Linn Forums

Hi

I've started a new thread as this is pretty key to all of us. It is related to my other thread (posted here) but since it is an official response from Twonky and since there stance is now so definite, I thought it needed a much higher visibility than simply another post on the end if the previous thread.

Someone has just written to Twonky about an issue with 4.4.9 and got the below response via email:
"we are sorry, but we no longer support the NAS versions of the server that need to be installed by the end-user. Our media server is however available pre-installed on a growing number of NAS devices."

The original can be viewed on the Netgear forum

So it looks very much like we are not going to have any of these issues sorted out unless our NAS vendors are kind enough to post updates for us. This will (at best) add massive delays in rolling out updates (think of the Shoutcast update delay and then add a third party NAS supplier delay into the loop) and at worst, they simply won't be made available (I'd expect Netgear to be helpful, but others might not even bother). In light of the above response, it would seem pointless me writing to Packet Vision since I already know what their response will say.

To me, this is of some concern since the very function of my system depends on upon it and unless an alternative media server can be found, I can see there being problems going forward. I don't mind paying a good price for a good product and am really surprised that there simply isn't yet one on the market. Twonky simply isn't good enough and it looks like NAS users are going to be stuck with it in it's current state of functionality.

Bri

We better start looking for other UPnP media server software options... In the mean time, let's listen to some music......ooopppsss!!!, I forgot I'm in the office.....,No DS....

Hi Vic

Yes indeed! My thoughts are that it's great all these people are looking at control point options, but without Twonky ,what are they going to control? The source being important thesus doesn't just apply to the sound path here; the garbage in garbage out concept applies and in my opinion, Twonky is really pretty garbage in several key areas! As the size of collections grow, Twonky will be found completely inappropriate by more and more users and I don't yet see a viable progression route anywhere on the horizon.

The best option remaining open to us is for SkweezyDs to be given a much higher priority - perhaps elevated from a hobby project into an official project - such that we can use SlimServer as a media server; it actually works!

Bri

It is in essence old news, some support people have responded this way on 4.4.4. issues and we are now up to 4.4.9 with readynas releases.

The 5 release is different. It supports transcoding and thus will work on eg the readynas Pro and not the duo/NV+ with transcoding enabled.

It seems prudent not to have users blindly installing packages that their hardware will not support.

Separate Bins for duo/pro/nv+ readynasses made by infrant/netgear are likely.

That is if there ever is a Twonky 5, now that seems highly unlikely.
Judging from the silence on the twonkyforum.

Maybe Linn will step in and will release (o)ss sneakyWonky

Hi Audiokaas

Yes, I've heard the 'dropping NAS support' issue proposed before, but it's not ever been stated quite so clearly, nor has it been actually been refused to a paying customer before; this is rather a grave development! I wouldn't mind if the current release actually worked - if it worked, I'd just stick with the current version - but 4.4.9's still riddled with problems requiring sorting. It is after all Twonky who have broken certain things since 4.4.6 (playlists & web interface) and to now remove support seems pretty outrageous to me!

You're correct about NAS vendors such as Netgear being pretty good at helping but remember that Twonky is not supplied in things like the Duo or NV+, nor is it supplied with meny other NAS's. This means many people will be left out in the cold if anything happens (like the Shoutcast issue) or when Twonky eventually (if ever) sort the current bugs out.

I certainly don't want to have to buy a new NAS just because Twonky can't be bothered supporting their customers; we have paid for this product and I'm not looking to upgrade to version 5 (which might indeed be too much for a Duo/NV) but I do expect version 4.4.9 to eventually be made to actually work; I really don't see that ever happening to be honest.

As you say, we really do need Linnky media server software don't we?

Bri

Brian, what version do you recommend for me using a ReadyNAS NV+?
No need of fancy features, just need a stable product playing albums.
(I use no playlists, no cover art etc)

See:
Twonky quoted response in other linn forum

If album art is not an issue, 4.4.9 works. I've been using it since released and have not had any issues with it.

Hi Music Lover

If you use pre-written (saved) playlists, stick with 4.4.6 as they don't work in 4.4.9. I haven't tried using pre-written playlists (yet) but there are stacks of people complaining that 4.4.9 won't load them. I use 4.4.6 and it's absolutely fine but the Shoutcast (internet radio) aspect doesn't work.

If you want the radio and don't care about the pre-written playlists, then 4.4.9 is the one to use.

Hi Vic

I'm not yet quite so sure about 4.4.9; album art in 4.4.9 seems a little bit more buggy than in 4.4.6 but I’ve not yet absolutely proved where the problem sits. I should point out that this will not impact on looking at artists then albums as the numbers just won’t be high enough.

As you know, there is a [Twonky imposed] 100 limit for art displayed in any virtual container. To enable me to browse my collection by album name and show the art, I've set the music tree album name to ABC=1 to divide them into 26 virtual containers (A~Z). I’ve also spent quite some time combining double and triple albums into a single album to get me below the 100 limit for art to work.

Most catagories contain between 50 and 80 albums, the largest quantity of albums being ones beginning with 'S' (of which there are 97 albums). If I start Kinsky PDA [with Twonky 4.4.9] and look at the 'S' container, I see all 97 albums with artwork displayed correctly. If instead I first look at A, then B, then C, (about 82 albums in each) then look at S, I only see about 85 images in the 'S' container (but I do see all the titles). Twonky progressively sends the art as expected but just seems to halt about 12 albums before the end of the list. As I pointed out above, it does show the first 85 with artwork, and it does show the titles (and spaces where you’d expect the art) for the last 12, so it’s not a critical problem, just slightly irritating one.

At first I guessed that Twonky might be caching something, then Linn told me that the latest Kinsky PDA caches 200 images so I suspected it might be to do with Kinsky PDA cache not being cleared between container browsing. Since Kinsky PDA works fine with TM 4.4.6, it strongly implies that Kinsky PDA is absolutely fine and that the problem is almost certainly a Twonky related issue. It could be something specific to my collection or setup (but I doubt it). Fortunately, one of my friends has a D-Link NAS so I'm going to see if we can replicate the issue when we upgrade to Twonky 4.4.9 on his system. I'll first check it on his collection then copy my collection over (and point Twonky to it) to see if the fault moves with the music (so to speak).

Incidentally, the 'S' example is not unique to albums beginning with S, it happens in other virtual containers where there are over 85 albums.

Bri

I was wondering why the were complaints about 4.4.9. I don't use playlists at all, only select the albums and listen to them... Checking my configuration I don't exceed the 100 album limit and don't use or have any of the non-supported characters. I'm sure the 100 album limitation is due to performance considerations.

I may start fiddling with Mediatomb to see how it behaves. It's a good thing that it runs in my NAS (D-Link DNS-323) but have not had any interest on spending time playing with it since Twonky works OK for my needs.