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DLNA playback from MusicCast app to Yamaha speaker and receiver


blaaat

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I'm running Emby 4.6.4.0 in a docker container with the container connected directly to the LAN with it's own IP address (via a macvlan). The DLNA plugin is version 1.0.69.0.

I've got two Yamaha devices, a WX-030 and a RX-V479. Both are capable of DLNA playback. I'm using the Yamaha MusicCast app on an iPhone or iPad to control playback on those Yamaha devices. I'm currently running both Emby and Plex to compare both in functionality and user experience. What I'd like to do, is play music on the Yamaha devices via DLNA by controlling that via the Yamaha MusicCast app. 

There is a difference in how Emby reacts to playing music that way on the same devices by using the same MusicCast app compared to how Plex does that. Namely that the music I select via Plex DLNA simply plays on the selected Yamaha device, but on Emby it doesn't. I can see the music on Emby being loaded in the Yamaha device's playlist, including images/artwork, but the music doesn't play. However, when I choose to control the playback to the Yamaha device from the Emby web app, it does play on the selected Yamaha device. But the controls are limited in the Emby web app, I can't see what's currently playing or simply hit "Next/Previous" or modify the playlist queue on the Yamaha device. 

I use the MusicCast app as follows, I first choose the Server:

IMG_0492.PNG.216141262aff59c5cd4f6fdf17adf203.PNG

Then I select an available DLNA server:

IMG_0493.PNG.eba98e36d09d6c8b516714c47973de9f.PNG

When I've selected Emby as the desired DLNA server, I can see the content it offers:

IMG_0494.PNG.3f231fdf9d480837d64c5a3539043d21.PNG

I have a playlist in Playlists, so I select that and then I see one playlist:

IMG_0495.PNG.b3efc886b7b5ed0d19a26a3f5fcfc88b.PNG

When I touch and hold this playlist, I can add it to the queue (wachtrij):

IMG_0497.PNG.4d71fabe588d69fc74f27a45dfa79bb0.PNG

Then I can see contents of the playlist in the queue:

IMG_0496.PNG.8cf47365dcae257531624c37060f6bb8.PNG

But... none of the songs will play if I fill the queue on the receiver or WiFi speaker... 😕

If I choose Plex as DLNA server, the queue is also filled, but then it's contents is played by the Yamaha device.

Now, when I connect to one of the Yamaha devices via Emby's web app or iPhone app, those devices indeed play the music I add to the queue, but only one song! 

1014269941_Schermafbeelding2021-08-30om13_48_52.thumb.png.1209616651424b03c1397727ea9f5dec.png

I have attached the server log, in there the following devices are:

  • 192.168.1.218 : the Emby server
  • 192.168.1.15    : my iPhone with the MusicCast app from Yamaha
  • 192.168.1.11    : my laptop browsing Emby's web app
  • 192.168.1.31    : the Yamaha WX-030 WiFi speaker
  • 192.168.1.30    : the Yamaha RX-V479 receiver

When I control a Yamaha DLNA device via Emby to play a song, I can see the artwork being displayed in the MusicCast app for the currently playing song. But only one song plays.

I'd prefer to be able to select a DLNA capable server from the MusicCast app from Yamaha and control playback, volume, linking to other devices, queue reordering from that app. It seems I can do that with Emby, but it won't play music...

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

 

embyserver.txt

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Hi, ok so there's more than one scenario you're talking about here. First the MusicCast app. Let's start with that. What is the format of the audio files? 

Here is the problem with using three pieces of software. When you play from MusicCast to Yamaha, Emby Server doesn't know that you're playing on Yamaha, it thinks you're playing on MusicCast. So it's possible that it might be serving up a format for MusicCast that the Yamaha can't handle. But of course this is just one guess.

To be honest I think we might need debugging from MusicCast in order to get to the bottom of this.

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Quote

When I control a Yamaha DLNA device via Emby to play a song, I can see the artwork being displayed in the MusicCast app for the currently playing song. But only one song plays.

This is normal because the controlling app manages the play queue, so you will not be able to see Emby's play queue in MusicCast and vice versa.

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1 hour ago, Luke said:

Hi, ok so there's more than one scenario you're talking about here. First the MusicCast app. Let's start with that. What is the format of the audio files? 

Here is the problem with using three pieces of software. When you play from MusicCast to Yamaha, Emby Server doesn't know that you're playing on Yamaha, it thinks you're playing on MusicCast. So it's possible that it might be serving up a format for MusicCast that the Yamaha can't handle. But of course this is just one guess.

To be honest I think we might need debugging from MusicCast in order to get to the bottom of this.

The format of the audio files is mp3.

the MusicCast app is the “remote controller” for Yamaha devices, just like Sonos speakers have a Sonos app to control them. Basically you use the MusicCast app to tell the Yamaha speaker “go play that file from that location”. My reference is Plex (DLNA) and minidlna which I used before that. The MusicCast app is simple used for remote control. I’m pointing to the exact same mp3 files from Plex and Emby.

How could we debug from MusicCast?

1 hour ago, Luke said:

This is normal because the controlling app manages the play queue, so you will not be able to see Emby's play queue in MusicCast and vice versa.

I mean that I don’t see the queue on Emby’s web app. I have a playlist (m3u file in the playlists folder and Emby picked that up automatically). I can’t control the play queue in Emby’s web app. I assume it is playing the entire playlist in the play queue, but it appears not to do so. But I might very well be pushing the wrong buttons in Emby.

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Quote

I mean that I don’t see the queue on Emby’s web app. I have a playlist (m3u file in the playlists folder and Emby picked that up automatically). I can’t control the play queue in Emby’s web app. I assume it is playing the entire playlist in the play queue, but it appears not to do so. But I might very well be pushing the wrong buttons in Emby.

Right, you can't because we haven't added this feature yet when controlling Dlna devices, and it's something we are working on. But once we have that, then you'd be able to control the queue from the Emby app.

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  • 3 months later...

I have the same issue, however was wondering if blatt might be able to help me out on similar issue. I have a Yamaha CRX420D which was working fine loading my mp3 files from Plex Server on my external ssd drive attached to NVidia Shiield  however the Yamaha has stopped seeing my Shield although id fine with laptop. The Shield comes with a Plex Server which is installed via Google Play Store and seems to only support current version of Plex so cannot go back to an older version but believe Plex to be culprit as Yamaha recognises Emby which work in upnp / dlna similar to how Yamaha saw my shield. spoke with Yamaha & Nvidia but hard to find support for Plex as nobody responds.

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Manipulating the play queue over DLNA has been added to the upcoming Emby Server 4.7 release. Thanks.

  • Like 2
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  • 2 weeks later...
FrederikB

There's something strange happening with the emby dlna musiccast communication.
First, I complained about folder browsing missing, but that isnt the issue - it is there - seee the Philips TV or iPhone DLNA player as clients of EmbyServer.
As observed earlier, Plex is fine (although I dont like Plex).

But not so the emby server in the musiccast app.
It is missing any library above the 8th library - first I thought just my Music libraries were missing but that was because my 9th library starting with "J" and happened to be a Music library. When I removed 'Books' the 9th lib (music) called "Jazz.." now was the 8th and I could browse in it.
But when opening, no Folder browsing. Quite a coincidence, probably not, is that the 9th option would be 'Mappen' or Folders in English. So it's maybe not the fact that there is no folder browising in Music, but just the 9th option. Strange also, the tiles read "Laden" (Loading) which indicates it is waiting for soemthing. The other categories (Films, TV Series) have no waiting tiles.

As blaaat indicated, I think the iphone Musiccast is just a controlling mechanism of what the Yamaha device is asking from the emby or plex server. Obviously I can't debug that, but you may have a clue now of the direction to look into. Let me know if you need more details or dumps.

Files:

1. PhilipsTV-EmbyServer-has-dlna-Folders.jpg
2. Yamaha Musiccast -PlexServer-dlna-has-music.jpg
3a. iPhone dlna-player-embyServer-has-music-and-folders.jpg
3a. iPhone dlna-player-embyServer-has-music.jpg
4. Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-dlna-films-has-folders.jpg
5a. Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-9th-library-missing-Jplus.jpg
5b. Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-9th-library-missing-Kplus.jpg
6. Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-folders-missing.jpg

 

2063636734_1.PhilipsTV-EmbyServer-has-dlna-Folders.jpg.4289043bb6c4e70fd3b121461cc91533.jpg506263819_6.Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-folders-missing.thumb.jpg.e65354b4092f656043a658f3954f809d.jpg958320423_2.YamahaMusiccast-PlexServer-dlna-has-music.thumb.jpg.6f7c45633b2c3bf1ac55aa22d72af4a1.jpg1228178539_3a.iPhonedlna-player-embyServer-has-music.thumb.jpg.a3b85cd78ed61b86aa1c0e0a9400a30a.jpg2014278538_3b.iPhonedlna-player-embyServer-has-music-and-folders.thumb.jpg.4ca920ba0f8acd056da2d4f9e4cce8d2.jpg1928515896_4.Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-dlna-films-has-folders.thumb.jpg.ada0a87f6442e70ccf1fdcdbf55d0de4.jpg1959082525_5a.Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-9th-library-missing-Jplus.thumb.jpg.7a1cbd5a53c0068f8aaa5a21c0559e44.jpg787856650_5b.Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-9th-library-missing-Kplus.thumb.jpg.98d5ac2937fc9abb5c270d0dd863ee20.jpg

 

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14 hours ago, FrederikB said:

There's something strange happening with the emby dlna musiccast communication.
First, I complained about folder browsing missing, but that isnt the issue - it is there - seee the Philips TV or iPhone DLNA player as clients of EmbyServer.
As observed earlier, Plex is fine (although I dont like Plex).

But not so the emby server in the musiccast app.
It is missing any library above the 8th library - first I thought just my Music libraries were missing but that was because my 9th library starting with "J" and happened to be a Music library. When I removed 'Books' the 9th lib (music) called "Jazz.." now was the 8th and I could browse in it.
But when opening, no Folder browsing. Quite a coincidence, probably not, is that the 9th option would be 'Mappen' or Folders in English. So it's maybe not the fact that there is no folder browising in Music, but just the 9th option. Strange also, the tiles read "Laden" (Loading) which indicates it is waiting for soemthing. The other categories (Films, TV Series) have no waiting tiles.

As blaaat indicated, I think the iphone Musiccast is just a controlling mechanism of what the Yamaha device is asking from the emby or plex server. Obviously I can't debug that, but you may have a clue now of the direction to look into. Let me know if you need more details or dumps.

Files:

1. PhilipsTV-EmbyServer-has-dlna-Folders.jpg
2. Yamaha Musiccast -PlexServer-dlna-has-music.jpg
3a. iPhone dlna-player-embyServer-has-music-and-folders.jpg
3a. iPhone dlna-player-embyServer-has-music.jpg
4. Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-dlna-films-has-folders.jpg
5a. Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-9th-library-missing-Jplus.jpg
5b. Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-9th-library-missing-Kplus.jpg
6. Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-folders-missing.jpg

 

2063636734_1.PhilipsTV-EmbyServer-has-dlna-Folders.jpg.4289043bb6c4e70fd3b121461cc91533.jpg506263819_6.Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-folders-missing.thumb.jpg.e65354b4092f656043a658f3954f809d.jpg958320423_2.YamahaMusiccast-PlexServer-dlna-has-music.thumb.jpg.6f7c45633b2c3bf1ac55aa22d72af4a1.jpg1228178539_3a.iPhonedlna-player-embyServer-has-music.thumb.jpg.a3b85cd78ed61b86aa1c0e0a9400a30a.jpg2014278538_3b.iPhonedlna-player-embyServer-has-music-and-folders.thumb.jpg.4ca920ba0f8acd056da2d4f9e4cce8d2.jpg1928515896_4.Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-dlna-films-has-folders.thumb.jpg.ada0a87f6442e70ccf1fdcdbf55d0de4.jpg1959082525_5a.Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-9th-library-missing-Jplus.thumb.jpg.7a1cbd5a53c0068f8aaa5a21c0559e44.jpg787856650_5b.Yamaha-Musiccast-EmbyServer-9th-library-missing-Kplus.thumb.jpg.98d5ac2937fc9abb5c270d0dd863ee20.jpg

 

Does MusicCast with Plex display all items in lists at once, or is it something where there's seven items plus a button to load more?

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 1/4/2022 at 6:41 PM, Luke said:

Manipulating the play queue over DLNA has been added to the upcoming Emby Server 4.7 release. Thanks.

I've been keeping my eye on the announcements topic to see when the 4.7 Server release was coming. I got impatient (sorry) and pulled the 4.7 beta release. I've been trying to discover how and where I would be able to manipulate the play queue over DLNA but I don't see it. I can't discover any difference between the 4.6.7 release? As far as I can see it, nothing has been changed? I looked in the Emby Web App, the Emby iPhone app and the Yamaha MusicCast app, but when I use Emby as DLNA server, I (still?) can't manipulate the play queue. Not in the Emby iPhone/Web app or in the MusicCast app.

I've added screenshots of Emby Server version, DLNA plugin version and DLNA plugin settings.

It's as if there's no difference in DLNA play queue manipulation between 4.7 and previous server releases?

 

1255316530_Schermafbeelding2022-02-06om13_58_14.png.ab4da07e5bfa22ab8b0738f78edf92c9.png

 

1479804382_Schermafbeelding2022-02-06om13_57_43.thumb.png.f9d64e53766f817b82a20f8c58962945.png

 

1971287843_Schermafbeelding2022-02-06om13_57_19.thumb.png.2979e5b25c65bb6943d90a2a32f99682.png

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Hi, you have to use the cast icon in the upper right to select the device to play on, and then start playing something.

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Thank you for your reaction. I verified to make sure I didn't miss anything but there's no difference to be seen from 4.7 beta and 4.6.7, I'm sorry. When I connect to the DLNA device from the cast icon, I then click the green "play" button on the playlist in Emby's Web App. The first song starts to play from the DLNA device, but the queue seems empty. It's only the first song in the Emby Playlist that gets played. It then also kinda makes sense I don't see any skip forward/backward buttons in Emby's Web App when I click the cast icon again and click on "Remote Control" because there's only one song from the playlist in the queue on the device.

I'm sorry but I don't see the difference between 4.7 beta and 4.6.7 on DLNA manipulation either by Emby or by any app supplied by the manufacturer (Yamaha) itself. It's almost as if there's some real stubborn piece of cache that's present. The iPhone app will allow me to open an Emby Playlist, connect to the DLNA device via the cast icon and hit the play button. But only the first song in the playlist gets played on the device. So far the behavior on the iPhone app is exactly the same as the Emby Web App.

I'd like to switch over from Plex to Emby but this is the only thing that's keeping me from ditching Plex in favor of Emby. Emby's playlist creation/management is a lot easier for my situation when I manage my music with Apple's Music app (formerly known as iTunes) compared to the hassle I need to go through in Plex to get playlists working that I curated over the years in iTunes/Music.

If you'd need me to try some stuff, let me know!

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I don't see any "Emby now playing" screen in the Web App or iPhone App. But on the MusicCast app I do see it's playing the first song in the playlist. But the queue is empty on the DLNA device.

When I play the playlist from Emby Web App on my computer, it looks totally different, I guess that is what you mean with the "Emby now playing" screen? When I play a playlist via the Web App it works as you would expect, but when I select the cast icon to play on the Yamaha DLNA device, then in the Emby Web App it's a totally different experience.

Like I said, as if there is no change in behavior between server versions 4.6.7 and 4.7

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When playing a playlist via the Emby Web App on my computer, I see the playlist yes:

 

145623051_Schermafbeelding2022-02-09om17_12_40.png.8460535e8e977467b6f7e9d8e4a0ebe2.png

And what's in the queue when playing on my computer:

1353640930_Schermafbeelding2022-02-09om17_12_53.png.56ec24dd0c7be9aa3a5ffca1ef7d6204.png

But when I use the cast icon to play this playlist on the Yamaha DLNA device, I see this in the Emby Web App:

2043611552_Schermafbeelding2022-02-09om17_17_05.png.1e3ad1627762240b5a9b611f8b0f700c.png

You can see in the screenshot above in the far right corner, besides the cast icon that I've connected the Web App to the DLNA device "Keuken", but I don't see the "now playing" screen, let alone what's in the queue. This is what I see on the MusicCast app from Yamaha when I try to cast from Emby Web App to the Yamaha DLNA device:

IMG_0867.thumb.PNG.6edb41f71568f3cd7ea821d67f961364.PNG

In the upper right corner is the play queue icon, when I tap on that to see what's in the play queue (Wachtrij) of the DLNA device, I see this:

IMG_0868.thumb.PNG.2068c688c79bbf8e40354aa668d96d8a.PNG

The message in the center says: "queue not available" (Wachtrij is niet beschikbaar).

I hope this gives you some clues? like I mentioned before; from seeing this behavior, on these screens, it looks to me as if there is no change between 4.7 beta and 4.6.7 stable when playing/connecting/manipulating DLNA devices.

 

 

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I understand this is a possible outcome, but with minidlna and Plex using the Yamaha DLNA devices work like a charm. I doubt that these 2 specific DLNA-capable Yamaha devices have an issue, since both work fine playing back music via minidlna and Plex. It would be more likely that Emby is not a successful combination with some (or all?) Yamaha DLNA capable devices. But that's something for Emby to conclude and then to decide what to do with it.

Although your conclusion may not be what I hoped for, I'd like to thank you for your efforts in sorting this out. You deserve lots of kudos. I still hope that some day Emby and Yamaha DLNA devices will work better together.

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Hello blaaat,

I have to agree with you. I experience the same problems with my yamaha musiccast equipment. Plex is working without problems, as is Bubble-UPnP.

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17 hours ago, Luke said:

There was a change. This just looks like a device specific problem. Thanks.

Is there a list with compatible DLNA players/renderers that Emby is known to be compatible with?

I've checked the DLNA certification of my two Yamaha devices and they are DLNA certified by the DLNA alliance:

413260915_Schermafbeelding2022-02-10om10_51_08.png.7730704ddf33378f953afd0f3896591f.png

648909574_Schermafbeelding2022-02-10om10_51_47.png.a8bf807560a858fbb57ef6092fe49b2d.png

 

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Unless it is something Yamaha specific the only thing I can think of is that perhaps these devices are using older versions of the protocol. I know that we do have some open dlna issues with older devices, although usually it is limited to 2014 and earlier. It looks like this was released in 2015, but it is possible that it is still using some older methods that Emby Server still has some issues with that we need to resolve.

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It seems both devices are certified for guidelines version 1.5. Both also are classified as Digital Media Renderer. I guess these 2 devices fall under:

3 hours ago, Luke said:

.. using some older methods that Emby Server still has some issues with that we need to resolve.

 

Certification details of both devices:

1544071871_Schermafbeelding2022-02-10om20_48_06.thumb.png.c5d272ff5a61b604556c4a88e5b4540c.png

 

1902802127_Schermafbeelding2022-02-10om20_49_03.thumb.png.bd8592359d9bca8cda8edb841894d334.png

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  • 11 months later...
FrederikB
On 1/17/2022 at 3:08 AM, Luke said:

Does MusicCast with Plex display all items in lists at once, or is it something where there's seven items plus a button to load more?

Sorry to reply a year after, but the problem persists. The buttons over 8 are available, but cannot be pressed. There isnt a ... button.

Now running Emby server 4.7.11, no change. As said, the musiccast app only shows the first 8 options of emby's menu's that do exist on iphone, android or web browser. I learned from other posts to define a dlna user with its own choice of libraries. Reducing that to 4 allowed me to present the Music libraries. However, once in a library, there are more options than 8. And exactly the one I need namely Folders is beyond #8. I'd be more than happy to loose artists, album. genre etc etc to keep the entry Folders.

Like others I can still DLNA with Plex to Musiccast but I'd rather leave Plex altogether.

As a workaround, can I remove or reorder the options to search for inside the libraries?IMG_3679.thumb.PNG.19f2ee79d5a6b52e92a549d2bd4d37b9.PNGIMG_3678.thumb.PNG.7af2e279d11d222bd5f9762a502971b9.PNGIMG_3679.thumb.PNG.19f2ee79d5a6b52e92a549d2bd4d37b9.PNG

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Well, I believe it’s a Yamaha issue… I’ve switched to using Jellyfin (sorry…). The issue I had with Emby was the same as the issue I got when I started using Jellyfin. But in a community effort it was found that there’s an escaping issue with Yamaha’s ampersand in the DLNA communication. Plex and minidlna might have workarounds for that, I don’t know. But there is a “workaround” by using mitmproxy. I have implemented that workaround and confirm that it works. There have been additional posts with improvements to the rewrite script for mitmproxy so you could pick one that works for you. This might just work exactly the same on Emby and solve this issue for Emby as well, since the origin of the problem lies within Yamaha, not Emby or Jellyfin.

Edited by blaaat
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