Squeeze Control for Android (support thread)

[wayne@angrygoat]

This is an interesting conversation
Here's my experience - If I initiate a stream using Deezer, I can close not only the browser but the whole PC, and my Chromecast continues to play and display albumart. I've enjoyed using an App named Dashboard Cast on my Android Phone, and it too continues to play on my Chromecast even if I leave my country and fly to Bangkok (which I did). Upon my return - when I turned the TV back on, the Chromecast was still playing.
So does also a number of Apps in the NatureCast series (Candlecast, FireplaceCast, RomaticCast, etc). They all seem to play forever. This leads me to believe that once a connection stream has been set up between the Chormecast and a server somewhere on the internet, it will continue to play forever until actively shut off (unless a timeout is programmed somewhere).
Do you agree?

Yes, the Chromecast will probably continue playing a stream as long as nothing tells it to stop. However per Google's design guidelines, apps are not supposed to do this. They are suppose to shutdown the casting when they close. This may also depend on how the app running on the Chromecast is written. It is quite possible for a Chromecast app to automatically close itself if it doesn't receive some control message periodically.

Also since Android allows apps to run in the background without any UI indication some casting apps may seem like they have closed, but they may actually be still running in the background.

You could probably get the Chromecast to continue streaming from the LMS if you go to the Windows Task Manager and forcefully end the Chrome task while it's casting the tab.

 

[VikingOy]

I agree completely But as we see, some Apps are not obedient by the rules, thus providing features that for some seems beneficial and for other just nuisance. I tried force-closing chrome while streaming, but regretfully, the stream did stop. What that means, I'm not sure...

Anyway, I just discovered that my chromecast seems to time out after a while when casting from Squeeze Ctrl and it returns to its normal backdrop slide show which it usually does when nothing happens - even though Squeeze Ctrl was casting, and the music was playing. When I checked Squeeze Ctrl, it still remains under the assumption that it is casting, and offers me the option to stop casting. I wonder what that was all about (Sorry for changing the subject)? Stopping and starting casting from Squeeze Ctrl resumed casting as it should. After a while, it drops out again. (My CC is the new version)

Have you ever thought about writing a version of Squeeze Ctrl for Windows? I'd love that. If most people are like me - spending hours in front of the desktop, I wouldn't have to worry about draining the battery on my mobile in order to enjoy the many nice features of Squeeze Ctrl.

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

I agree completely But as we see, some Apps are not obedient by the rules, thus providing features that for some seems beneficial and for other just nuisance. I tried force-closing chrome while streaming, but regretfully, the stream did stop. What that means, I'm not sure...

Anyway, I just discovered that my chromecast seems to time out after a while when casting from Squeeze Ctrl and it returns to its normal backdrop slide show which it usually does when nothing happens - even though Squeeze Ctrl was casting, and the music was playing. When I checked Squeeze Ctrl, it still remains under the assumption that it is casting, and offers me the option to stop casting. I wonder what that was all about (Sorry for changing the subject)? Stopping and starting casting from Squeeze Ctrl resumed casting as it should. After a while, it drops out again. (My CC is the new version)

Have you ever thought about writing a version of Squeeze Ctrl for Windows? I'd love that. If most people are like me - spending hours in front of the desktop, I wouldn't have to worry about draining the battery on my mobile in order to enjoy the many nice features of Squeeze Ctrl.

Actually I have a version for Windows Phone and eventually I'll get around to finish porting to a Universal App so that it can run on Windows 10.

 

[dafi87]

Hey Wayne,

I just bought your brilliant app today and I'll also get the tablet version after I tried it for the first hour
But there is also a feature I'd love to see implemented more prominently. I'm using dynamic playlists a lot that are based on the rating of a song. I saw your app is able to see and also set the rating of a song but would there be any way to do that more easily without diving down into menues? Squeeze Commander does a good job with that since it displays the rating stars right at the "now playing" screen and I can just tap them to alter the rating. Beside that your app really does a great job with the tablet layout!

Thanks in advance for your reply,
Daniel

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

Hey Wayne,

I just bought your brilliant app today and I'll also get the tablet version after I tried it for the first hour
But there is also a feature I'd love to see implemented more prominently. I'm using dynamic playlists a lot that are based on the rating of a song. I saw your app is able to see and also set the rating of a song but would there be any way to do that more easily without diving down into menues? Squeeze Commander does a good job with that since it displays the rating stars right at the "now playing" screen and I can just tap them to alter the rating. Beside that your app really does a great job with the tablet layout!

Thanks in advance for your reply,
Daniel

I don't think there is any space to put ratings on the Now Playing screen. To make the stars tap-able, they have to be quite large. Squeeze Commander had to put it on top of the cover artwork, which I don't want to do. The song info area is already quite packed. The header in tablet mode is probably the only place with some space, but I don't want to just have it in tablet mode.

 

[dafi87]

Maybe having some items on the now playing screen configurable would be a cool option then.
Thanks for your time!

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

Maybe having some items on the now playing screen configurable would be a cool option then.
Thanks for your time!

The main problem is how big the control will have to be. If I make each star tap-able, each one would need to be as large as the play button. Even if I make it a two step process; ie; you tap on the group of stars which opens a popup, that group of stars will still need to be as tall as the play button. The only place you can fit a control that tall other than the space already occupied by the song title would be under the title, either replacing album, artist and duration or to the side of those items shrinking the available to those 3 items. Neither option seems like something anyone would want.

I think the best solution may be to add it as an option to overlay the top right corner of the cover artwork. This way it won't replace any other info and be consistent across the different modes.

 

[dafi87]

Overlay idea sounds great!
Thanks again.

 

[Labdoc]

Update: problem fixed by uninstalling, received automatic refund from Google Play, paid again and reinstalled. I think the problem started because I had not first uninstalled the 2014 version.
===

I like the app and paid for the upgrade to the 2015 latest. The old 2014 version was stable on my Samsung Galaxy Note 8. However, the new version opens and promptly crashes so totally unusable. I tried restarting the Samsung. No Go. Help!

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

I like the app and paid for the upgrade to the 2015 latest. The old 2014 version was stable on my Samsung Galaxy Note 8. However, the new version opens and promptly crashes so totally unusable. I tried restarting the Samsung. No Go. Help!

Try reinstalling the app.

 

[Curved Slightly]

Hi,

I am using Squeeze Ctrl and SB player.

Is there a way to connect to remote servers? So I can play music from my server when I am not connected to wifi.

I have tried entering the domain and the ip address of the remote server and they connect but will not show in Squeeze Ctrl.

I used iPeng on the iPhone and was able to connect and play from remote servers just by entering the domain.

Thanks

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

Hi,

I am using Squeeze Ctrl and SB player.

Is there a way to connect to remote servers? So I can play music from my server when I am not connected to wifi.

I have tried entering the domain and the ip address of the remote server and they connect but will not show in Squeeze Ctrl.

I used iPeng on the iPhone and was able to connect and play from remote servers just by entering the domain.

Thanks

Yes both Squeeze Ctrl and SB Player can connect to remote LMS servers.

For both apps the "Name" or "server name" field is just for your own reference.

In the address field, enter either the domain name or the ip address. Do not put http:// in front of the address or put the port after the address.

For Squeeze Ctrl make sure you put the correct port in the "port" field. Do not enable SSL, unless you know you've setup your remote access to use it (usually requires a proxy server).

For SB Player, it connects to port 3483. You cannot change that.

Make sure you have opened the correct ports on your home router.

While you can connect to your home server this way, I would highly recommend using a home VPN server instead. It would be more secure and more convenient to use. A lot of home routers have built-in VPN servers now.

 

[jeffstake]

Hi.

I am sorry that I do not know how to make a new thread. This is the only thing I could see to do to ask about my problem.

When I try to start Squeeze Control, I get "Error Server address cannot be empty. Please check your settings." Could you please give me very detailed instructions as to what I should do?

Thank you

 

[jeffstake]

I tried to add a server, but now I have a new message.
Connection Error Connection to ThinkCentre failed with the following error: 408 Request Timeout

 

[jeffstake]

Well. After multiple tries, it now seems to work. I'm puzzled, but happier.

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

Hi.

I am sorry that I do not know how to make a new thread. This is the only thing I could see to do to ask about my problem.

When I try to start Squeeze Control, I get "Error Server address cannot be empty. Please check your settings." Could you please give me very detailed instructions as to what I should do?

Thank you

Most of the time you shouldn't need to manually add a server. The app should automatically discover all servers visible on your network and you would just need to choose one. In fact you usually wouldn't even need to do that, on first launch the app would discover and auto connect to the first available server.

 

[jeffstake]

Thanks!

 

[jeffstake]

PS Great service and attention!

 

[burgh2015]

I just installed squeeze ctrl. It works very well on my nexus 6p. But with the sb player i am not really happy. Playback often stops and the fast forward button does not work. All my other devices have not this problem.

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

I just installed squeeze ctrl. It works very well on my nexus 6p. But with the sb player i am not really happy. Playback often stops and the fast forward button does not work. All my other devices have not this problem.

Are you playing from your local music collection or from an Internet stream?