iOS and Mac OSX

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KenSR
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Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:57 am

iOS and Mac OSX

Post by KenSR »

Hello:

We use Steamcast for the audio feed on a website and the audio can be heard on some platforms and not on others. Here's the details.

Windows using IE and Edge everything is good.

On a Mac using the Safari web browser no audio can be heard.

On a Mac using the Chrome and Firefox web browser audio can be heard.

On an iPhone using iOS 11.x no audio.

On an Android phone, audio can be heard.

The issue looks to be iOS and Mac OSX. Someone said the issue may just be that Steamcast may need to update their servers to push audio out for iOS and Mac OSX.

Any thoughts?
stationx
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Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:26 am

Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by stationx »

Hi KenSR,

I'm no where near as good as others here with the exact reasons. But I can offer a suggestion or two..

Google chrome has decided to close off all standard ports not needed for browsing since vers 55.... this has caused a stack of people's non port 80 web players to not work. Then apple has stopped support for flash (i think) a few "updates" ago.

First issue with the GC browser is you can't have steamcast - icecast -shoutcast v1 or v2 on any other port past version 55. Firefox and edge still work.

Then with the iphone....support was stopped for flash (i think) for similar security issues..... as of a few updates ago things got weird with iphones too. This meant total death for shoutcast v1 streams....it will not work at all no matter what port.

As you are using steamcast you are using mounts that puts you in the right sort of area...next thing try running your steamcast server on port 80 and try to play that link......

hope this helps

regards
peter
KenSR
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by KenSR »

Thanks for the reply Peter. I'll contact the person that sends the audio out and ask him about the port issue.
KenSR
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by KenSR »

As you can see we are using port 80.
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Max
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by Max »

Hi,

The problem is most likely that the browser being used does not support the audio codec the stream is using.

Browsers implement audio codecs on their own provided they gain the licenses for it. Steamcast itself does not prevent iOS or Mac OS X from receiving audio. However, the browser must support the audio codec.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML5_aud ... ng_formats

For certain browsers that don't support the audio codec the stream is in the Steamcast web page will use a Adobe Flash object to pass the audio through. As Adobe Flash is being deprecated by the majority of the web in favor of HTML5 this fallback is not as viable anymore.

Ultimately, I would have to see everything about your specific implementation to be able to tell you if its related to audio codec support or if its something else. We've done our best to use generic implementations of HTML5 and HTTP/1.1 as possible to get the broadest support.

To make sure it isn't how you are implementing the audio in the web page you are using can you try those devices with https://www.steamcast.com/ ? If you can (or already have) list your stream with the Steamcast website then try on iOS and Mac OS X there.
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Jay
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by Jay »

The only way that we can support those platforms in Safari is with HLS. Steamcast does not currently support HLS. We hope to support it soon.
- Jay
KenSR
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by KenSR »

Thanks for your replies, its very helpful. I don't know what HLS is nor even heard of it. Its good to know that Steamcast isn't the issue. I'll check those on the steamcast site to see if I can hear them on my Mac Safari browser and an iOS device.

Max, you said you'd like to see how I'm implement how we're doing it. What exactly can I send you?
KenSR
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by KenSR »

I just went through some of the ones on steamcast.com and some play and some don't using Safari on my Mac OSX.
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Max
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by Max »

Hi,

HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) is an Apple method for transfer of audio/video formats. Apple unfortunately does love their own proprietary work and has in the past often refused to implement more generic solutions.

I will see about implementing HLS provided we can do so.
KenSR
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by KenSR »

Hello:

Anyone using Windows can hear the audio from our website. But if you're on a Mac or an iPhone you can't. This is frustrating. The developer of the player tells me its HTML 5, no Flash.
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Jay
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by Jay »

HTML 5 doesn't define required codec support. Steamcast has to support something that Safari will decode which is extremely limited. Your only option is to broadcast in MP3 or another Safari codec or wait until Steamcast supports HLS for aac streams.
- Jay
DJAzzyEff
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by DJAzzyEff »

All - I fixed my issue with Apple devices by doing the following,

1. Broadcast as MP3 - 128kbs
2. Change the PortBase in steamcast.conf to 80

(open c:\program files\steamcast\steamcast.conf into notepad

Find and Replace PortBase=8000 for PortBase=80

Stop Steamcast Application (Dos Box)
Restart the Steamcast service in Windows
Start Steamcast Application (Dos Box)

Test stream on iphone/ipad/macbook in Safari

Hope this helps anyone.
DJ Azzyeff
Lane
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by Lane »

Interesting that using port 80 works. That's not an option for me unfortunately.

I've been trying to get Safari on both macOS and iOS to receive from steamcast. Reading this I guess it's not possible for my situation. Darn! Steamcast was always my fav streamer.
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Jay
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Re: iOS and Mac OSX

Post by Jay »

Yea unfortunately TLS support is a higher priority that we are working through now, we haven't ruled out HLS yet, but browser playback is always going to be harder to resolve.
- Jay
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