Crash after import in 3.3

[deverett]

I am running Hoster demo 3.3 on a Travelmate laptop:
2.6ghz Intel Celeron
256MB DDR ram
XP home SP 2.

I have tried this twice so far with identical results.

While playing a KMA file, I try to import a single file from a CDG disk. At completion of the import, just after I click the EXIT button and the import window closes, Hoster crashes.

The song continues to play, but of course the display no longer updates as Hoster is no longer running.

Let me know what info I can supply you to help analyze this problem.

Dave Everett

[deverett]

I forgot to mention, I am using software decoding.

Dave Everett

[mindonstrike]

Are we talking about the preview window in the import cd screen?

[deverett]

No, this is the main program.

I'm trying to test a real situation I imagine will happen when I start running live karaoke using Hoster.

I'm running a show, a song is playing and I need to import a song from a singer's disk.

That's the scenario.

I hit the "exit" button in the import window, once it closes, Hoster crashes (windows reports the crash).

Dave Everett

[admin]

Dave, thanks for reporting this!

We'll dive into it this coming Tuesday when we are back from Christmas. Please post these answers:

1. Who is the Manufacturer that made the Disc you are trying to import?

2. What DiscID number is it?

3. Does it import the same track in the Import CD Tracks screen?

4. If not, is this a Multi-session disc, a Mediacloq disc, or a VCD or DVD disc?

[mindonstrike]

This may be a dumb question but Where is the "exit" button you are using? The only ones I know of on the playlist screen are the ones to shutdown Hoster, the X in the upper right hand corner and the exit after clicking file.

Sam

[deverett]

Mindonstrike, the Exit button is in the bottom right corner of the import CD tracks window.

Admin,
The disk is Backstage Karaoke BS9117 "Billy Joel". Yes the track imports fine, in fact I had first imported all tracks from that disk, then hit the 20 limit, deleted a few tracks, then used one of them as the import while playing test track.

I will try with a few other disks over the next few days and see if I can turn up more info.

Just a note for future revisions, it would be nice if possible to have the import window separate so we can switch back to the singer list or operate the live controls while the import occurs in the background.

I'll keep you posted on any clues I can uncover.

Thanks,
Dave Everett

[mindonstrike]

Perhaps I am totally totally misreading this post, but this is the conclusion I have come to so far.
In post #3 I asked

Are we talking about the preview window in the import cd screen?

and you responded in post #4 with

No, this is the main program.

Based on ADMIN asking the question in post #5

3. Does it import the same track in the Import CD Tracks screen?

I'm assuming he thinks you are in the playlist window.
In post #6 I inquire about the exit button to which you refer as there isn't one on the playlist window, to which you respond in post #8

Mindonstrike, the Exit button is in the bottom right corner of the import CD tracks window.

which would make the answer to my question in post #3 yes instead of no.

You made the statement in post #4 that

I'm trying to test a real situation I imagine will happen when I start running live karaoke using Hoster.

I'm running a show, a song is playing and I need to import a song from a singer's disk.

.

You will never ever use the import CD window during a live show. It is only for importing your disks into your database.
The play screen in the import cd window is only for quality checks of a disk you have just imported.

Tracks from a singers disk must be imported from the playlist window.
You also wrote

Just a note for future revisions, it would be nice if possible to have the import window separate so we can switch back to the singer list or operate the live controls while the import occurs in the background.

this is exactly why the play screen was added to the import cd window, to make switching to the playlist for quality checks unnecesary.

Consequently the answer to the problem you originally posted would be to stop play before you exit.

Does this make any sense or am I way out in left field?

Sam

[deverett]

Sam, I think you have the wrong end of the stick here.

Here's the scenario:

Singer A is murdering "tie a yellow ribbon" (actually that song should be murdered).

Singer B staggers up and thrusts his Best of Hazy Fantazy disk at me and requests number 7 (hmm, I thought that disk only went up to 1).

I whack the disk in the drive and open the "Import CD tracks" window to import track 7. Remember I'm using software decoding and I can't play a CDG disk directly from the drive.

I select the track, import it, everything is going nicely. I hit the "Exit" button, the import window closes and then Mr Gates informs me that Hoster has crashed and offers no help at all.

The singer display freezes and while I restart Hoster, the audience leaves for the bar down the road.

I'm not using the preview window, I didn't even know there was one. Ok I just looked and you can only play after importing, not before. This is not suitable for running a live show.

Anyway, I'm in the middle of a show and can't stop play and ask everyone to be patient for 2 minutes while I import a song.

Dave Everett

[computex13]

I think what Sam is saying is that during a show you would never use the "Import Tracks", you would use the "Add Track" and "CDG" button on the main screen. That would add a track to the playlist but not store it to your library. I have a problem with that using my laptop CD-Rom but not my Plextor usb. Hoster shuts down.

Mark

[George]

Originally Posted by deverett

Remember I'm using software decoding and I can't play a CDG disk directly from the drive.

I select the track, import it, everything is going nicely.......

Dave.

That's where the problem is. When you select CDG and ADD TRACK, from the play screen, it does not try to play from the cd, but creates a temporary KMA file on the hard drive rather that a permanent one, just as Mark said.

As Sam said, you cannot use the Import screen while playing.

George

[mindonstrike]

Ok I see now the answer to post #3 was in fact no, you arn't using the preview screen but you are using the cd import window.

Mark and George pretty well covered my response.

Once upon a time the import window was disabled while using the playlist screen. I didn't realize that that was no longer the case.

BTW If singer B waits too long into Singer A's song to give you his disk I would tell him tough luck this round or bump him back a song or play it from your conventional player because if his disk is poor quality, either in media or scratched and dirty, it can take a while to import into the playlist and Hoster will not let you do anything while it is importing, forcing you to either prematurely eject the disk or let the show come to a halt while it finishes. IE always start an import at the beginning of a song.

Sam

[deverett]

It just seems the most logical way of doing things.

I have singers that bring the same disks each night.

One guy brought his main disk last time and I found the centre was seriously fractured, there were pieces missing. It makes more sense to keep them on my HD for when they come.

Dave Everett

[bobcox- with the Lord]

That May be nice for your singer. BUT DONT GET CAUGHT WITH THEM ON YOUR HARD DRIVE if you dont own the oridginal disc. they will take your system give you a hefty fine and in some cases they take your van.
this happened to a friend and he almost lost his home. it still cost him about $40,000 and three systems to get out of it. Bob

[deverett]

Bobcox,
Wow what Totalitarian country do you live in?

In my country someone would have to make an accusation that I am violating copyright. Then Police would need to investigate, obtain a warrant to examine my system and decide if charges could be laid.

Let's say the singer has bought a disk from Company X and I have transferred a song to the HD for him.

Only Company X can file a copyright complaint. Not a reseller, not another singer, not anyone.

No one can confiscate my equipment, that would be summary justice at best and theft at worst.

What is the difference between copying the song every week to my HD and copying it once to my HD so that singer can sing it once a week?

Less wear and tear on my CD drive. If the singer's disk is damaged I am taking a risk running it in my system. If it is unreadable the singer still holds the right to use those songs even though the storage media is damaged.
It is also held that people have the right to backup their data. It just happens that I am providing storage on my system.

I may be confusing Hoster with other Karaoke software, but I thought I could make separate directories to keep singers own songs for them to use. These are not intended to appear in my songbooks.

Dave Everett

[George]

Dream on................

There's a cornucopia of information on the subject on the forums, and on the internet. Suggest you do some searching and reading and get in the real world.

[nreel]

To sum up:

Hoster's IMPORT Window SHOULD have been disabled during PLAY...therefore, this is an oversight. Since it Crashes Hoster, it may be considered a BUG. But, programming Hoster to disable the Import Window during PLAY would take care of the "Crashing," and, therefore, eliminate the "BUG."

During a SHOW, the proper way to ADD a Singer's SONG, from a Singer's Disc, would be to use the CDG Button, which is MTU's proper and ethical way to do this.

Of course, adding Singer's Song Libraries for permanent storage whether for their personal use or available to others can be done via the IMPORT Window, without a song PLAYING, and at the sole discretion of the USER as long as the USER is complying with Hoster's EULA.