Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues) [#16992]

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boober
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Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2017 4:44 pm

Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues) [#16992]

Post by boober »

I'm on Windows 10 MMW 5.0.1.2433. A few times each day, MM will come to the end of a song in my Now Playing and just stop. The pause button is available as if the song is still playing, but it won't advance to the next song. I've learned that if I leave it like that, it will randomly begin playing again anywhere from 10-20 minutes later.

In general, playback is glitchy for me, especially when anything changes on my speakers (aux to bluetooth or vice versa) or when using media keys (pause will pause for about 1 second, then playback will continue without further input).

Also, the lyrics lookup doesn't parse lyrics well. It will look up lyrics, but they will more often than not return the URL surrounded by some HTML or the first stanza of lyrics before it turns into the URL / HTML.

Is anyone else seeing this behavior?

Thinking of just returning to MMW4 since MMW5 glitches are pretty disruptive to normal use, which is unfortunate because I really like where things are headed.
Lowlander
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Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by Lowlander »

Which Output Plugin are you using?

Lyrics has already been fixed for MediaMonkey 5.0.2: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=86639&sd=d
MiPi
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Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by MiPi »

Problems with lyrics should be already fixed in 5.0.2 builds (in beta stage now).
In case you are using WASAPI output plugin, could you try MMDS instead?
boober
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2017 4:44 pm

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by boober »

@MiPi — I was using WSAPI and just switched to MMDS. Thanks for this suggestion and the note re: lyrics.

@ Lowlander — I was on WASAPI, but changed per above. Thanks also for the note re: lyrics. Glad to know this is addressed.
boober
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2017 4:44 pm

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by boober »

Popping in again to thank you both, MiPi and Lowlander — switching to MMDS has resulted in much more consistent playback. There are still glitches, but they seem to be display only (e.g. progress bar freezes) and don't really affect the playback.
bdshasta
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2021 10:43 pm

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by bdshasta »

Very similar issues here, but I also had similar playback crashing issues in MM4. I was hoping MM5 would resolve those. I was also hoping MM5 would potentially be less of a resource beast but that doesn't appear to be the case either.

I've changed to MMDS and away from WASAPI output plugin (which I was also using in MM4) and I will report back.

I am running version 5.0.1.2433

Is there a log file accessible anywhere? I see there is a debug build but I was hoping I could check some type of log file without installing a separate build.

For posterity:
Issue #1 though is that songs will seem to randomly stop playing many times during the day. Sometimes they start again on their own after an hour or so. Other time I stop and start the song again.

Issue #2 is that the playlist/now playing window will disappear random line items. They are still there to click on, just invisible.
Lowlander
Posts: 56491
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Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by Lowlander »

Step 4b is how you can see logs: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=86643

1) Only with WASAPI or also with other output plugins?

2) Do you mean that no data is shown for the files in the Playing window?
bdshasta
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2021 10:43 pm

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by bdshasta »

Thanks for the response.

1) Apparently switching to the MMDS output plugin had a positive effect because when I was using WASAPI the issue would occur several times a day (I use MM5 to play auto-dj music on a private internet station 24x7). Since changing to MMDS the issue has not occurred even once.

2) I will try to capture a screenshot the next time it occurs. Let's say I have 6 tracks in the now playing window and I'm now playing the last track. Some of the previous tracks will be invisible but there is a still a placeholder where they should be seen. Further, if I use the arrow buttons up and down to navigate the now playing list it still treats the invisible line items as valid objects and continues to recognize the track properties as I move through them. Sometimes as many as 50% of the line items will be invisible.
Lowlander
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Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by Lowlander »

2) Never seen this, nor seen a report on this. Do you have MediaMonkey set to remove files from Playing after they played?
bdshasta
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2021 10:43 pm

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by bdshasta »

2) I originally did not have MM5 set to remove files from now playing after being played and so the one of the first troubleshooting steps I tried was to turn that on and set it to only keep 9 items. The issue persisted after that change last week and on two separate computers. But, I have not seen the issue repeat this week, so perhaps it was something on my side somehow. Or perhaps it was somehow related to issue 1 and the WASAPI output plugin. Since changing away from WASAPI all my MM5 issues seem to have vanished, so I'm good to go for now.
Lowlander
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Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Randomly stops playing Now Playing, then randomly starts (and other issues).

Post by Lowlander »

2) That's good news. If you do see this again, please capture it in a debug log (step 4b) and attach the log to a Support Ticket: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=86643 A screencast or failing that screenshots of the problem would likely also be really useful.

This will help a developer analyze why this happens in your setup (if the problem returns).
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