native Kodi DLNA dropping out with Alexa skill for Emby

[cw-kid 192]

Hello

 

I have been beta testing the Alexa skill for Emby and mainly testing it with my native Kodi LibreElec Krypton HTPC. I have DLNA enabled on the Kodi PC and the Alexa skill is set to use this client as its default player. 

 

The developer of the Alexa skill @@Angelblue05 was monitoring my connection to the Amazon Echo skill and stated the following regarding DLNA drop outs:

 

"For dlna, no errors in alexa log. But when it query the server for the dlna session information, it doesn't always return it. More often than not, the server returns an empty response."

 

Sometimes when I ask the Emby Alexa skill to play a movie it says something like no player could be found, and then I ask again and it works, so its intermittent if the Kodi (DLNA) box is visible or not. 

 

In the Emby server settings DLNA is set to blast every 30 secs which is the default I believe. 

 

There is also another DLNA client running on the Kodi box its an emulated Logitech Squeezebox (SqueezeLite) running lower in Linux. 

 

So Emby server sees two DLNA devices from this HTPC box. But I only use the Kodi DLNA one with the Emby Alexa skill and have that set as its default player. 

 

I have had a look in the Emby server log but not really sure what I am looking for? 

 

Any ideas why these disconnects and drop outs might be happening? The Kodi HTPC is hardwired to the gigabit LAN as it the Windows Server running Emby. 

 

Thanks.

 

 

[cw-kid 192]

Seems there is no matching DLNA profile for Kodi DLNA ? 

2017-08-25 19:26:49.231 Info Dlna: DLNA Session created for KODI01 - Kodi
2017-08-25 19:26:50.167 Info HttpClient: HttpClientManager GET: http://192.168.0.2:9000/plugins/UPnP/MediaRenderer.xml?player=00:00:00:00:00:fd
2017-08-25 19:26:50.198 Info HttpClient: HttpClientManager GET: http://192.168.0.2:9000/plugins/UPnP/MediaRenderer.xml?player=00:00:00:00:00:fd
2017-08-25 19:26:50.213 Info HttpClient: HttpClientManager GET: http://192.168.0.2:9000/plugins/UPnP/MediaRenderer/RenderingControl.xml
2017-08-25 19:26:50.276 Info HttpClient: HttpClientManager GET: http://192.168.0.2:9000/plugins/UPnP/MediaRenderer/AVTransport.xml
2017-08-25 19:26:50.276 Info HttpClient: HttpClientManager GET: http://192.168.0.2:9000/plugins/UPnP/MediaRenderer/RenderingControl.xml
2017-08-25 19:26:50.307 Info Dlna: No matching device profile found. The default will need to be used.

[Angelblue05 4132]

@@Luke, I don't know if it means anything, but the deviceid has a ":" in it. When I query /sessions using the deviceId, nothing returns (an empty array []). I'm not sure if it's really dropping out or just the server is unable to resolve the deviceid. I've asked cw-kid to verify that it disappears from the active players list.

 

After further testing, it seems the server is ok processing ":" in the deviceId, so it really is an intermittent drop out. It also causes the server to throw 500 internal server error when trying to send playback to it sometimes.

Edited August 26, 2017 by Angelblue05

[cw-kid 192]

@@Angelblue05

@@Luke

 

The Kodi DLNA client device doesnt always seem to be present in the Emby server dashboard under Active Devices all the time, when the HTPC is constantly turned on etc.

 

It seems to come and go from the active deivce list.

 

Why should it always be listed under Active Devices whilst the HTPC is turned on?

[Luke 42077]

It is our intention to only show dlna devices under Active Devices when they are actually being used. That may not be perfected yet, but when they are idle it is by design that they will not show up in Active Devices.

[Angelblue05 4132]

Are you saying it's impossible to "Play to" DLNA at any moment, because that seems to be what is happening.

[Luke 42077]

No, shouldn't be.

[Angelblue05 4132]

Ok, well I'll ask cw-kid to provide his server log when that happens. For some reason, 1. the DLNA disappears from the /sessions list. 2. If the DLNA shows up, but by the time the play command is sent, the server throws 500 internal error, because I'm guessing the DLNA is no longer showing up as a device to use.

 

Thank Luke

Edited August 27, 2017 by Angelblue05