HTC Wildfire stutters audio when screen locks.
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Maybe it would help to know that on AOR app, I didn't have this problem. I like XiiaLive because it gives me the option to backup all my favourite stations. I'm using the latest version of the app (v 2.1.7).
Please put this issue on the high priority list and fix it. I've noticed that there are a lot of developers that don't give priority to low-end devices. Don't fall into that big mistake. A lot of people use low-end devices.
Thanks and keep up the good work. Your app rocks.
I also thought that 2.1.7 release fixed it. I think it's something in the optimization of the OS for this device because when I turn off the screen, the sound drops for a second, after that it comes back and is choppy at some point. I believe that the CPU is getting in some kind of a low processing state. Even if that is true, how much resources is the aacPlus streaming using? On a aacPlus @ 64 kbps, the playback is choppy, and on a mp3 stream @ 128 kbps, the playback is flawless from start to on demand stop.
I also heard that Android 2.2 has some issues with aacPlus files/streams, since some video files encoded in 3gp (aacPlus audio), can't be played with the built in video player. I have read on the forum that you are working on your own streaming engine. Maybe that will fix it. Also you might check if there is some CPU low use policy, after the screen is turned off.
I will be more than glad to be a beta tester for you with HTC Wildfire, since I listen to online radio for about an hour and a half daily. If you need to know more about this issue, give me a shout.
Thanks.
I definitely think you should be able to lock the screen and listen to music without any problems.
After I open XiiaLive, I go to favourites, I choose one of my favourite aac+ stations @ 64 kbps (lower than this rate sounds really bad), and I press play. As long as the display remains on, the playback works perfect. When the phone locks and the display is turning off, the playback stops and starts about 3 to 5 times, then it stutters from time to time. This issue occures even more on 48000 Hz streams (like Dance.fm). This issue is really annoying.
I also tryed the internal player aac+, but it's worse than the Android stock one. It's not listenable it all. I'll record a sample of the playback and email it to you to make an idea about how it sounds. The 48000 Hz streams are not decoded right.
Plase let me know if you need more info about this issue and if you need a beta tester for HTC Wildfire. I want this bug fixed ASAP. I believe you can see my email adress. I really want to help.
Thanks.
I just recorded a few streams in order to hear exactly when and how this problem occurs.
Give me your e-mail adress and I'll send it to you.
The recording was made in one of our studios.
About the issue, I had it on AOR app wich stopped working with aac+ streams on Wildfire since the last update in december. It didn't occur very often though.
The interesting thing is that mp3 streams work flawless whatever I do on my phone (even when I lock the screen), no matter if they are @ 192 kbps or 44 - 48 kHz. Don't they use the CPU power policy on mp3 files?
Maybe you should know that I get the same issue if I navigate through the phone menus or apps. It sounds exactly like when I lock the screen. It's a strange bug.
Is it any chance for me and other Wildfire users to see this issue fixed?
I'm definitely going to continue trying to figure out how to resolve this issue... I think I"ll have to go buy one of these phone to get this working... What is the exact model of the phone you are using?
There's also the new Wildfire S (this is the new one), but you should buy the first version that you see in the link and update it to Android 2.2.1.
Keep me posted about the progress :)
And thanks.
I can hardly wait for the good news.
Post an update with the first test results.
Let me get this straight... mp3 playback is lower on resources than aac+? Because with mp3 streams I never had one problem, ever.
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So, what options do I have to make XiiaLive to work like it should? Except changing the phone... :) BTW... Fixing your internal AAC support can be an option? |
It depends on how much programs you have in the background. I use a task manager to kill apps that I don't need after I use them. It's a kind of a must have on this model.
I don't understand why Google is releasing Android with this kind of bugs. AAC+ has alwas been a problem in the latest releases. Android is a good OS, but these issues are really annoying. I'm not hoping for a fix, at least for this model, because HTC is focusing now on the new Wildfire S with Android 2.3. I like this firs model because it's much better than the new one (excepting the processor and RAM).
Anyway... when can I hope for a decent playback of aac+ streams on Wildfire with XiiaLive? Any idea? :)
Good luck with the internal streaming engine. Thanks for everything and keep us updated through this topic with the progress you're making.
How about the internal streaming engine? Any hope to make it work flawless on this phone in order to fix this issue for good?
The best way to avoid this issue is to keep the player minimised before turning off the display. Another thing I have done is to install AND SET UP PROPERLY Advanced Task Killer Free. I ignored all the important software needed by android and placed a widget of the program on the main screen. The steps I take are the following:
1. I start XiiaLive, go to favourites and play a station.
2. I touch the screen for preventing it to turn off untill the stream plays for about 10 secs after the buffer.
3. I minimise the app and press the Advanced Task Killer widget to kill everything else that runs in the background. This does not affect the playback of XiiaLive.
4. After all these steps, I turn off the screen and the playback is 99% flawless.
If I don't minimise the app, this issue occurs as described in this topic. I believe it has something to do with retrieving the metadata. I've noticed it especially when a song ends and another one starts playing... that's when it stutters more often. It seems that even if the display is off, when the app is maximised, it uses lot of CPU. Even the battery life is better since I run XiiaLive minimised before turning off the screen.
I just remembered that the playback of aacPlus streams with xiialive minimised, is similar to the old AOR software (before the last update it used to work on Wildfire.. the development has been discontinued). When AOR was used maximized, it never had this issue. It also displayed metadata (if that helps).
In conclusion, I believe something is happening with Xiialive right after turning off the screen when the app is maximized.
So I tried AOR, and first I couldn't help to notice how slow it runs on the HTC Wildfire. I was unable to connect to any AAC stations unfortunately... I have no idea why? After doing that and closing it down I can see that AOR even closed spikes the CPU to 30%! I definitively see a huge bug on their side with that! :/
About your idea on the CPU. Well when you shutdown the screen it looks like the phone turns down the amount of current/power going into the CPU. Meaning now it's got to work harder to keep up with the work given to it.
I really want to get AOR working to see if it's true that streaming works without any hiccups with AAC streams.
AOR stopped working with aacPlus streams on HTC Wildfire since the last update (2010). I believe they dropped the support for it. The version before the one in Android Market worked really fine with Wildfire. I will try to find a apk with that version and email it to you. I deleted it from my SD card some while ago when I discovered XiiaLive :)
I just updated our Beta version available on the Android Market. I have improved few things on the AAC streaming side of things and the stuttering seems to have improved a lot. Let me know if you notice it running better...
Well, I can hear the improvement. The playback is at about 99% of what it should be. It's flawless, very few glitches at some points but almost not noticeable. The only moment it stutters is when I turn off the screen for about one second, but I can live with that :) I've been running XiiaLive minimised for some while now. I haven't tryed to turn off the screen with XiiaLive maximized, but since I get good performance when minimized I will only use it that way.
Also, I've noticed some improvement when the network fails and XiiaLive tryes to reconnect. It reconnects faster than v2.2.2.
Good work. Keep it up. If there's room for more improvements for the aac+ streams, make them.
I'm looking forward to purchase the PRO version when the final release is ready.
After rooting and using conservative mode on CPU, when I play aacPlus streams with XiiaLive minimized and the screen off, the playback is flawless with ZERO issues. I believe the issue is fixed. The only thing left for Wildfire users is to root and install a custom ROM, or live with it :)
Thanks for everything guys.
P.S. On CyanogenMod 7.03 aacPlus streams don't work, but I believe it's an issue regarding Android 2.3.3 media framework.
I just flashed Cyanogen 217 nightly based on Android 2.3.7 and then Cyanogen 207 nightly based on Android 2.3.5 (wich I use now). I believe that the app needs to be optimised for this Android versions, because on aacPlus streams sometimes the sound clicks. It's not a matter of CPU because I overclocked @ 700 MHz and the issue still persists. The sound quality is incredible, nothing compared to Android 2.2 wich really sucked, but this issue needs attention. It also may be useful to know that on Cyanogen 7.1 RC1 based on Android 2.3.4 there are no issues with aacPlus streams even if the CPU is overcloked or not.
I don't want to roll back to Android 2.3.4 because it's battery hungry.
Well, it looks like I'll have to live with it :)
Would love to know a way around it without having to root device.
BTW Jona, you should do something with the interface of the app. On my tablet the interface is really buggy and messed up.
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