"Auto" for Android Mobile over Mobile data or external Wi-Fi issues

[Richard Branches 330]

What does backwards mean?

 

I meant it's not getting better with every update but it's going backwards... is that the correct word when something is not improving?

Edited March 7, 2020 by Richard Branches

[Luke 42077]

You haven't stated what your issue is. Please see how to report a media playback issue:

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/739-how-to-report-a-problem/

Thanks.

[Richard Branches 330]

You want log files again? we've been discussing this problem for months!, anyway, there's no transcoding logs because the Android app is playing everything directly on mobile data when it shouldn't, let me know if you need the server log and remind me how to get the Android mobile log.

[Luke 42077]

Try lowering the music internet quality setting in the app.

[Richard Branches 330]

Why? why should I do that if it was working (although buggy) before?, besides that's what AUTO is for, otherwise remove it altogether and problem solved. The web app is working so why not the Android app?.

[Luke 42077]

Then please provide a specific example that we can look at in detail. Thanks.

[Richard Branches 330]

I'm going to send you (AGAIN) a transcode log of a song I'm listening right now using the web app, since the same song is played directly when using the Android app there's no log available for it.

Linkin Park - The Catalyst.txt

[Luke 42077]

Right, we still  need to add detection into the android app for devices that don't support 24-bit audio.

[Richard Branches 330]

Right, we still  need to add detection into the android app for devices that don't support 24-bit audio.

 

24-bit audio? but it's doing the same with 16-bit ones!, it's not working like the web app, where everything gets transcoded according to the network speed at a given moment, like the attached log.

Rihanna - We Found Love.txt

Edited March 7, 2020 by Richard Branches

[Luke 42077]

24-bit audio? but it's doing the same with 16-bit ones!, it's not working like the web app, where everything gets transcoded according to the network speed at a given moment.

 

How have you configured the music internet quality setting in the android app?

[Richard Branches 330]

It's on AUTO all the time and most songs, including 16-bit ones, get transcoded when using the web app because of the network speed at that very moment like the attached log, which is not working correctly on the Android app, where every single song I tested played directly, hence I got stutter with many songs.

Rihanna - We Found Love.txt

Edited March 7, 2020 by Richard Branches

[Richard Branches 330]

Right, we still  need to add detection into the android app for devices that don't support 24-bit audio.

 

Why would the server transcode 24-bit files if the phone can play them by downscale?

[pir8radio 1312]

Why? why should I do that if it was working (although buggy) before?, besides that's what AUTO is for, otherwise remove it altogether and problem solved. The web app is working so why not the Android app?.

 

   Just poking in here... not to confuse the topic...  Just a casual passer by. reading through your thread....    maybe i'm wrong, but it appears from reading your posts that you think AUTO on the client side has something to do with the server side...  As far as I understand it does not...    The client apps assume your server has unlimited bandwidth,  so the client side AUTO just checks his bandwidth to see what the phone can accept (whatever network, wifi, cell).   The other server side settings are to make sure the server doesnt send what its internet connection can not handle. You kind of need to use both in your case... Some will over-ride the others...  

 

How i read your posts is you think AUTO on the client side, some how checks with the server settings and adjusts the client quality settings...  again as far as i'm aware it doesn't do that.   The client just cares about itself and sets its auto - quality based on its own internet speed.   If the server or user has bandwidth limits set the server will only send up to those settings...  even if the client can accept 120mbs.

 

I know that only talks to one of your many issues... but just wanted to clear that up lol...  I'll shut up now..

Edited March 7, 2020 by pir8radio

[Luke 42077]

Interestingly the auto bitrate detection of both apps uses the same API.

[Richard Branches 330]

@@pir8radio, the first thing AUTO or any manual quality setting takes into account is the upload limitation setting in the server, in my case is set to 6,5 Mbps so everything higher than that is going to be transcoded obligatorily regardless of the network speed at that moment, the second thing taken into account is the network speed, I don't know exactly how the server+app verify that, but I know that when the network is not fast enough then any song smaller that the upload limitation (6.5 Mbps) will get transcoded to AAC to avoid stutter and that's what the web app is doing correctly until now, but the Android App is failing in that regard, that's what emby devs must verify.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Richard Branches

[pir8radio 1312]

@@pir8radio, the first thing AUTO or any manual quality setting takes into account is the upload limitation setting in the server, in my case is set to 6,5 Mbps so everything higher than that is going to be transcoded obligatorily regardless of the network speed at that moment, the second thing taken into account is the network speed, I don't know excacly how the server+app verify that, but I know that when the network is not fast enough then any song smaller that the upload limitation (6.5 Mbps) playing at that very moment will get transcoded to AAC to avoid stutter and that's what the web app is doing correctly as of now, but the Android App is failing in that regard, that's what emby devs must verify.

 

 

I understand,  Just making sure you understood that the AUTO or manual settings do not take into account the server upload limitation...    The clients assume the server has unlimited bandwidth..  Then they request the content,  when the server sends the content the server checks its upload limitation then transcodes based on its setting..   I just wanted to make sure you knew the client and server auto/bandwidth settings are independent of each other.   In AUTO the client will only request what it can handle even if greater than what the server can provide it will try to request a high bitrate if the client can support it.     The server will only send what it can handle (based on server bandwidth settings).   The client auto function doesnt check with the server for anything. 

 

The client dictates what it can accept,  the server dictates what can be sent,  and they are independent of each other..  The client will always assume the server can send ANYTHING, and the server will only send what it can based on its settings...     

 

This is for bandwidth only...   Transcoding in general is also based on device capabilities.. I understand that. 

Edited March 7, 2020 by pir8radio

[Richard Branches 330]

Anyway, it's not working.     

[pir8radio 1312]

Anyway, it's not working.     

 

lol   sorry buddy...     They will figure it out...  Sometimes its a struggle, especially if you are the only one seeing the issue...   It can be aggravating going back and forth with logs, but be patient....   

[Richard Branches 330]

Try lowering the music internet quality setting in the app.

 

I would do that if the Android app had a separate quality menu for mobile data (which would help me to save data) then problem solved, but I'm still waiting for it to become a reality...

[Richard Branches 330]

lol   sorry buddy...     They will figure it out...  Sometimes its a struggle, especially if you are the only one seeing the issue...   It can be aggravating going back and forth with logs, but be patient....   

 

I know, they've been very kind by trying to fix this, we've been into this since february 2018, when I created this topic...

[Happy2Play 9780]

I would do that if the Android app had a separate quality menu for mobile data (which would help me to save data) then problem solved, but I'm still waiting for it to become a reality...

How do you distinguish the difference?

[pir8radio 1312]

How do you distinguish the difference?

 

I think https://developer.android.com/reference/android/net/NetworkCapabilities the networkcapabilities class can be used by the emby client to determine what kind of network its on..    But this would probably be a lot of work if its set from the server side, if its set from the client side, maybe easier for them to deploy...  I don't think emby looks at what kind of connection the client has today... just what its capabilities are. 

[Richard Branches 330]

How do you distinguish the difference?

 

I would use AUTO for external wifi connections because I wouldn't worry about any data usage (most wifi connections are not limited) meanwhile, with a mobile data menu I would "set and forget" the lowest quality setting (like 128Kbps) to save mobile data, the app should identify what connection I'm using, that's what the majority of music apps do like Google Play Music, Spotify, etc, they have two separate quality menus, and it should apply to video playback in Emby as well.

Edited March 7, 2020 by Richard Branches

[Richard Branches 330]

I think https://developer.android.com/reference/android/net/NetworkCapabilities the networkcapabilities class can be used by the emby client to determine what kind of network its on..    But this would probably be a lot of work if its set from the server side, if its set from the client side, maybe easier for them to deploy...  I don't think emby looks at what kind of connection the client has today... just what its capabilities are. 

 

Could you please add your comment to my feature request about this mobile data menu?, thanks.:

 

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/75611-android-mobile-separate-quality-setting-for-mobile-data/

[pir8radio 1312]

Could you please add your comment to my feature request about this mobile data menu?, thanks.:

 

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/75611-android-mobile-separate-quality-setting-for-mobile-data/

 

I am by no means an app programmer lol..  I only know of chunks from reverse engineering stuff, Im sure the android emby people already know of ways to detect what the network capabilities are it probably requires a ton of work to get there though if they have not done it yet.     

Edited March 8, 2020 by pir8radio