DLNA Authentication problem on Hisense

[VadimT 2]

Hey,

New premier customer here. Would gladly remain lifetime one if we solve this as Emby will then cover all my multimedia needs.

Setup:
Ubuntu -> Docker -> Emby (latest). Host mode.
DLNA plugin enabled.

Problem:
Two different Hisense TVs (both VIDAA based I believe) - cant play content via DLNA. They can browse the content, but give a weird "file not supported" error.

Logs:

2025-05-14 16:32:14.348 Warn Server: AUTH-ERROR: 192.168.1.12 - Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:14.348 Error Server: Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:14.348 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 401 to ‌‍‍192.168.1.12‌. Time: 1ms. HEAD http://‌‍‍192.168.1.5‌:8123/videos/43149/original.mkv
2025-05-14 16:32:14.488 Info Server: http/1.1 HEAD http://‌‍‍192.168.1.5‌:8123/videos/43147/original.mkv. Source Ip: ‌‍‍192.168.1.12‌, Connection=keep-alive, Host=‌‍‍192.168.1.5:8123‌, Accept-Encoding=gzip, deflate, getcontentFeatures.dlna.org=1
2025-05-14 16:32:14.488 Warn Server: AUTH-ERROR: 192.168.1.12 - Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:14.488 Error Server: Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:14.489 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 401 to ‌‍‍192.168.1.12‌. Time: 1ms. HEAD http://‌‍‍192.168.1.5‌:8123/videos/43147/original.mkv
2025-05-14 16:32:14.524 Info Server: http/1.1 HEAD http://‌‍‍192.168.1.5‌:8123/videos/43154/original.mkv. Source Ip: ‌‍‍192.168.1.12‌, Connection=keep-alive, Host=‌‍‍192.168.1.5:8123‌, Accept-Encoding=gzip, deflate, getcontentFeatures.dlna.org=1
2025-05-14 16:32:14.525 Warn Server: AUTH-ERROR: 192.168.1.12 - Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:14.525 Error Server: Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:14.525 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 401 to ‌‍‍192.168.1.12‌. Time: 1ms. HEAD http://‌‍‍192.168.1.5‌:8123/videos/43154/original.mkv
2025-05-14 16:32:15.892 Info Server: http/1.1 GET http://‌‍‍192.168.1.5‌:8123/videos/43153/original.mkv?mediaPlayerId=33&playMode=1. Source Ip: ‌‍‍192.168.1.12‌, Accept=*/*, Host=‌‍‍192.168.1.5:8123‌, User-Agent=HISENSE-HL1/0.0.0.0 HbbTV/1.1.1 (; HISENSE; HL1; Hi/0.0.0.0;;) CE-HTML/1.0, Range=bytes=0-
2025-05-14 16:32:15.893 Warn Server: AUTH-ERROR: 192.168.1.12 - Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:15.893 Error Server: Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:15.893 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 401 to ‌‍‍192.168.1.12‌. Time: 1ms. GET http://‌‍‍192.168.1.5‌:8123/videos/43153/original.mkv?mediaPlayerId=33&playMode=1
2025-05-14 16:32:15.923 Info Server: http/1.1 HEAD http://‌‍‍192.168.1.5‌:8123/videos/43153/original.mkv. Source Ip: ‌‍‍192.168.1.12‌, Connection=keep-alive, Host=‌‍‍192.168.1.5:8123‌, Accept-Encoding=gzip, deflate, getcontentFeatures.dlna.org=1
2025-05-14 16:32:15.924 Warn Server: AUTH-ERROR: 192.168.1.12 - Access token is invalid or expired.
2025-05-14 16:32:15.924 Error Server: Access token is invalid or expired.

 

Additional Information:
I can browse and play content over DLNA on my PC, and a Samsung monitor/TV.
When I do so, at least on the PC - I see requests similar to the above contain an API key.
I also see API key under API Keys section in the UI.

 

Let me know how to best help myself through this :)

[VadimT 2]

Not sure if this is related, but maybe: 

Don't see technical details of what was fixed in the version bumps

I'll also attach complete logs, although I don't see anything in them that might be that useful.

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42077]

Hi, what model Hisense?

[VadimT 2]

55U6NAU would be one of them

[Luke 42077]

What dlna software are you using on the tv?

[VadimT 2]

Native client on the TV ("Content Sharing" in the input section if it helps)
It works, in so far as it plays content from minidlna(same setup in docker, etc) off the same server and from my PC, but not from emby (can only browse content, but even thumbnails don't seem to come through nor the content itself)

Edited May 14, 2025 by VadimT

[VadimT 2]

I enabled debug logs just to see if I can suss out anything more.. but short of seeing that the TV hits the default profile (which other working devices probably do as well) - I only see that the plugin(I assume DLNA one) complains about Access Token and then Server complains about the same.

 

[Luke 42077]

1 hour ago, VadimT said:

I enabled debug logs just to see if I can suss out anything more.. but short of seeing that the TV hits the default profile (which other working devices probably do as well) - I only see that the plugin(I assume DLNA one) complains about Access Token and then Server complains about the same.

 

What's happening is we're giving it a media url with query string params and it's stripping off all of the params and adding it's own. See, these are not emby params:

mediaPlayerId=33&playMode=1

Every once in a while we see a device that does this, but usually it's devices running very old dlna software. I'm surprised to see it happen on a 2024 TV.

[VadimT 2]

Yep... I suspected as much (btw, no updates on the firmware  )

Is there a way for me to hack out the auth/api key check somehow to make those players happy or is it more nuances and those additional url params needed for more than the first problem we see here? 

Edited May 15, 2025 by VadimT

[Luke 42077]

I think the only fix is that we need to redo the urls so that they don't have any query string params.

[VadimT 2]

Understood (lol, if you had a git repo, I wouldn't be opposed to contributing the fix myself even )

Does this line up with the direction you wanna go with DLNA impl?
I'm not well versed int DLNA specs but I'd venture a guess that most VIDAA based Hisense TVs do this, at least in Australia (I have 2 models, one that's 55'', and the other a bit bigger a bit more premium, but same VIDAA crap).

I guess rolling query params into the URL path itself makes sense, but just wanted to understand how realistic am I to see a fix like that

Edited May 15, 2025 by VadimT

[VadimT 2]

Hey @Luke, so what's your take on it?

For what it's worth, I've managed to dance around this problem for now - thanks to bubbleUPNP, which can proxy other DLNA servers.
Features overview:
BubbleUPnP Server provides a collection of services working on top many of your UPnP/DLNA renderers, media servers and Chromecast devices:
.......

• fix issues of UPnP/DLNA Media Servers (discovery issues, broken data, add some audio DLNA compliance) by creating a proxy Media Server

 

Again, I haven't looked at DLNA specs, so not sure if query params, anchors and whatever other stuff HTTP GET supports is valid or not - but the fact that bubbleupnp proxy is fixing this is possibly suggestive

 

[Luke 42077]

Quote

Again, I haven't looked at DLNA specs, so not sure if query params, anchors and whatever other stuff HTTP GET supports is valid or not - but the fact that bubbleupnp proxy is fixing this is possibly suggestive

Or maybe they just don't have query string params in their urls.

But yes we should probably get it done.

[VadimT 2]

@Luke they don't (assuming you refer to bubbleupnp) - from the logs - they hash the source url and feed that out (so no query params or anything).

For what it's worth - I just got an amazon firestick just to see how it goes instead of trying to wrestle the bloody hisense into submissions - so far so good and everything works lovely.

So I think Im good on my end for now.

Thanks again for support @Luke- great product, great support experience (and interesting problem to suss out )

Edited May 22, 2025 by VadimT

[ISE73 0]

Looks like I've the same problem.

I also have the premium for Emby. My TV is Hisense 55E7NQ Pro. Emby Version 4.8.11.0, DLNA 1.5.0.0

 

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42077]

5 hours ago, ISE73 said:

Looks like I've the same problem.

I also have the premium for Emby. My TV is Hisense 55E7NQ Pro. Emby Version 4.8.11.0, DLNA 1.5.0.0

 

embyserver.txt 39.37 kB · 0 downloads

Hi, we'll take a look at it. Thanks for reporting.

[ISE73 0]

@Luke- Do you have any news?

[Luke 42077]

6 hours ago, ISE73 said:

@Luke- Do you have any news?

Ho, not yet, sorry. It is on the to do list. Thanks.

[Luke 42077]

Hi, responding to your PM. I don't have anything new just yet. Thanks.

[Trezona 1]

AWOL 3000 PRO projector, similar situation. Playback does not work, complains about the token.

embyserver.txt

[Trezona 1]

On 5/18/2025 at 10:43 AM, VadimT said:

Привет@Люк, так что вы об этом думаете?

Как бы то ни было, мне пока удалось обойти эту проблему благодаря bubbleUPNP, который может выступать в роли прокси-сервера для других DLNA-серверов.
Обзор функций:
BubbleUPnP Server предоставляет набор сервисов, работающих поверх множества ваших UPnP/DLNA-рендереров, медиасерверов и устройств Chromecast:
.......

• исправить проблемы медиасерверов UPnP/DLNA (проблемы обнаружения, поврежденные данные, добавить некоторую совместимость аудио с DLNA) путем создания прокси-медиасервера

 

Опять же, я не смотрел спецификации DLNA, поэтому не уверен, что параметры запроса, якоря и все остальное, что поддерживает HTTP GET, допустимы или нет, но тот факт, что прокси-сервер bubbleupnp исправляет это, возможно, наводит на размышления.

 

Thanks for the hint, it also worked. I will also use it as a proxy. Great bow you are my savior.

Hint, if you enable the proxy and remove the network settings in Emby, then the media server disappears from the DLNA list but bubbleupnp continues to see it and broadcasts only itself. As a result, we will see only 1 DLNA our Proxy

Edited September 15, 2025 by Trezona