No playback controls when casting music

[Mao899 2]

- Linux server (Debian 12 Bookworm) running latest Emby Docker build on Cosmos Cloud
- I have a Surface tablet connected to my sound system with the Windows Emby app installed

Casting from:

- Android Pixel 8 (Have tested with both the Play Store apk as well as the one provided on the Emby site, same results)
- Windows 10 Pro, using web login

Casting music to the Surface tablet from Pixel 8, it plays whatever I send it, but I have no controls on the Pixel 8.
Casting from Windows 10 via web login, same as the Pixel 8, no controls.

I don't even see a "Now playing" option or anything that might be intuitive. All I can do is hit "Shuffle" or select a different song/album/artist etc.

I've updated the Android app, I've jumped around settings, sources, from Music to Movies to TV Shows and back to Music, closed and reopened the app, changed to cast to other devices and back again - still no controls.

The main reason I signed up for Emby was the ability to remotely control the player on the Surface Tablet, now that I've signed up for Premiere, suddenly I find I only have very limited control.

I've searched for answers, but the only relevant cases I could find were years old, so I assume this isn't a typical current problem for people?

Am I missing something?

Edited January 29, 2025 by Mao899

[Mao899 2]

Anyone?

[Mao899 2]

I made another post on a different topic about having no transport controls on the source device when casting to another device, but I've had to stop using Emby on my main server PC as well, for a slightly different problem.
When playing back TV shows (I haven't tried movies or music yet, videos so far have been .mp4), no transport controls are visible (I seem to recall changing the setting to allow them), and all I can do is skip forward and backward a few seconds - but only a few times, as it will stop working for about 15 seconds - then suddenly skip to the end of the video entirely.
It's enough that I had to revert back to using Kodi.

Emby is a brand new install, I just discovered it a few days ago.
Server is an HP DL380 Gen9 with dual Xeon E5-2580 V4's, 128Gb of RAM running Debian 12 Bookworm and using an old Gigabyte Pitcairn model GPU. Emby is run as a container under Cosmos Cloud UI. Emby Theater is installed under Debian.

I paid for a Premier Key, please don't tell me I have to regret my decision! Is there product support I should be contacting?

[Mao899 2]

I've now posted my issues in several places over the past few days, looked everywhere possible for answers, and haven't seen a single response anywhere. 

I signed up for Premiere thinking that would solve the problem, but I have no idea if it's a "bug or a feature" and no one seems to have any answers.

Should my Emby Theatre have transport controls visible when playing video?

Should my Android and Windows apps (and Chrome browser) have transport controls when connecting to other Emby devices?

Anyone???

[Luke 42078]

Hi there @Mao899can you please show a screenshot example of what you do see? Thanks !

[Mao899 2]

It's more what I don't see. 

Here's my Android app - in the top right corner, for "Play on", I've selected my Windows Surface tablet. It's playing, but below is all I see. I can hit "Play", I can hit "Shuffle", I can bring up a volume control on my phone - but that's it. I can't pause, skip, stop....
All my other Emby interfaces are the same way, whether it's Chrome browser access, or whether I'm logged in as a user or administrator. 
I get a simliar result in Emby Theatre, where I have no transport controls when playing directly off the server on it's video card. At least I can skip forward and back a few seconds at a time there, but that control goes to crap after a few presses (When watching movies and TV Shows).

Edited February 1, 2025 by Mao899

[Luke 42078]

Strange. Please attach the emby server log from when the problem occurred:

How to Report a Problem

Thanks.

[Mao899 2]

So I SHOULD be seeing controls or a "Now playing" when I choose "Play on"? Just like I do when I'm playing tracks locally?

The fact that the casting "Play on" feature does this, as well as local video playback on the server lacks controls leaves me to wonder if it's something related to being run as a container? Are there ports I need to forward other than 8096 and 8920?

Log attached.

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42078]

Hi, yes there should be controls. How many emby libraries have you created, and what folder paths are added to each one?

[Mao899 2]

Like so:

There's also a "Collections" Emby Library that I didn't create, seems to just populate itself with Movie collections.

Edited February 2, 2025 by Mao899

[Mao899 2]

Still not working.

[Mao899 2]

On 2/2/2025 at 2:47 PM, Luke said:

Hi, yes there should be controls. How many emby libraries have you created, and what folder paths are added to each one?

Luke, I appreciate that you seem to be the only person providing support, but if I'm going to pay for a subscription, I would hope it's for a software that works properly. And if not, some customer support. It's been a week, and Emby still doesn't do what I bought it to do. No point in continuing to pay for something I can't use.

[Mao899 2]

I'm done trying to get support from you guys for a paid feature.

Back to Jellyfin. Turns out the same fix for Emby works to fix Jellyfin, and I don't have to pay a monthly subscription to get to use it.

[Luke 42078]

Hi there, I apologize for your issue. There is an issue with your server database. This can be resolved by deleting the server's program data folder and making a fresh start:

Emby Server Data Folder

I have a good sense of what the cause probably was, and we are looking into that. Thanks.

[Mao899 2]

Sorry Luke, I've already uninstalled all my Emby apps and server. No offense, but it's just not worth any more of my time and effort.

[Luke 42078]

hi, can you please give it another try? Your issue should be resolved with a fresh start. Thanks !