files playing in browser np
Check that you have the latest flash plug-in as there appears to a battle of wills between Adobe and Mozilla
FF updates - breaks Flash - Adobe responds and fixes - FF updates again and so on....

[PDent]

I have FF 10.0.2, and Flash 11.1.102.62.

I uninstalled Flash and downgraded to 11.1.102.55. Same issue. :/

[BKKKPewsey]

I just upgraded my flash to 11.1.102.62. and again no issues.
Try disabling any plugins or other addons you may have (not flash )
You may an out of date plugin which is causing you problems.

[dobo]

I have the same issue as the op but when playback is done in linux...

I have ubuntu server setup with subsonic, my windows vista os plays back all audio and video formats perfectly, so i know the servers working fine.

Very frustratingly when i play back from xubuntu 11.10 (running Xfce) i cant get flac, mpc, m4a to playback through firefox+subsonic, it just hangs firefox and dosent play.

subsonic 4.6 server
firefox is latest 10.02
Flash is latest 11.1 r102

any ideas and how to fix?

EDIT
Just installed chromium and subsonic plays back all formats just fine so this eliminates a load of things. i'll now uninstall all my firefox plugins one by one to see if i can identify it.
EDIT2
all extensions and plugins disabled with same problem. even disabled flash and still dont play..will now reinstall firefox and see if that does anything..
EDIT3
deinstalled all firefox components and reinstalled without any addons from the ubuntu software center as its the latest version and same issue, so will stick to chromium till this is fixed.

[ronocdh]

I'm having the same problem as OP, and have pursued similar troubleshooting methods. I've even tried creating a brand new profile in Firefox. The failure is restricted only to FLAC files, and only in Firefox. I believe it started around Firefox version 9, but can't confirm that easily. It fails on Linux and Windows systems, but Chrome or IE work fine with FLAC files in Subsonic.

No one else is seeing this? I've been running Chromium on a different monitor for months to compensate for this.

[BKKKPewsey]

This does seem to a very strange problem
As flacs are converted to mp3 streams to play in web browser I cannot see what could cause FF to have a problem.
I just tested again using FF 11.0 (yet another up date ) and still np using my flac test tracks.

[rezsbc]

I had something similar, not sure if it was the exact same, I think it only affected certain flac file in my case.

I got around it by changing the transcode settings. In pass 1 I had something like "flac -d -" and for second pass "lame -b 320 -" or similar. Might be of some help to you anyway, the one-pass ffmpeg transcode is what seemed to fail for me,

rez.

[crwl]

I have the same problem and (around a month or two ago) I tested with Firefox on Mac OS X Lion, (recentish) Linux and three different Windows installations, all with the newest Flash player installed, and they all crashed Firefox (or more appropriately the Flash plugin). Chrome works fine on all these platforms.

I never realized it only occurred with FLAC files but that's probably the cause as that's what most of my collection is. MP3 files always worked fine.

My transcoding has been as of follows:

(from) ogg oga aac m4a flac wav wma aif aiff ape mpc shn (to) mp3 (Step 1) ffmpeg -i %s -v 0 -f wav - (Step 2) lame -S -V 4 -t --tt %t --ta %a --tl %l - -

I'll see if adding a special transcoding setting for FLAC files, using flac -d in step 1, helps...

Edit: It didn't help. I changed my Step 1 in FLAC to "flac -s -d %s -o -" and Firefox plugin process (at least version 12 on OS X) still crashes quite unpleasantly. Chrome still works.

Edit 2: Flash version: Version: 11.2.202.233 / Shockwave Flash 11.2 r202 (newest stable version available at the moment)

[dr3van]

Sorry this post is a little old, but I have been having the same problem as the OP and was was wondering if there is a solution yet. I can play FLAC to mp3 converted files fine in chrome but in FF they stutter and crash flash. I have everything up to date all extensions and everything in Firefox and running the latest build of subsonic 4.7beta 2 on an Ubuntu 12.04LTS headless server. I experience the same problem no matter what computer I use to listen. Tried at home on 2 computers and on 2 computers at work.