PlexAmp 3.1.0 - Android 6 - Never Ending Song Skip till phone crashes

Plex Labs
1

I found an older Android phone of mine HTC One M8, and wanted to put it to good use as a Plexamp player.

However, Plexamp on Android 6 more specifically this phone version 6.21.605.3 does this weird thing where if I hit Library Radio for example, it basically goes into freak out mode and just skips songs as fast as they can be loaded. Just skips and skips and skips no matter what I do it keeps skipping, till the point the phone crashes. I have no idea why. Plexamp V3.0.1 did not have this problem.

Just wanted to post about it cause it would be great to put this old phone to good use with newer versions of Plexamp as they come out. I realize Android 6 is really old and this is not a priority for such an old op sys. But it would be nice to give life to old devices. For the time being I am just going to go back to V3.0.1.

I downloaded my debug logs from the phone and am willing to share privately with devs if need be. But here is some from the end of the debug log:

Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.882 [Javascript] DEBUG - [MediaSessionDelegate] Updating playback state
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.908 [0x92bff930] WARNING - Cache: READ underflowed at 0 bytes, will go into buffering state.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.908 [0x92bff930] INFO - Cache: Buffering until offset reaches 1802240 (read buffer offset: 0, size: 1802240).
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.908 [0x97dfd930] INFO - BASS: Stream 474304 (channel 0x00000000) changed buffering state to 1.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.925 [Javascript] DEBUG - [MediaMetadataManager] Restored image from file file:///data/user/0/tv.plex.labs.plexamp/cache/Images/8/0186E60626C30C447161D2031E4396D15693C8D
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.932 [0x921f6930] INFO - Cache: HTTP response code was 200.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.932 [0x921f6930] INFO - Cache: HTTP response total size was 18770.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.938 [0x92a01930] INFO - Cache: HTTP response code was 206.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.938 [0x92a01930] INFO - Cache: HTTP response total size was 18714960.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.946 [0x92a01930] INFO - Cache: Network buffer is now ahead of read buffer, which has 0 bytes. Godspeed.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.946 [0x92a01930] INFO - Cache: Buffering complete as offset is now greater than 1802240 (3096576) and read completed: 0.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.946 [0x97dfd930] INFO - BASS: Stream 474304 (channel 0x00000000) changed buffering state to 0.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.961 [0x92bff930] INFO - Cache: Asked to seek to offset 21795009 with read buffer offset at 4096.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.961 [0x92bff930] INFO - Cache: Failing a seek to the end.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.961 [0x92bff930] INFO - Cache: Asked to seek to offset 21795142 with read buffer offset at 4096.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.961 [0x92bff930] INFO - Cache: Failing a seek to the end.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.961 [0x92bff930] ERROR - BASS: Error [ret = BASS_StreamCreateFileUser((DWORD)STREAMFILE_NOBUFFER, flags, &proc, context)] - 41
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.961 [0x92bff930] ERROR - BASS: Opening stream 474304 failed. Sad.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:51.982 [0x922ff930] WARNING - Connection Tester: Failure (7, HTTP code 0) for [edited out ip].plex.direct:24205
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.020 [Javascript] INFO - [MediaMetadataManager] buildAndCacheMediaMetadata for (474304) from (NotificationOptions{m_title=[untitled], m_parentTitle=(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, m_grandparentTitle=Oasis}). Has resource: (true)
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.023 [Javascript] DEBUG - [MediaSessionDelegate] Updating playback state
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.063 [Javascript] DEBUG - [MediaMetadataManager] Restored image from file file:///data/user/0/tv.plex.labs.plexamp/cache/Images/4/1AFCF4C767679F37FCFC623146DB31E986632B8
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.136 [Javascript] INFO - [MediaMetadataManager] buildAndCacheMediaMetadata for (474304) from (NotificationOptions{m_title=[untitled], m_parentTitle=(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, m_grandparentTitle=Oasis}). Has resource: (true)
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.137 [Javascript] DEBUG - [MediaSessionDelegate] Updating playback state
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.188 [Javascript] DEBUG - PlayQueue: Final AudioQueue: 474304,474305.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.190 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Skipping a refresh because one is already in progress.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.191 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Loaded play queue from fe52212876acf5ec916bb2cc1fc6caa2c802e736.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.192 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Saving to storage.
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.195 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Processing PQ fe52212876acf5ec916bb2cc1fc6caa2c802e736 6782 with 41 items (full: false, play after: false).
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.198 [Javascript] INFO - Error loading: [edited IP address].plex.direct:32400/playQueues/active?limit=4&excludeFields=summary&X-Plex-Device-Name=Android: Request failed with status code 500
Jun 11, 2020 09:45:52.202 [Javascript] INFO - DEVICE: Finding best connection for Music Server

2

Exactly the same issue using a re purposed Samsung Note running Android 6.1. Big shame that moderately older tech has to end up in the bin!

3

Did you downgrade back to V3.0.1? That worked out fine for me. I keep my older phone at my desk while I work as a my media streamer, since I use my newer phone for work. Regular Plex application still works just fine on the Android 6 phone. I just like Plexamp for music way better than the regular app.

I hope the Devs notice and fix.

4

This indicates it’s having trouble decoding the file.

What format is the files? And if you lower quality to make it transcode to Opus, does that work?

5

Hi Elan, OK so I changed the settings and put
Conversion Bitrate to 192 Kbps,
Wifi and Cellular Music Quality are both now at 192 Kbps
Downloads quality is also at 192 Kbps

I wanted to keep it consistent for troubleshooting.

OK so this is weird. After I lowered the quality from maximum down to 192 Kbps. At first everything kept skipping. I tried MP3, AAC, FLAC, AIFF. So I decided to clear the cache since I hit Library Radio.

After clearing the Cache something different happened. If I play the tracks by selecting them and playing them individually the following happens.

FLAC files don’t even load. The app tries and then it just drops the song and it doesn’t play but it does not do an everskip.

ALAC files fail to load just like FLAC.

AAC files fail to load just like FLAC and ALAC

AIFF files will play just fine, AIFFs will play but they show as 44.1 Khz so it doesn’t look like they are being converted. OPUS doesn’t show up on the UI. My Server Dashboard also confirms that full PCM is streaming with no conversion.

MP3 files play just fine, they also show no OPUS conversion. I had a 320 Kbps file play through just fine. My media server dashboard shows no conversion.

If I play Library Radio. The app will skip till it finds a AIFF or MP3 it will play those two file types and then will skip passed the other types.

I am not sure what sections of the logs you may need to see. So I grabbed a little bit from where it said Debug. Not sure if this helps. Let me know. I can test more stuff out.

Jun 12, 2020 10:05:54.712 [Javascript] INFO - Another new request came in, tossing data (looking for: 204, was: 205)
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:54.744 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Loaded play queue from fe52212876acf5ec916bb2cc1fc6caa2c802e736.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:54.748 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Saving to storage.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:54.750 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Processing PQ fe52212876acf5ec916bb2cc1fc6caa2c802e736 6817 with 26 items (full: false, play after: false).
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:55.207 [0x90c49930] INFO - Cache: Buffering complete as offset is now greater than 901120 (901120) and read completed: 0.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:55.425 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Saving state PQ 6817 PQID 476588 TIME: 5701 STATE playing VOL: 100
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:55.426 [Javascript] DEBUG - [MediaSessionDelegate] Updating playback state
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.102 [0x9b12c930] INFO - BASS: Pause.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.102 [0x9b12c930] INFO - BASS: Pausing stream 476588 with fade, kill: 0
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.104 [Javascript] INFO - [PlayerModule] State changed playing -> paused
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.112 [Javascript] DEBUG - [EngineEventManager] State changed from: Playing -> Paused, for item 476588
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.112 [Javascript] INFO - [EngineEventManager] onPlaybackPaused, notifying 2 listeners
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.114 [Javascript] DEBUG - [PlayerService] Building playback notification with status (Paused) and options: (com.plexamp.notifications.NotificationOptions@e49b659)
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.174 [Javascript] DEBUG - [AudioFocus][Old] Requesting abandonition of audio focus.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.175 [Javascript] DEBUG - [AudioFocus] Abandoned Audio Focus, success:(1)
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.176 [Javascript] DEBUG - [PlayerService] Playback stopped, demoting to background service.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.178 [Javascript] DEBUG - [MediaSessionDelegate] Updating playback state
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.205 [Javascript] INFO - Audio: State changed from playing to paused.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.206 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Saving state PQ 6817 PQID 476588 TIME: 6401 STATE paused VOL: 100
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.206 [Javascript] DEBUG - PlayQueue: Processing send timelines.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.206 [Javascript] INFO - ViewState: Progress 2% (6401 ms) on item fe52212876acf5ec916bb2cc1fc6caa2c802e736/36527702.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.229 [Javascript] INFO - ViewState: Trying to send directly.
Jun 12, 2020 10:05:56.243 [Javascript] DEBUG - [Metadata] building metadata for: (Walk the Line)

6

As far as I know the low-level player libraries leverage Android codecs so it sounds like your phone might be having trouble using them.

Your phone specs said: “Android 4.4.2 (KitKat), upgradable to 6.0 (Marshmallow)”. What version are you running?

7

I am running Android 6 currently. Plexamp 3.0.1 works fine. Any version above that seems to have advanced a bit to high for the phone to handle.

I was hoping to use this older phone as a streamer for plexamp while at work. I am fine with sticking with 3.0.1. Did the low level libraries changed between 3.0.1 and 3.1?

8

That’s pretty bizarre, because I don’t think anything changed at a lower level :thinking:

Did you try switching settings > advanced > interface over to AAudio and see if that helps (assuming your phone supports it)?

9

I just tried using AAudio. Same results.

Ok so this is not just happening on Android 6. It is also happening on my Pixel 2 with Android 10.

Last night I hit Library Radio before I left my house for a run. Just running up the street and around the neighborhood. About 20 Mins away from my house, the everskip started. It just kept skipping and skipping.

So I put the settings down like you mentioned and still skipping and skipping. When I got closer to my house I stopped and hooked into my wifi. While the phone was skipping and skipping I forced it to shutdown. After the shutdown and reboot, I opened Plexamp and noticed that it was now working fine.

I don’t quite know why its doing this behaviour with V3.1 I did not have this issue before.

Can I send you my Debug logs?

This ever skip situation comes on at random. The only common thing I can see is that I start on wifi and then move away from wifi.

10

Ok. So the situation with everskip has gotten out of control. It’s totally weird. No matter what settings I try with conversion and bitrates over wifi or cellular it freaks out.

The only thing I have noticed is that when I change my cache size and clear the cache, close the app, and start up again it fixes itself for a little bit.

I kept my cache size at 1gb. But moved it down to 512mb and that helped stop the everskip problem and it allowed me to playback at maximum quality.

Please look into this. As it is so weird.

11

Need debug logs to do so.

Do you have any sort of cache cleaner utility or anything like that running?

12

This makes it sound like you don’t have remote access, so beyond what it’s cached, it can’t stream anything new.

13

No cache cleaner app. I can send you my debug logs from about 10 mins ago.

14

Hi, I got a similar issue with plexamp 3.1.1 on old Samsung Galaxy S5 mini running Android 6.0.1. I want to use it with car stereo as newer devices does not support Aoa2 (thanks Google). My library consist of mp3 and m4a files only and they play smoothly. The problem comes with downloaded music when I want it to be converted to lower bitrate. I suppose the phone cannot read Opus codec.

15

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