Remote volume control not working anymore

[mediajunk 4]

Hi, 

I'm running emby for kodi next Gen 9.4.20 with emby server 4.9.0.2 beta in docker. 

Around two weeks ago everything worked as expected. When I start the app on my Android phone and remote connect to my emby plugin running on kodi, I could press the volume buttons on my smartphone (Google Pixel 7) and the volume commands were passed to my AV receiver via HDMI-CEC and so changed the playback volume. 

Now, my volume keys do nothing anymore, beside changing the local media volume on my android smartphone. This problem happens with 3 different phones and 1 android tablet. 

I'm now forced to use the remote of my media box where kodi is running or my AVR remote. 

Is there any setting I could have missed? Any hints how to debug this problem? 

[quickmic 1703]

19 hours ago, mediajunk said:

When I start the app

Which app? Sounds like a Kodi remote control app?

If so, could be a remote control issue.

The emby for kodi next Gen is only in charge if you control the volume via Emby server.

[mediajunk 4]

Thanks for answering. 

For clarification: I have Kodi with Emby for kodi next Gen. I open emby app on my Android smartphone and click in the top right corner onto the cast symbol and select the emby for kodi next Gen player in the menu which appears from the bottom of the screen. 

After that, the playback is starting on my TV, to which the kodi box with the plugin is connected. I can pause, resume and fast forward the playback. But I cannot control the playback volume anymore from my Android phone. But this was working a few weeks ago. 

I tried downgrading the emby app on my phone, but with no success. 

[quickmic 1703]

Ok, thanks for clarification, I'll check that. Could be both, a next gen or emby app issue.

[mediajunk 4]

Thanks for checking. Please let me know if I can help with any logs. 

[quickmic 1703]

I tested via WebUI  and Emby App. Both working fine.

I assume you used the volume slider or is there another way via Emby App to control the volume?

[mediajunk 4]

Yes, either the volume bar or the volume slider hardware buttons on the phone itself. 

Both are not working anymore from my phone to remote playing session. 

I can confirm that it's working for all other emby devices remote playing controlled by my phone which are not emby for kodi devices. 

[quickmic 1703]

Ok, I check via Emby App with the buttons. Basically it's working, but it's not accurate. e.g. Slider on phone shows 80% but 40% is reported via Emby server to next-gen plugin.

I can see the volume messages incoming and also Kodi adjusts the volume as reported by Emby server (via Emby App).

 

[mediajunk 4]

Some more information which are maybe useful. 

On the kodi device I have enabled audio passtrough to my AVR. So the emby/kodi cannot directly control the playback volume, since audio is sent untouched to the AVR. 

But some weeks ago, volume button presses on the phone or using volume slider in emby where somehow "translated" into HDMI-CEC commands to my AVR. Now nothing happens when I use the volume slider or using the hardware buttons. 

Can I help with any types of logs?

Edited March 30, 2024 by mediajunk
Question for Logs added

[quickmic 1703]

Logs not required at this point, thanks. Frankly sounds like a Kodi bug. What happens if you adjust the volume on Kodi? Actually that's what the plugin does.

[mediajunk 4]

 

Quote

What happens if you adjust the volume on Kodi? Actually that's what the plugin does.

Thanks for this useful debugging information. I will check and report back. 

[mediajunk 4]

So, changing the volume in kodi directly works as expected. Pressing volume button of kodi box remote or changing volume via kodi Web interface does send an HDMI-CEC command to the AVR. 

I found an old working tablet of mine. There everything is working as expected. Pressing volume keys on the tablet remote playing at the kodi device also sends the commands. Emby app on the tablet and on my Pixel 7 devices are both version 3.3.77. So no difference here. 

I reinstalled the emby app on my phone but nothing changed. 

Mainly it's a problem with Google Pixel  devices using the emby app. It "feels" like emby app does not detect/handle volume button presses if remote playing is active. 

Sorry for not being able to describe this 100% technically correct. 

[quickmic 1703]

Did you try the volume slider in Emby App?

[quickmic 1703]

I mean the volume slider in Emby app, not the (Android) volume slider (when you press the buttons.)

[mediajunk 4]

Yes, I tried. The volume slider does nothing on all devices. It only works, if I disable audio passtrough on Kodi. But audio passtrough was enabled all the time, since my AVR is capable of playing mostly everything. I do not want kodi to touch my audio. 

The hardware volume buttons of the Lenovo tablet get "passed through" to the AVR via the emby app. The hardware volume buttons of Google pixel devices not. 

I honestly have no idea how to debug this any further. 

[quickmic 1703]

Which Kodi version?

Currently I cannot test pass through, I'm on holiday.

Back at home I can only test with Kodi 20 (osmc), but not Kodi 21. It's not available yet for osmc.

[mediajunk 4]

I have an OSMC running kodi 20.3. 

But I assume it's not a kodi thing, since everything is working from an old Lenovo tablet with the same emby app version. 

I will try to test a 4th non Google pixel device soon. 

[mediajunk 4]

So, installed emby on my work phone. It's a galaxy A52 with Android 13 Patchlevel January. 

Everything is working as expected. Volume slider in emby is not doing anything, since audio passtrough is enabled. Hardware volume buttons are mapped to HDMI-CEC commands and volume on my AVR is changed. 

So, for me this is clearly not an emby for kodi next Gen issue, but an Emby for Android issue, at least on Google pixel 7 devices. 

Unfortunately, I have no other Google pixel devices in my home to test this further. 

I assume Google changed something in March update, which then brokes the volume button functionality in emby. 

So I searched for this and found out, that Google has changed the system volume slider completely. I assume, this could be the root cause of the problems. Where is the right place, to file a bug report for this in the emby app? 

[quickmic 1703]

On 3/30/2024 at 2:44 PM, mediajunk said:

So I searched for this and found out, that Google has changed the system volume slider completely. I assume, this could be the root cause of the problems. Where is the right place, to file a bug report for this in the emby app? 

@Luke

[Luke 42077]

Hi, what happens when using the volume controls directly in the app?

[mediajunk 4]

Hi, when using the volume control directly nothing happens. Just the message on the TV, that Audio Passthrough is activated.
This happens with any device I have for testing (2x Google Pixel 7, Samsung Galaxy A52, Lenovo Tablet).

When using the Hardware Volume Buttons, on the Galaxy A52 and the Lenovo Tablet, the volume of the AVR via HDMI-CEC is changed.
On both of the Google Pixel Devices nothing happens anymore.

[Luke 42077]

OK we're looking into this. Thanks.

[sachet39 0]

Hi, Any update on this, I am getting a similar issue. A complete newbie. 

1. Nvidia Shield (2019) + LG Soundbar. 

2. Installed latest Kodi on the above.  

3. Installed Emby Kodi next gen addon. 

4. All the files were synced. 

5. Started playing, all the buttons like back, play, forward and pause are working in the Sheild remote and Sheild App. 

6. Volume control only possible through LG Soundbar Remote.