SDL_mixer1.2.7 - MP3 playback is unstable on WinXP

SDL Development
#1

SDL_mixer1.2.7 - MP3 playback is unstable on WinXP…

I read the instructions and checked my source code and everything seems to be
written ok, but using certain values for “int Mix_OpenAudio(int frequency,
Uint16 format, int channels, int chunksize)” produces program lock-ups
(crashes).

Example:

Using:

Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT ,
MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS,
1024)

sometimes crashes on initialization (Mix_OpenAudio) and sometimes crashes on
switching current MP3 music playing (Mix_PlayMusic) and sometimes crashes on
de-initialization (Mix_CloseAudio).

Changing to:

Mix_OpenAudio(44100, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT , MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 512)

seems to fix the crash problems.

Hope someone can fix these issues and release fixes in SDL_mixer 1.2.8

Jesse “JeZ+Lee” Palser
SLNTHERO at AOL.com (mailto:SLNTHERO at AOL.com)
Silent Hero Productions®
http://www.SilentHeroProductions.com/
(http://www.SilentHeroProductions.com/)

#2

SDL_mixer1.2.7 - MP3 playback is unstable on WinXP…

I read the instructions and checked my source code and everything seems to be
written ok, but using certain values for “int Mix_OpenAudio(int frequency,
Uint16 format, int channels, int chunksize)” produces program lock-ups
(crashes).

Example:

Using:

Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT ,
MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS,
1024)

sometimes crashes on initialization (Mix_OpenAudio) and sometimes crashes on
switching current MP3 music playing (Mix_PlayMusic) and sometimes crashes on
de-initialization (Mix_CloseAudio).

Changing to:

Mix_OpenAudio(44100, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT , MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 512)

seems to fix the crash problems.

Hope someone can fix these issues and release fixes in SDL_mixer 1.2.8

Jesse “JeZ+Lee” Palser
SLNTHERO at AOL.com (mailto:SLNTHERO at AOL.com)
Silent Hero Productions®
http://www.SilentHeroProductions.com/
(http://www.silentheroproductions.com/)

#3

SlntHero at aol.com wrote:

SDL_mixer1.2.7 - MP3 playback is unstable on WinXP…

I read the instructions and checked my source code and everything seems to be
written ok, but using certain values for “int Mix_OpenAudio(int frequency,
Uint16 format, int channels, int chunksize)” produces program lock-ups
(crashes).

Example:

Using:

Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT ,
MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS,
1024)

sometimes crashes on initialization (Mix_OpenAudio) and sometimes crashes on
switching current MP3 music playing (Mix_PlayMusic) and sometimes crashes on
de-initialization (Mix_CloseAudio).

Changing to:

Mix_OpenAudio(44100, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT , MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 512)

seems to fix the crash problems.

Hope someone can fix these issues and release fixes in SDL_mixer 1.2.8

Find out exactly where the crashes occur. This is fairly easy with
Visual Studio. My guess is that the crashes are inside smpeg.

Pete.

#4

“Find out exactly where the crashes occur. This is fairly easy with
Visual Studio. My guess is that the crashes are inside smpeg”

Crash occurs sometimes (maybe 1 out of 10 runs) in the following SDL_mixer
functions:
“Mix_OpenAudio”
“Mix_PlayMusic”
“Mix_CloseAudio”

when
Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT,
MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 1024)

Program locks-up (not responding).

Jesse “JeZ+Lee” Palser
SLNTHERO at AOL.com (mailto:SLNTHERO at AOL.com)
Silent Hero Productions®
http://www.SilentHeroProductions.com/
(http://www.silentheroproductions.com/)

In a message dated 8/2/2006 9:05:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
darkmatter at freeuk.com writes:

SlntHero at aol.com wrote:

SDL_mixer1.2.7 - MP3 playback is unstable on WinXP…

I read the instructions and checked my source code and everything seems to
be
written ok, but using certain values for “int Mix_OpenAudio(int frequency,
Uint16 format, int channels, int chunksize)” produces program lock-ups
(crashes).

Example:

Using:

Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT ,
MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS,
1024)

sometimes crashes on initialization (Mix_OpenAudio) and sometimes crashes
on
switching current MP3 music playing (Mix_PlayMusic) and sometimes crashes
on
de-initialization (Mix_CloseAudio).

Changing to:

Mix_OpenAudio(44100, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT , MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 512)

seems to fix the crash problems.

Hope someone can fix these issues and release fixes in SDL_mixer 1.2.8

Find out exactly where the crashes occur. This is fairly easy with
Visual Studio. My guess is that the crashes are inside smpeg.

Pete._______________________________________________
SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

#5

SlntHero at aol.com wrote:

“Find out exactly where the crashes occur. This is fairly easy with
Visual Studio. My guess is that the crashes are inside smpeg”

Crash occurs sometimes (maybe 1 out of 10 runs) in the following SDL_mixer
functions:
“Mix_OpenAudio”
“Mix_PlayMusic”
“Mix_CloseAudio”

when
Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT,
MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 1024)

Program locks-up (not responding).

When it locks up, attach the debugger to it, and see where it has locked up.

Crashing inside Mix_OpenAudio() though would point to something serious
going on. Try testing just SDL using the loopwave.c test example.

Pete.

#6

Hi,
I’m running XP and I’ve NEVER had a problem using the AUDIO_S16 parameter
for the format, and none of my testers has reported any problems either
with this configuration.

shrug

Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, AUDIO_S16, MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 1024)

??

hth,
Erik

Peter Mulholland wrote:> SlntHero at aol.com wrote:

“Find out exactly where the crashes occur. This is fairly easy with
Visual Studio. My guess is that the crashes are inside smpeg”

Crash occurs sometimes (maybe 1 out of 10 runs) in the following SDL_mixer
functions:
“Mix_OpenAudio”
“Mix_PlayMusic”
“Mix_CloseAudio”

when
Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT,
MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 1024)

Program locks-up (not responding).

When it locks up, attach the debugger to it, and see where it has locked up.

Crashing inside Mix_OpenAudio() though would point to something serious
going on. Try testing just SDL using the loopwave.c test example.

Pete.

SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

#7

Hi,

If SDL_mixer 1.2.7 was running 100%, we would not be having this
conversation.
shrug :frowning:

I submitted this issue to BugZilla under SDL_mixer.

Hoping that there will be an update to resolve the bugs in a new version
1.2.8.

Jesse “JeZ+Lee” Palser
Lead Designer/Lead Programmer/Lead Tester
LettersFall 100%? for PC Windows? 2000/xp/2003/Vista
SLNTHERO at AOL.com (mailto:SLNTHERO at AOL.com)
Silent Hero Productions®
http://www.silentheroproductions.com/files/LettersFall100Percent_PCWindows.ZI
P
(http://www.silentheroproductions.com/files/LettersFall100Percent_PCWindows.ZIP)

In a message dated 8/3/2006 11:54:38 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
wazoo at wazooenterprises.com writes:

Hi,
I’m running XP and I’ve NEVER had a problem using the AUDIO_S16 parameter
for the format, and none of my testers has reported any problems either
with this configuration.

shrug

Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, AUDIO_S16, MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 1024)

??

hth,
Erik

Peter Mulholland wrote:

SlntHero at aol.com wrote:

“Find out exactly where the crashes occur. This is fairly easy with
Visual Studio. My guess is that the crashes are inside smpeg”

Crash occurs sometimes (maybe 1 out of 10 runs) in the following
SDL_mixer

functions:
“Mix_OpenAudio”
“Mix_PlayMusic”
“Mix_CloseAudio”

when
Mix_OpenAudio(MIX_DEFAULT_FREQUENCY, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT,
MIX_DEFAULT_CHANNELS, 1024)

Program locks-up (not responding).

When it locks up, attach the debugger to it, and see where it has locked
up.>
Crashing inside Mix_OpenAudio() though would point to something serious
going on. Try testing just SDL using the loopwave.c test example.

Pete.

SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

#8

Hello !

If SDL_mixer 1.2.7 was running 100%, we would not be having this
conversation. shrug :frowning:

I submitted this issue to BugZilla under SDL_mixer.

Hoping that there will be an update to resolve the bugs in a new version
1.2.8.

What about SDL_mixer SVN ?

CU

#9

Hi,

Sorry, I am an idiot (actually Autistic person)

What is SVN, please explain (if it is a BETA release, then I am not
interested)

Thanks in advance…

Jesse “JeZ+Lee” Palser
Lead Designer/Lead Programmer/Lead Tester
LettersFall 100%? for PC Windows? 2000/xp/2003/Vista
SLNTHERO at AOL.com (mailto:SLNTHERO at AOL.com)
Silent Hero Productions®
http://www.silentheroproductions.com/files/LettersFall100Percent_PCWindows.ZI
P
(http://www.silentheroproductions.com/files/LettersFall100Percent_PCWindows.ZIP)

In a message dated 8/3/2006 7:13:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
wizard at syntheticsw.com writes:

Hello !

If SDL_mixer 1.2.7 was running 100%, we would not be having this
conversation. shrug :frowning:

I submitted this issue to BugZilla under SDL_mixer.

Hoping that there will be an update to resolve the bugs in a new version
1.2.8.

What about SDL_mixer SVN ?

CU_______________________________________________
SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

#10

SlntHero at aol.com wrote:

Hi,

Sorry, I am an idiot (actually Autistic person)

What is SVN, please explain (if it is a BETA release, then I am not
interested)

SVN = Subversion… if you know what CVS is it is a similar idea,
basically it is a source code management system for in-progress projects.

Hmm… I guess you could regard the SVN source tree as Beta, however I
have used it myself in commercially-shipping games and not had a
problem. You just need to test it before you use it. If there is a bug
fix in there that you need, it’s the best way to get it.

Pete.

#11

Note that SMPEG is buggy and old, and does not work correctly for all
mp3s. SMPEG is what SDL_mixer uses to play mp3s.

If you can try to switch to the ogg vorbis format instead.On 8/5/06, Peter Mulholland wrote:

SlntHero at aol.com wrote:

Hi,

Sorry, I am an idiot (actually Autistic person)

What is SVN, please explain (if it is a BETA release, then I am not
interested)

SVN = Subversion… if you know what CVS is it is a similar idea,
basically it is a source code management system for in-progress projects.

Hmm… I guess you could regard the SVN source tree as Beta, however I
have used it myself in commercially-shipping games and not had a
problem. You just need to test it before you use it. If there is a bug
fix in there that you need, it’s the best way to get it.

Pete.

SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

#12

Ren? Dudfield wrote:

Note that SMPEG is buggy and old, and does not work correctly for all
mp3s. SMPEG is what SDL_mixer uses to play mp3s.

If you can try to switch to the ogg vorbis format instead.

Seconded. Vorbis is ideal for games as it is license and patent free and
the decoder is a hell of a lot more reliable.

The problem with MP3 support is there’s no decent library that could be
used that isn’t licenced under a compatible source license. Otherwise,
libMAD would be ideal.

(It appears MAD is using the GPL to “scare” customers into purchasing a
license from them to use it. That’s rather crappy IMO)

Pete.