Re: Curious QT playback problem
There is a bug with Quicktime where often, currentTime NEVER equals totalDuration. The workaround we've always used (with Director for a decade, then Rev for the last few years) is a "fudge factor": put 10 into fudgeFactor IF totalDuration - currentTime < fudgeFactor THEN movieIsOver END IF On Jun 6, 2007, at 7:59 PM, J. Landman Gay wrote: I'm hoping someone has a clue to this: I wrote an app for a client 3 years ago which has the ability to loop through a list of .mov files, playing one after another in sequence. The .mov files are audio-only, played via a player object, and require QuickTime. In the Rev version I compiled it with, there was a bug where a playStopped message was not sent at the end of playback, so to work around that the script gets the currentTime, checks every 250 milliseconds, and when the currentTime remains unchanged, assumes the playback is done. Then it moves on to the next file. This has been working fine on both Mac and Windows machines for several hundred customers over the last 3 years until today, when one customer says there is a playback problem. She's running XP Pro on a fast machine with lots of RAM. When she chooses to play a sequence, it loops through them all very fast, with no playback of any kind, until it hits the last one in the list which it then plays. It almost sounds like it isn't loading the .mov files. The thing is, she can play each file fine by manually choosing it from a list, so the problem isn't with missing or bad files. They only fail when played in a sequence. And it only fails for her. She installed the program on her husband's XP machine and it works fine there. The only difference she can think of between the two is that he has the free version of QuickTime and she has QuickTime Pro. I'm not sure this matters, since the files all play okay individually and, as I understand it, the QT framework is identical. Any ideas what would stop playback on that one, single machine? -- Jacqueline Landman Gay | [EMAIL PROTECTED] HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
On Jun 8, 2007, at 11:13 PM, J. Landman Gay wrote: Devin Asay wrote: Jacque, You said the user has QT Pro, right? That means she can save movies from the QT player. Is it possible that she has opened and saved the movies after having played them to the end? So that the "currentTime" is in effect saved with the movie. Would that then cause the movie to open at the end instead of at the beginning, therefore end immediately after they are started? If that were the case, you could just set the currentTime to 0 before you play the video. Just a thought that occurred to me. I'm not even sure about the saving currentTime part, but it's a possibility. Good thoughts, but... the script sets the currentTime to zero before each playback starts. I'm not sure saving a movie also saves its current time anyway; don't they always open at the beginning? I did get more info from the customer. There is no virus checker running automatically (she does manual checks) so that's not the issue (so much for that hope.) The loop does run, she can tell because the corresponding images flash past. It looks like we're either going to have to write a special app that does some logging, or just wait till someone else has the problem too, to see if it is worthwhile to pursue it. This is when I wish I could just go to that machine and run it myself -- but she's See if she'll install a VNC server or enable Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection. Then you could either take control of her computer (VNC) or log in to a session on her machine (RDC) and see for yourself what is happening. Of course, you'd both need pretty healthy internet connection speeds. Not to mention the fact that rev performs very poorly at present under RDC. Devin Devin Asay Humanities Technology and Research Support Center Brigham Young University ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Klaus Major wrote: Maybe trying my "mk_libSMIL1" is a solution to your problem? Thanks Klaus, I'd forgotten about that. If my client wants to do a rebuild then I'll investigate this. -- Jacqueline Landman Gay | [EMAIL PROTECTED] HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Hi Jaqueline, Devin Asay wrote: Jacque, You said the user has QT Pro, right? That means she can save movies from the QT player. Is it possible that she has opened and saved the movies after having played them to the end? So that the "currentTime" is in effect saved with the movie. Would that then cause the movie to open at the end instead of at the beginning, therefore end immediately after they are started? If that were the case, you could just set the currentTime to 0 before you play the video. Just a thought that occurred to me. I'm not even sure about the saving currentTime part, but it's a possibility. Good thoughts, but... the script sets the currentTime to zero before each playback starts. I'm not sure saving a movie also saves its current time anyway; don't they always open at the beginning? I did get more info from the customer. There is no virus checker running automatically (she does manual checks) so that's not the issue (so much for that hope.) The loop does run, she can tell because the corresponding images flash past. It looks like we're either going to have to write a special app that does some logging, or just wait till someone else has the problem too, to see if it is worthwhile to pursue it. This is when I wish I could just go to that machine and run it myself -- but she's in another country. Maybe trying my "mk_libSMIL1" is a solution to your problem? Create a SMIL file of all the sounds you want to play and then you will only have to deal with ONE file you have to set the filename of your player to. Just a guess. Regards Klaus ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Devin Asay wrote: Jacque, You said the user has QT Pro, right? That means she can save movies from the QT player. Is it possible that she has opened and saved the movies after having played them to the end? So that the "currentTime" is in effect saved with the movie. Would that then cause the movie to open at the end instead of at the beginning, therefore end immediately after they are started? If that were the case, you could just set the currentTime to 0 before you play the video. Just a thought that occurred to me. I'm not even sure about the saving currentTime part, but it's a possibility. Good thoughts, but... the script sets the currentTime to zero before each playback starts. I'm not sure saving a movie also saves its current time anyway; don't they always open at the beginning? I did get more info from the customer. There is no virus checker running automatically (she does manual checks) so that's not the issue (so much for that hope.) The loop does run, she can tell because the corresponding images flash past. It looks like we're either going to have to write a special app that does some logging, or just wait till someone else has the problem too, to see if it is worthwhile to pursue it. This is when I wish I could just go to that machine and run it myself -- but she's in another country. -- Jacqueline Landman Gay | [EMAIL PROTECTED] HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
please please please delete me from your database please. regards Devin Asay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Jacque, You said the user has QT Pro, right? That means she can save movies from the QT player. Is it possible that she has opened and saved the movies after having played them to the end? So that the "currentTime" is in effect saved with the movie. Would that then cause the movie to open at the end instead of at the beginning, therefore end immediately after they are started? If that were the case, you could just set the currentTime to 0 before you play the video. Just a thought that occurred to me. I'm not even sure about the saving currentTime part, but it's a possibility. Devin Devin Asay Humanities Technology and Research Support Center Brigham Young University ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution - Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A. ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Jacque, You said the user has QT Pro, right? That means she can save movies from the QT player. Is it possible that she has opened and saved the movies after having played them to the end? So that the "currentTime" is in effect saved with the movie. Would that then cause the movie to open at the end instead of at the beginning, therefore end immediately after they are started? If that were the case, you could just set the currentTime to 0 before you play the video. Just a thought that occurred to me. I'm not even sure about the saving currentTime part, but it's a possibility. Devin Devin Asay Humanities Technology and Research Support Center Brigham Young University ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Jacque, This is a stab in the dark, but from a logical standpoint, could this be happening: 1) User starts first movie 2) For whatever reason, it takes more than 250 milliseconds to actually start playing 3) Timer sees that currentTime hasn't changed, think the movie is done (in reality, it hasn't even started) 4) Go to second movie, repeat #2... This might be no help if your script is more complicated (i.e. checks the duration against the current time), but that's the only logical flow I could think of...! Maybe something about her machine or Quicktime Pro is taking longer to start playing the movies? 250 milliseconds might be enough to throw off your script, but still not human-perceived? I'm hoping someone has a clue to this... ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Dave Cragg wrote: On 7 Jun 2007, at 03:59, J. Landman Gay wrote: the script gets the currentTime, checks every 250 milliseconds, and when the currentTime remains unchanged, assumes the playback is done. Then it moves on to the next file. From what you describe, it sounds like either the currentTime isn't reported correctly, or there is some kind of delay at the start of play so the currenttime doesn't change (stuck at 0) in the first 250 milliseconds. Do you reset the timer at the start of each clip? Yes. I could imagine some over-enthuiastic virus-checker causing a delay as you switch files in the Player, and possibly when QuickTime tries to start playing the file. Or a very full hard drive. The virus checker problem occured to me. I asked my client to ask his customer if she has set the checker to examine files when they open. If so, we'll see what happens if she turns it off temporarily. The delay in opening the file would cause the problem; it was the only thing I could think of. I'm glad to hear you think it might cause the problem too. Off the top of my head, set the currentTime to 0 for each clip, then check that the currentTime hasn't changed AND that it is not 0. It didn't add the "not 0" part, it's true. If we have to recompile I'll do that. (Using the playStopped message would be easier. :-)) Too true, and by the next iteration of the engine I could have...but I'm hoping not to have to rebuild then app. It's been 3 years, development is closed, and this is such an isolated incident. I'm hoping the virus checker is the problem. ;) -- Jacqueline Landman Gay | [EMAIL PROTECTED] HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Scott Rossi wrote: Recently, J. Landman Gay wrote: This has been working fine on both Mac and Windows machines for several hundred customers over the last 3 years until today, when one customer says there is a playback problem. She's running XP Pro on a fast machine with lots of RAM. When she chooses to play a sequence, it loops through them all very fast, with no playback of any kind, until it hits the last one in the list which it then plays. It almost sounds like it isn't loading the .mov files. Does your app play files from the net or from the local machine? Local machine only. Are you setting the filename to empty before setting the filename to a new path? Yes. Could there be some issue with the user having their machine set to default to another multimedia playback mechanism besides QT? (I know this is unlikely since .MOV is pretty much Apple-only.) I'm not sure, but on hundreds of Windows machines, this one is the only one that has a problem. :( Not sure if this is related: The reason I recently posted my jukebox stack for testing was something similar -- it seemed that after several Web-based file accesses, Rev would get "tired" and report the duration of the player 0, for any valid file URL. That's interesting...maybe it does the same thing occasionally for local files too. The deal is, it is only this one machine. Puzzle. That's why I'm stumped. The client did a very good job of testing before release, and the app ran fine even in Virtual PC on a slow Mac. So, very weird. -- Jacqueline Landman Gay | [EMAIL PROTECTED] HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
On 7 Jun 2007, at 03:59, J. Landman Gay wrote: the script gets the currentTime, checks every 250 milliseconds, and when the currentTime remains unchanged, assumes the playback is done. Then it moves on to the next file. From what you describe, it sounds like either the currentTime isn't reported correctly, or there is some kind of delay at the start of play so the currenttime doesn't change (stuck at 0) in the first 250 milliseconds. Do you reset the timer at the start of each clip? I could imagine some over-enthuiastic virus-checker causing a delay as you switch files in the Player, and possibly when QuickTime tries to start playing the file. Or a very full hard drive. Off the top of my head, set the currentTime to 0 for each clip, then check that the currentTime hasn't changed AND that it is not 0. (Using the playStopped message would be easier. :-)) Dave ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Recently, J. Landman Gay wrote: > This has been working fine on both Mac and Windows machines for several > hundred customers over the last 3 years until today, when one customer > says there is a playback problem. She's running XP Pro on a fast machine > with lots of RAM. When she chooses to play a sequence, it loops through > them all very fast, with no playback of any kind, until it hits the last > one in the list which it then plays. It almost sounds like it isn't > loading the .mov files. Does your app play files from the net or from the local machine? Are you setting the filename to empty before setting the filename to a new path? Could there be some issue with the user having their machine set to default to another multimedia playback mechanism besides QT? (I know this is unlikely since .MOV is pretty much Apple-only.) Not sure if this is related: The reason I recently posted my jukebox stack for testing was something similar -- it seemed that after several Web-based file accesses, Rev would get "tired" and report the duration of the player 0, for any valid file URL. I wound up adding a repeat loop that tries to access a "problem" file several times with a delay in between attempts, before giving up. The frustrating thing is it's difficult to tell whether the problem is Rev-based or server-based. If you're accessing local files, I'm sorry, I'm not sure where to start looking for the problem. Unless you wan to go through the trouble of sending the user a stripped down player stack that access just a few files. Regards, Scott Rossi Creative Director Tactile Media, Multimedia & Design ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: Curious QT playback problem
Jacque, Sounds as if the same sort of thing is occuring as when we call multiple beeps and only hear one unless we build in a delay. Why not try playing several from the message box with a built in delay when one ends? I'm probably being a bit naive, but sometimes the simplest things are true. It seems obvious that speed enters the equation someway. Joe Wilkins On Jun 6, 2007, at 7:59 PM, J. Landman Gay wrote: I'm hoping someone has a clue to this: I wrote an app for a client 3 years ago which has the ability to loop through a list of .mov files, playing one after another in sequence. The .mov files are audio-only, played via a player object, and require QuickTime. In the Rev version I compiled it with, there was a bug where a playStopped message was not sent at the end of playback, so to work around that the script gets the currentTime, checks every 250 milliseconds, and when the currentTime remains unchanged, assumes the playback is done. Then it moves on to the next file. This has been working fine on both Mac and Windows machines for several hundred customers over the last 3 years until today, when one customer says there is a playback problem. She's running XP Pro on a fast machine with lots of RAM. When she chooses to play a sequence, it loops through them all very fast, with no playback of any kind, until it hits the last one in the list which it then plays. It almost sounds like it isn't loading the .mov files. The thing is, she can play each file fine by manually choosing it from a list, so the problem isn't with missing or bad files. They only fail when played in a sequence. And it only fails for her. She installed the program on her husband's XP machine and it works fine there. The only difference she can think of between the two is that he has the free version of QuickTime and she has QuickTime Pro. I'm not sure this matters, since the files all play okay individually and, as I understand it, the QT framework is identical. Any ideas what would stop playback on that one, single machine? -- Jacqueline Landman Gay | [EMAIL PROTECTED] HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
