Chromecast - music gone after transcoding

Plex Players Streaming Devices
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1

Hey there!,

I would like to open this topic because I have problems while casting music from Plexamp and Plex web to my Cambridge Audio CXN100 embedded Chromecast.

When I start the playback, it works fine, it shows direct play in the dashboard but after 10 seconds, it starts to transcode to OPUS and then the audio in the CXN100 is gone, the playing information in the Plexamp app and in the web player continues like everything is good but the audio in the CXN100 is gone, sometimes keeps looping the audio in that last second before the audio is gone.

I tested the music playback using FLAC files with 24bit/96khz, 16bit/44.1khz and MP3 192kbps resolutions, all of them, the same behavior

The curious thing is that Iā€™ve tested the same tracks with my Chromecast Audio, casting from the Plexamp app and Plex web player, everything works perfectly.

Iā€™ve tried to enable and disable full dynamic range from the CXN100 Chromecast options, no change

I attached the logs from the Plex server using a FLAC file 16bit/44.1khz maybe somebody can check whatā€™s wrong, besides the following error:

Aug 18, 2024 19:53:18.464 [784] DEBUG - [Req#682ce/Transcode] MDE: Waiting in Vain: Direct Play is disabled
Aug 18, 2024 19:53:18.464 [784] DEBUG - [Req#682ce/Transcode] MDE: Waiting in Vain: no direct play music profile exists for http/flac/flac
Aug 18, 2024 19:53:18.464 [784] DEBUG - [Req#682ce/Transcode] MDE: Cannot direct stream audio stream due to codec flac when profile only allows opus

Why it only allows opus in the CXN100 and allows direct play in the older Chromecast Audio?

I cannot figure out why transcoding is being enabled in the CXN100 and not in Chromecast Audio deviceā€¦ but even if transcode is enabled, why the music is gone.

Maybe the Chromecast plugin inside Plex server should be updated to match the newer Chromecast firmware version from the CXN100?

Any hint is appreciated, thank you!

Server Version#: 1.40.5.8854
Player Version#: Chromecast audio firmware 1.56.281627 & Cambridge Audio CX100 Chromecast firmware version: 1.68.cast_20230721_0201_RC09.549871846

ChromecastAudio_WORKS.txt (120.1 KB)
CXN100_NOT_WORKING.txt (412.1 KB)
Plex Transcoder Statistics_CX100.log (87.7 KB)

2

I have the same thing (probably). On my NAS is Plex server. When I stream to a Google Chromecast the music is fine. When I try to stream to the build in Chromecast of my Cambridge Audio MXN10, after some seconds the music keeps playing the last second (or so) in a loop.
This seams independent of the filetype. The same files are played fine when I use the StreamMagic app to start the streaming. NAS and CambridgeAudio are wired to the same network.

Have you found out how to solve this?

3

Yes, it sounds like the same issue, I experience the same behaviour you describe.

I didnā€™t find any solution so far. Iā€™ve tried youtube music and it works without issues, my guess is that the cast related libraries in Plexamp are outdated.

Based on the changelog, it seems there is some cast updates in the iOS and Android clients Plexamp Release Notes - #76 by elan :

  • Upgrade Google Cast libraries to fix a few issues.
  • Revert upgrade to Google Cast.

I donā€™t have the chance to test it until next week (Iā€™m traveling), in case you test it this week, would you please share the results?

Thanks

4

I donā€™t know how to do this and what I would be changing exactly. I should have to dive into that. Help is needed.
For now I tried BubbleUPnP in combination with PlexServer on my NAS. That works for most of the music. But the complete albums that I extracted to one file (to be able to play specific albums gap-less) play distorted.

5

There is nothing to change in plex server itself, sorry for the misunderstanding, with the changelog information I mean that the iOS plexamp app had those google cast changes, itā€™s a matter of upgrading the iOS plexamp and test, but you mention that you cast your music using BubbleUPnP using an iphone or android phone?, would you please give more details how youā€™re listening your music with Plex so we can maybe identify better whoā€™s guilty in the path?

6

English is not my native language, that must be a part of me not getting it.
BubbleUPnP is just the (I hope temporary) app I use on my phone.

What Iā€™d like to get working:
NAS
Synology DS214play with DSM 7.1.1-42962 Update 6
Plex Media Server 1.41.0.8992-70008992

Android phone
Plex 10.21.0

Streamer
Cambridge Audio MXN10

NAS and streamer are wired to the same network.
So I just now found the PlexAmp app for my phone. I will install it and see how that works. Later I will report that here.
The SteamMagic app I mentioned is also on my Android phone.

7

Instead of Plex I have now tried PlexAmp. This is much faster (in showing the list of artists for example) and is more easy to use.
Unfortunately, the music hangs after about ten seconds with this app too. If the hang problem is solved, then I will will be using PlexAmp.

8

Got it, I arrived home and updated the Plexamp app in my iphone and still having the same issuesā€¦ maybe we get some feedback at some point in this thread from Plex devs

9

I looked at your log from your initial post and noticed something weird.

<Variant id="9c02df15-c463-4831-bcd6-267c25daa54b" targetBitrate="538" context="streaming" sourceAudioCodec="flac" audioDecision="transcode" protocol="http" container="mkv" audioCodec="opus" audioChannels="2" transcodeHwRequested="1" transcodeHwFullPipeline="0">

Looks like itā€™s might be trying to transcode to an audio only mkv file instead of an audio format file. I donā€™t know if thatā€™s how casting should work. Youā€™ll need a dev to look at this.

In your working scenario, the file is being direct played so no transcode.

10

good finding, thanks!

thatā€™s even strangerā€¦ from a flac or mp3 to an audio only mkv containerā€¦ it doesnā€™t make too much sense

ā€œIn your working scenario, the file is being direct played so no transcode.ā€ ā†’ yesā€¦ thatā€™s the thing, with the older version of chromecast there is no problem with direct play

11

Try creating an audio only mkv file and see if you can stream that. If that fails, you know the culprit. Iā€™ve seen this issue with some Android devices.

12

As additional information, Cambridge Audio just updated its Stream Magic app to the Cast version from the posted one in the original description to 1.68.cast_20240607_1430_RC10.641358537 and still having the same issue

13

This is very annoying. With a perfectly working app: PlexAmp and a nice MXN10 I thought I would be able to listen to good quality music with extra pleasure and ease. I am used to the fact that some things have to be figured out and set up to get something done. But in this case I donā€™t see a solution yet.
Early last week I asked Cambridge Audio the question. I couldnā€™t find that this had been done before. According to their site they respond within a (working) day and often faster. But I havenā€™t heard anything yet.
It would be nice to know who can make adjustments to get this nice set working.

1 Like
14

I got this reaction from Cambridge Audio. It didnā€™t fix the issue for me. But maybe it helps someone else.

"
I can confirm that we have had some previous reports of this issue, and our engineers have been looking into this to determine the cause of it. Our 133-b-013 firmware update in February 2024 updated the MXN10 to the latest Chromecast version at the time - Cast 2.0. We are contractually obligated by Google and our Cast partners to update our newer products to the latest Cast versions, and this Cast update was provided to us by them.

Since investigating this issue, our engineerā€™s understanding is that is either a Cast or Plex issue - caused by out-of-date sender app implementations which do not meet the current Cast requirements as specified by Google.

While the vast majority of apps donā€™t have these issues when Casting to the MXN10 since the 133-b-013 update, we have had a couple of other reports of specific apps having a similar issue - some of these have since been resolved with the latest Cast update provided to us by Google, which weā€™ve included in the 136-b-012 Early Update firmware version. If you havenā€™t already, we would suggest enabling ā€˜Early Updatesā€™ in the StreamMagic app device settings and updating to 136-b-012, to see if this resolves the issue
"

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15

Thatā€™s great info, in the case of the CXN100, with the latest firmware release a couple of weeks ago, they updated the cast version but just a minor one, as I posted 3 days ago. Good to know it wonā€™t solve the issueā€¦ Iā€™m not surprised though because the functioning properly Chromecast audio has version 1.68 and it works perfectly, it has to be something elseā€¦ maybe at some point someone will jump into this conversation and start digging what happens on Plex side.
Thanks for sharing your support case!

EDIT: I wish to know if thereā€™s a way to push/encourage Plex or Cambridge Audio (or both) to implement ā€œPlexamp connectā€ for Cambridge Audioā€™s Stream Magic app so we donā€™t have to deal with such Chromecast problems

16

In my perception Cambridge Audio is open and super friendly in their replies. I donā€™t think they will contact Plex. So I will do that. Your suggestion (@dedero )I will sent to Cambridge Audio. I wondered why that data couldnā€™t use the wired connection I have.

17

Would be cool to ask cambridge audio for plex support, I already did it back in june when I bought the CXN100 and they told me the usual answer ā€œwe passed your request to the developersā€
If you send it, at least there will be 2 who are requesting it :sweat_smile:

18

I just did :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like
19

So, what should we users that stream from PlexAmp to Chromecast do? Donā€™t use Plex no more? To me it seams like Plex doesnā€™t use the latest version of communication to Chromecast. Iā€™m not 100 % sure. I still like to use PlexAmp, but I donā€™t see this issue being solved any time soon.

Itā€™s not positive that Iā€™ve spent serious time and money at things that should work (together), but donā€™t. I understand that questions on this forum are the only way to get some explanation or solution from the side of Plex. I use Bubble UPnP now. And sadly I now think this will be the permanent way.

20

Iā€™m agree with your frustrationā€¦ but it seems we will have to wait until somebody else will complain about it, usually for most applications, the bug fixes are based on how many people it impacts and so far, it seems we are only 2 :sweat_smile:

Iā€™m looking forward to seeing this bug fixed soon! or that Plex will work together with Cambridge Audio to have a connector and we wonā€™t have to rely on chromecast anymore, the latter would be much better though

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