Winamp control: Playing/Stop

[Steve Horn]

I'm using Winamp for MP3 playback (via the Jukebox device) as well as streaming URLs. I've run into an issue, where the Winamp device/plugin "Status" property (Stopped, Playing, Fast Forwarding, etc) is not actually controlling the Winamp program (agent?). The "play source" property accepts accepts the URL of the desired stream, but changing the "Status" property to "Playing" does nothing. Clicking that actual play button on the winamp GUI works as it should. More worrisome is that once streaming is started, changing the Status property to 'Stopped' does not stop the stream. So, unbeknownst to HB the stream continues to consume bandwidth.
I can't point to a time when this began, but its been awhile, many months, so its not (I don't think) related to a HB release.

[ScottBot]

Steve,

Can you give me a URL where you are seeing this issue? I've never really streamed music from a URL in WinAmp, so I'm not really sure how to test this for you.

[Steve Horn]

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.co ... CMP128.pls

That link looks a little goofy/incomplete. But if you right click and open in a new tab it should launch Winamp. Or you can 'inspect elements' to get the full unadulterated URL.

[ScottBot]

In my quick testing, it seemed to work ok. I was able to start the stream playing from the Play Source property and then play/pause/stop it using the Status property. I may be doing something differently, or missing something.

A couple of things to check.

• Make sure only one instance of WinAmp is running, and be sure it's the one HouseBot automatically starts. If you have another instance running, it may not be the one HouseBot is controlling.
• Make sure the Gen_WinAmpProxy.dll plugin is copied to the WinAmp plugins directory.
• I'm running the latest 5.8

[Steve Horn]

Thanks will check once home.

[Steve Horn]

1) The version of WInamp I was running was 5.66. I downloaded and installed 5.8. No change.
2) The Gen_WinAmpProxy.dll is in the /Plugins/Devices/Winamp_plugin directory
3) Only one Winamp is running. Clarification though: If I restart HB, Winamp does not start until I select Playing or presumably another Status property value in the device. If I select Playing (or other), Winamp opens but nothing happens and the Status changes from Playing to Stopped. (Strangely, if I select fast fwd, it does not revert to stopped... or anything. It fast forwards forever.). Once Winamp opens, it stays open but the Status change (Playing/Stopped...) acts the same. Nothing plays, the Status reverts to Stopped.

Looking at the system log at HB startup, no errors seen. I did notice that the two Winamp startup log entries look "normal" but the WinampDevice.Dll is in the Devices directory, not the Winamp_plugins subdir. Normal?

Should Winamp start when HB starts? Doesnt here. Does it there?

[ScottBot]

Looking at the system log at HB startup, no errors seen. I did notice that the two Winamp startup log entries look "normal" but the WinampDevice.Dll is in the Devices directory, not the Winamp_plugins subdir. Normal?

Yes, that is correct.

Should Winamp start when HB starts? Doesnt here. Does it there?

It won't find the WinAmp window/application until it's needed. So it's normal for it to NOT automatically start WinAmp when HouseBot starts.

I'll play around with it a little more to see if I can duplicate it. HouseBot communicates with WinAmp through Windows Messages, so I'm wondering if there could be some kind of permission issue. However, it seems like if you have some control over WinAmp the permissions should be fine.

[Steve Horn]

OK. It only seems to affect the Playing/Stopped action of a URL source. IIRC, playing MP3s via the Jukebox device worked OK, at least before the new Win 10 box. (This URL/Play action issue precedes the Win10 move though.) But for different unrelated reasons the Jukebox device no longer works. (Has to do with my Win10 migration (from hell), relocation of the Jukebox stuff in program files x86 and I suspect other stuff. I need to get in the JB script.). I’ll work with the MP3 angle too, bypassing the Jukebox/Winamp device properties.

[Steve Horn]

Well, just never mind. I found the problem. I was misreading your suggestion to check that Gen_WinampProxy.dll be located in the Winamp\plugin directory. Even misread/misinterpreted the HB Winamp Help that says the same thing. I had not copied the proxy dll into C:\Program files (x86)\Winamp\Plugins. In my defense, it was not clear to me that there are two Winamp Plugin subdirectories: one is the HB version that contains the necessary dll to use for the device; the other is Winamp specific that NEEDS the dll for HB to be able to connect to Winamp. Sorry for the waste of everyone's time.

[ScottBot]

No worries. Glad you got it worked out.