Problems with Emby Clients

[VicMoore 754]

The "Emby for Android" 3.4.36 client does not respond to commands like "PlayNow" or "Seek" from the Emby Session Manager. For example,

 var command = new PlaystateRequest() { Command = PlaystateCommand.Seek , SeekPositionTicks = catchupTicks, ControllingUserId = userId };
this.sessionManager.SendPlaystateCommand(sessionId, sessionId, command, playbackCancellationToken);

and 

 var playRequest = new PlayRequest() { PlayCommand = PlayCommand.PlayNow, ItemIds = playbackMediaIds, StartPositionTicks = catchupTicks, StartIndex = 0 };
this.sessionManager.SendPlayCommand(sessionId, sessionId, playRequest, playbackCancellationToken);

Consequently, this client fails to properly play media selected from the Emby Live TV EPG.  It always plays the media from start to finish. To my knowledge, there is no simple server-side solution for this problem.

Similarly, the AndroidTv 2.1.26a does not proceed to playing the next media inline in the Emby Live TV EPG.  Fortunately, it does respond to commands from the Emby Session Manager and therefore this shortcoming can be mitigated by the server sending a playlist to the client.

Finally, the Emby Web client works perfectly.  It responds to commands and goes to the next program when the current program terminates.  This should be the case for all Emby clients.  Otherwise, the Live TV Emby feature will always be compromised. 

Is there any way I can help resolve this issue?  Don't be trite and just say NO.  This problem is important to me, and I hope to others.  Luke said over a year ago that he was assigning someone to address this problem.  I know everyone on the Emby Team is busy and deserving of our respect. However, it has been a long time.  Please point me in the right direction to resolve this problem. 

I once asked Luke to show me the details for building a TV Service and he gave me a piece of code that explained everything. Perhaps that kind of help is possible here. I am always grateful to learn something new. It makes my day.

Vic

P.S.  I chose the above clients because my resources are limited, and they are what I have. Perhaps others can contribute details about additional devices to this list.

 

 

 

[Luke 42077]

Quote

The "Emby for Android" 3.4.36 client does not respond to commands like "PlayNow" or "Seek" from the Emby Session Manager. For example,

Seems to be working in my testing by using the web app to control it. 

[VicMoore 754]

I will try again - but it did not work for me sending commands via the myTV plugin and the Emby sessionManager. By the way, for my knowledge, how did you control the Emby for Android via the Web Client?

Vic

[Luke 42077]

Click the remote control icon in the top right, then select the app you want to control. Then play something.

[VicMoore 754]

Thank you for teaching me a new trick.   

@Luke I am using the "Emby for Android" from Amazon, and I am using it on a Fire Quebe.  I am sending commands to it using the Emby session manager. I looked in the Emby server log and the Emby for Android client was sent a SEEK message after the client sent two progress update messages back to Emby. The sent message did not affect the progress clicks from the client.

I will use the Web Client to run further test.

Vic

[Luke 42077]

Please let me know what happens with that test. Thanks.

[VicMoore 754]

I will and I appreciate your concern

Vic

[VicMoore 754]

THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST TEST  ---  This test determines if the "Emby for Android" client from Amazon responds to SEEK commands.

These messages are from the Emby Server Log. Notice that "Charlie Chan in Shanghai" is playing and the client is "Emby for Android":

2025-04-11 10:04:12.411 Info myTVTuner: ======2 myTv PROGRESS Report - playing = Charlie Chan in Shanghai, id = 152

2025-04-11 10:04:12.411 Info myTVTuner: ======3 myTv PROGRESS Report - Client = Emby for Android, deviceId = 7327d2833b4916fb

... Now note that the catchup ticks are calculated and the SEEK command is sent to the client:

2025-04-11 10:04:12.411 Info myTVTuner: ======6 myTv [[[[[[[[ catchupTicks = 38895140000, ticks = 0

2025-04-11 10:04:12.411 Info myTVTuner: ======7 myTv [][][][][][][][][][][][] SeekPosition [][][][][][] Emby Web session Id = a105e79907d8eed0371d89175f6a4e3b

2025-04-11 10:04:12.412 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host5. Time: 37ms. POST http://192.168.1.28:8096/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress?X-Emby-Client=Emby for Android&X-Emby-Device-Name=Victor's Fire TV Cube&X-Emby-Device-Id=7327d2833b4916fb&X-Emby-Client-Version=3.4.36&X-Emby-Token=x_secret5_x&X-Emby-Language=en-us&reqformat=json

...Lastly note that the progress report from the cliend does not show any progress in the tick count:

2025-04-11 10:04:12.415 Info myTVTuner: ======0 myTv PROGRESS Report - ticks = 0

 

I tried sending the SEEK command after the tick count surpassed 10,000.  The same result was measured.

Unless I am doing something wrong, the "Emby for Android" client on the Amazon Fire Cube does not respond to SEEK commands.

Vic

 

I will shortly post the second test

 

 

[Luke 42077]

I just tested playing a plain video on android. Then used the web app to remote control it while playing. I was able to seek around no problem.

[VicMoore 754]

Yes, I understand that your test works. My test of the Emby for Android app provided by Amazon does not work, as the data above illustrates. 

In a second test I let the video pay for 5 seconds and then sent the SEEK operator and received the same results.

Do you have any suggestions about how to make the client recognize a SEEK event? Or am I going about this wrong? 

Vic

[pünktchen 1409]

Log out of the Emby AndroidTV app or uninstall it before using the Emby for Android app. They share the same device id, so sometimes remote commands to one app are received by the other.

Edited April 11, 2025 by pünktchen

[VicMoore 754]

Thanks @pünktchen for this advice. I will do this tonight.  I do have them both installed.

Thanks again, Vic

[VicMoore 754]

@Lukeand @pünktchen uninstalling the AndroidTv app solved the issue with not accepting commands. Thanks again @pünktchenfor sharing this solution with me.

Vic

[VicMoore 754]

@pünktchenone more thing that would help me a lot. What are the names (like AndroidTv) of the apps that require a playlist to transition to the next program to play?

Vic

Edited April 11, 2025 by VicMoore

[VicMoore 754]

@LukeThe problem with AndroidTv is that it will not go to the next program in line.  In the TV Platform I am monitoring when media ends. I could send a command to start the next program.  Would this work?  @pünktchenperhaps you have tried this?

Vic

[Luke 42077]

Relating to the standard android app, I did find some things related to auto advancing that may improve it for the next store update. You can sideloading the latest build to test.

You may also want to try apple tv again as well because it has the same improvements.

[pünktchen 1409]

3 hours ago, VicMoore said:

@pünktchenone more thing that would help me a lot. What are the names (like AndroidTv) of the apps that require a playlist to transition to the next program to play?

Vic

You mean apps that cannot auto advance to the next program with native playback thru the live tv engine? I only know AndroidTV and Roku. I don't own an Apple, LG or Samsung device to test this myself.

 

3 hours ago, VicMoore said:

@LukeThe problem with AndroidTv is that it will not go to the next program in line.  In the TV Platform I am monitoring when media ends. I could send a command to start the next program.  Would this work?  @pünktchenperhaps you have tried this?

Vic

I've never tried that, because i can imagine there would be an undesirable delay between stop and start. But maybe i am wrong.

Keep in mind that remote commands with a Roku will only work in a local network. That was the main reason for @Luketo invent library playback thru the live tv engine. Strangely Roku is still a device that doesn't support auto advance to the next program.

[Luke 42077]

Quote

That was the main reason for @Luketo invent library playback thru the live tv engine. Strangely Roku is still a device that doesn't support auto advance to the next program.

No that wasn't the reason. The reason is because I think library playback is better. You get everything to direct play with audio passthrough, refresh rate switching, etc. The playlist thing that you're doing seems like a hack to me.

[Luke 42077]

Quote

I don't own an Apple TV

Yea but I know there are some virtual tv users with it, so I figured you would just ask them. 

Also the old electron based windows app also has the updates, in case you still have it installed.

[pünktchen 1409]

7 hours ago, Luke said:

No that wasn't the reason.

But it should have been that, because everything else that you list as an advantage, is also possible with the "hack".

[VicMoore 754]

What is Library Playback? How do I use it? It's great to learn something new.

Vic

[pünktchen 1409]

14 minutes ago, VicMoore said:

What is Library Playback? How do I use it? It's great to learn something new.

Vic

It is what i call "native" playback.

[VicMoore 754]

OK, now please tell me what "Native TV" is and how it works. Is there any sample code or a write up to explain this playback technique?

Vic

[pünktchen 1409]

18 minutes ago, VicMoore said:

OK, now please tell me what "Native TV" is and how it works. Is there any sample code or a write up to explain this playback technique?

Vic

It's what you are using in your plugin! The thing that always starts from the beginning instead of the live point and doesn't auto advance to the next program in every app.

[VicMoore 754]

@Lukeand @pünktchen I did some further testing and discovered that the Emby for Android client receives messages from the Emby server only if it is on the local network. Is this true?

Vic