Streaming audio UI suggestions

I think my suggestion about the issues with volume being completely unrelated to the indicated scale of the audio slider was taken and the problem fixed, though if it wasn't, it at least seems less annoying than it was before.

However, the UI widget in on the bottom of the screen is still pretty limited. It'd be nice if the "Stop" button didn't remove the slider and "Stop" button, but instead changed "Stop" to read "Play". That would allow users to stop audio on a parcel and restart it without having to exit the parcel and reenter.

Also, please don't start streaming audio until few seconds after we got control of the client upon login (currently it starts during precaching). Currently when logging in you're forced to listen to a stream for at least a few seconds before you get the controls to stop it - and there might be some streams that people don't want to hear.

What I would really like is LSL access to the HTTP streaming controls.
It would be cool to make a jukebox of sorts, that let you change radio stations with a single mouse click, or something that could contain thousands of radio station URLs and search among them for a keyword we typed.

I had the same thought eggy...
Though in regards to a tuner for intenet radio...

Yes, I was hoping there'd be a way to change this land setting in LSL.

Although! You COULD set up a juke box (not a radio) that watched a specific streaming audio server, and use the RPC options to "queue up" songs on the server!

Actually that exists. llSetParcelMusicURL

A hooray for implementing this faster than lightning, and a boo for not documenting it ANYWHERE.

I'll get to wikiing the rest of the new scripting features when I'm home.

The problem of the volume generally being too high (even at the lowest setting) and overpowering the in-game sounds still exists, from what I've experienced.

Another streaming audio suggestion:

- Station and Artist / Track title info readouts - either in the UI or accessable via scripting. Doesn't seem like this would be too hard to implement, and it would be beneficial to listeners, DJs, and the artists being played. Preventing the constant question.. "What's playing now?" I often hear stuff I like.. and being the music lover I am, I have to ask. And yes I can load it up in Winamp and see but that's a rather clunky way to do it.

Good idea. FMOD has functions to get the description tags from a stream. Could be added to the tooltips of a land parcel and to LSL like so:


list llGetParcelMusicTags(vector offset);

Returns a list of strings (number of items in the list from FSOUND_Stream_GetNumTagFields) containing all the tag information from FSOUND_Stream_GetTagField.

Offset just like llGround (offset from the current location), to get the data from other parcels without having to move the scripted object around.

On the volume bug:

If you stream a mono source, the audio will be a point source where your camera was when the url was set. Moving your camera away from that spot will result in a drop-off in volume. Large plots (Like Deus Via last night -- LAST DAY! COME PLAY! ) have a real problem with this as you won't be able to hear anything but the faintest murmer from the farthest reaches.

If you stream a stereo source, the audio will be the same volume (rather loud) around the entire plot. I hunted through many stations till I found a nice one that was low bitrate, stereo, and with good music to stream on the Deus Via land. (Game Dev 3 sim -- LAST DAY! COME PLAY! )

I like all the ideas posted here. And endorse them all yaddah yaddah.

I thought they would have had that one bug fixed by now... sucks that they didn't get it.

I like most of these ideas and will add another: The stream url should only be visible to the person or group that owns the land.
Right now there is nothing to stop someone from going to Club XYZ and noting that they have great music, looking up their url, and then setting it as the music at their own Club ABC.

I definitely endorse this suggestion.

I'm planning on offering shoutcast or icecast hosting specifically for SL DJ's, as well as shoutcast "rentals" for events. I need to be able to implement some type of security, to ensure that only authorized parcels can use the server at any given time, but currently that's not possible.

I can understand masking URL addresses to a point, but what is wrong with having more listeners? I guess the unique experience at a plot is the motivation, but it seems you would be happy with more locations playing your stream. It just ups the chance for more tuning in.

Depends on who's DJing/running the event.

With these types of servers, you typically pay per connection allowed (not per connection used.) The reason for this is that the person/company hosting the xcast server has to pay for the bandwidth.

So, you have a server account somewhere that allows 50 connections (35 allowed in the sim plus some that get tp'ed in). But there are 5 other locations "leeching" your stream. So now, 20 people that aren't even at your event/club/party can here your music and what you're saying, but half the people AT the event can't.

I got ya. If its your stream I get it. If its just one you got somewhere I dont see the need. Sounds fair, I will go along with private URL info capabilities.

Looks like llSetParcelMusicURL() doesn't work on group owned land either.

And I hope they can make it switch instantly soon, rather than at the end of the stream, or whatever it does now.

Press Start, Run, type in "cmd", and then enter the magic word "netstat" on the mysterious black dialog box
You will see every adress and port that you are currently connected to... If you have a firewall or proxy its even easier.

I don't like the idea of masking the urls if the only way I can tell what artist is being played is from the url.

Good point Eggy.. but the average user wouldn't know how to do that (until now).

I think having an option to mask the URL is a good idea, so long as we get track title readouts like I suggested. And definitely an option... not as a default setting for all.

When I connect to second life I know I'm connecting to second life - a company I know and more or less trust. When I connect to a music stream I am essentially connecting to another server, another service. I think it is entirely resonable that it be trivial for me to find out what servers I'm being connected to.

Crazy suggestion that Just Might Work (tm) !

Okay, so we all have MP3 player programs that do visuals -- iTunes and Winamp for example. How hard would it be to implement an object state mode that makes it sensitive to the music on the stream, client side of course?

I'm thinking this -- inworld visualizers of the music you are playing in your parcel stream!!!

It could be tacked onto llSetPrimitiveParams (or whatever that command is) and have like "streamAware = yes & whatAware = (a list of properties of the prim you want aware of the stream). So you could have a prim change shape based on the music stream or change color or change opacity or ... you get the idea. It would certianly make all the dance clubs lighting rigs more interesting!

Anyone second this?