Audio Issue with JBV1 (or the phone) not respecting the "Force Speaker" setting

[ncoig]

Hello, all -- So this is probably a very odd combination, perhaps, but here's the issue I'm facing:

I've been using JBV1 for a while now, and been an on-again/off-again user for various reasons which may merit their own thread (i.e., using with Android Auto was force quitting to the point of not being able to use JBV1), but now I've been on it for a minute and getting some solid use time in.

Anyway, I have an LG G6, a UConnect head unit and I'm using Android Auto via USB.

What I'm finding is a perfect storm of idiosyncrasies, I suspect. So when using Android Auto, the audio of the phone, phone call handling, etc. is still done through Bluetooth, evidently, though don't ask me why. I've noted that loss of Bluetooth pairing renders the phone call feature unusable, and the car will place calls you can neither hear nor respond to. As such, the BT connection for audio is always "live" in a way when using this radio and being properly paired. When the native radio (FM/AM/XM) is playing, or an AUX source, or nothing at all, the phone's audio (JBV1/Waze/etc) are piped though the DRIVER'S FRONT speaker at a pre-determined volume (in my case, 15, which is hella loud), and can only be adjusted if you're quick on that volume knob while it's playing. To make matters worse, the radio doesn't seem to respect the altered volume setting reliably. That is not a JBV1 issue, but is why the actual issue is pressing.

Second case, is when Pandora/Podcasts/Plex/etc are playing through Android Auto -- in THIS instance, the audio from JBV1/Waze, etc. is piped though all channels, and the current source "ducks" as you'd expect.

Aside from the "ducking" not returning all the time and thus having to cycle sources around to get full audio volume back, the big issue is that JBV1's FORCE SPEAKER settings does NOTHING. No matter what I select, the audio always either goes to the "CALL" or "ASSISTANT" audio if a native or no source is played, or as "FULL" audio if an AA source is in use. I don't think this really has anything to do with JBV1, but I would have thought FORCE SPEAKER would make the phone's speaker play.,. It does not.

Any ideas?

With much respect to the program and this forum,

-N

 

[johnboy00]

A few releases back, I fixed the issue where JBV1 was being "killed" (restarted actually) when Android Auto was being used.

As for Force Speaker not working when Android Auto is engaged with a head unit, I've seen that also on my 2019 Uconnect system. App audio goes to car audio no matter what. I don't have an AA system in my office to allow me to spend a bunch of time trying to find a workaround. Since the Uconnect ducks everything else, even the radio, which is a good thing, I haven't been motivated to finding a workaround.

I haven't noticed any ducking issues myself, but I can tell you that JBV1 always releases audio focus after requesting it with duck. It's the responsibility of app X to lower its volume when it has been requested to duck by app Z, and also to return to normal volume when audio focus is abandoned by app Z. It's important to note that In both cases (ducking and return to normal), app X is not required to do anything at all.

 

[ncoig]

A few releases back, I fixed the issue where JBV1 was being "killed" (restarted actually) when Android Auto was being used.

As for Force Speaker not working when Android Auto is engaged with a head unit, I've seen that also on my 2019 Uconnect system. App audio goes to car audio no matter what. I don't have an AA system in my office to allow me to spend a bunch of time trying to find a workaround. Since the Uconnect ducks everything else, even the radio, which is a good thing, I haven't been motivated to finding a workaround.

I haven't noticed any ducking issues myself, but I can tell you that JBV1 always releases audio focus after requesting it with duck. It's the responsibility of app X to lower its volume when it has been requested to duck by app Z, and also to return to normal volume when audio focus is abandoned by app Z. It's important to note that In both cases (ducking and return to normal), app X is not required to do anything at all.

Thanks for the reply.

Mine's a 2018 -- but I can't get it to go to "car audio" always, as I said, when nothing is playing (or a Uconnect native source), it plays only as though it's a voice command through the driver's front speaker, which is an entirely different experience. And forget if you are starting an AA source in the middle of JBV1 utilizing the "left speaker", then all hell breaks loose and full music volume starts following on the JBV1 stream through that speaker only and often will refuse to go back to all channels.

The ducking issues are subtle, but they happen regularly. One of the ones that happens most is when you're above "silent ride speed", and it's beeping away, then you drop below the speed and the mute comes into play. The audio does NOT return, despite the mute being active and no beeps being played by JBV1. Sometimes not ever. If I cycle the sources, it does come back.

I've also noted, on a similar note, on startup, it will just start repeating, "JBV1, JBV1, JBV1" until the program is shut down.

Go tigahs.

-N

 

[johnboy00]

Thanks for the reply.

Mine's a 2018 -- but I can't get it to go to "car audio" always, as I said, when nothing is playing (or a Uconnect native source), it plays only as though it's a voice command through the driver's front speaker, which is an entirely different experience. And forget if you are starting an AA source in the middle of JBV1 utilizing the "left speaker", then all hell breaks loose and full music volume starts following on the JBV1 stream through that speaker only and often will refuse to go back to all channels.

The ducking issues are subtle, but they happen regularly. One of the ones that happens most is when you're above "silent ride speed", and it's beeping away, then you drop below the speed and the mute comes into play. The audio does NOT return, despite the mute being active and no beeps being played by JBV1. Sometimes not ever. If I cycle the sources, it does come back.

I've also noted, on a similar note, on startup, it will just start repeating, "JBV1, JBV1, JBV1" until the program is shut down.

Go tigahs.

-N

JBV1 never directs Android to play only through the left speaker. That's AA and/or your radio doing that, and it should do it only when you have CAI or force speaker enabled since both will use the voice call stream. If you use AA every time you drive, you should disable both of those and perhaps auto stream selection, too. I'll do more testing in my car soon to see if I can get it to misbehave as you describe.

I did just find that dipping below silent ride during an active alert was not abandoning audio focus as it's supposed to. This is fixed in the next release.

I've never heard the "JBV1" announcement repeated, but I'll look into it.

Thanks for the helpful feedback!

 

[ncoig]

JBV1 never directs Android to play only through the left speaker. That's AA and/or your radio doing that, and it should do it only when you have CAI or force speaker enabled since both will use the voice call stream. If you use AA every time you drive, you should disable both of those and perhaps auto stream selection, too. I'll do more testing in my car soon to see if I can get it to misbehave as you describe.

I did just find that dipping below silent ride during an active alert was not abandoning audio focus as it's supposed to. This is fixed in the next release.

I've never heard the "JBV1" announcement repeated, but I'll look into it.

Thanks for the helpful feedback!

I didn't mean to insinuate JBV1 was to blame, I just didn't know if there was some crazy combination of things I was doing to make it misbehave.

I tried that combination of settings with no change in behavior, it all still seems to do as it wishes. AA stream on, comes through that; AA stream off, left speaker only. *Never* goes through the phone's speaker. I'm wondering now if its not something with the phone -- perhaps it has some internal provision to favor audio through BT rather than its own speaker?

Thanks for addressing the SILENT RIDE issue, I think I have one more bug in relation to that but I want to do more testing.

Out of curiosity, the pre-2018 Uconnect units had an "Engineering Menu" that you could readily access with a few tricky button pushes, but no such luck finding that on the 2018 yet. You, being a crafty sort, may have found those. If so, can you share? I have the ones that work for "Dealer mode" and one other.

Best,

-N

 

[johnboy00]

I didn't mean to insinuate JBV1 was to blame, I just didn't know if there was some crazy combination of things I was doing to make it misbehave.

I tried that combination of settings with no change in behavior, it all still seems to do as it wishes. AA stream on, comes through that; AA stream off, left speaker only. *Never* goes through the phone's speaker. I'm wondering now if its not something with the phone -- perhaps it has some internal provision to favor audio through BT rather than its own speaker?

Thanks for addressing the SILENT RIDE issue, I think I have one more bug in relation to that but I want to do more testing.

Out of curiosity, the pre-2018 Uconnect units had an "Engineering Menu" that you could readily access with a few tricky button pushes, but no such luck finding that on the 2018 yet. You, being a crafty sort, may have found those. If so, can you share? I have the ones that work for "Dealer mode" and one other.

Best,

-N

I didn't take any offense. I was just letting you know how it works, or is supposed to work. It never goes through my phone speakers either when AA is engaged. That's okay with me, so I haven't spent any time trying to find a workaround.

I've never messed around with trying to find any hidden menus.