Description
Summary
When my friend and I use our self‑hosted Syncplay server to watch videos stored on our respective NAS devices, synchronization works perfectly for regular media files. However, when we try to use Syncplay with .strm files, two problems occur:
Double‑clicking a .strm entry in the playlist does not start playback for both users. We have to manually open the .strm file in our player and then use Syncplay to sync the progress bar. This defeats the purpose of the shared playlist feature.
When using VLC, seeking (dragging the progress bar) causes a crash. It is unclear whether the crash originates from VLC or Syncplay.
The double‑click issue is more disruptive for us. We currently find mpv works better overall, but the .strm playback problem persists in both players.
Environment
Syncplay server version: 1.7.4
Syncplay client version: 1.7.4
VLC version: 3.0.23
mpv version: (please insert your mpv version here)
Operating systems: (please specify the OS for each user, e.g., Windows 11, Ubuntu 22.04, macOS 14)
Media players tested: VLC 3.0.23, mpv
File type: .strm (plain‑text files containing a URL to the actual video stream)
Steps to Reproduce
Problem 1 – Double‑click playback:
Both users connect to the same Syncplay room.
Each user adds the same .strm file to their Syncplay media directory (the file points to the same remote video URL, or to different URLs that resolve to the same content).
One user double‑clicks the .strm entry in the Syncplay playlist.
Expected: Both users’ players should start playing the video simultaneously.
Actual: Neither player starts. We must manually open the .strm file in VLC/mpv and then manually sync the progress bar via Syncplay.
Problem 2 – VLC crash on seek:
Both users play the same .strm file using VLC via Syncplay.
One user drags the progress bar to seek.
Expected: The seek should be reflected for both users without crashing.
Actual: VLC crashes (either on the seeking user’s side, the other user’s side, or both). The crash occurs consistently.
Expected Behavior
Double‑clicking a .strm file in the Syncplay playlist should load and start playback for all users in the room, just as it does with regular video files.
Seeking in VLC while playing a .strm file should not crash the player.
Actual Behavior
Double‑click does nothing for .strm files.
Seeking in VLC causes a crash.
Additional Context
We have verified that both VLC and mpv can open and play .strm files outside of Syncplay without any issues.
The problem is specific to Syncplay’s handling of .strm files.
We are using a self‑hosted Syncplay server (version 1.7.4).
The double‑click issue affects both VLC and mpv, while the crash only occurs with VLC.
Relevant Logs / Crash Reports
(Please attach any VLC crash logs, Syncplay debug logs, or screen recordings that you can capture. This will help the maintainers diagnose the issue faster.)
Additional Information – What is a .strm file?
A .strm (stream) file is a lightweight plain‑text file used by media servers such as Emby, Jellyfin, Plex, and Kodi as a “shortcut” or “pointer” to an actual audio/video resource. It contains only a URL (or local path) that points to the real media file, which may be stored on a NAS, a cloud drive, or a remote server. The file itself is typically only a few kilobytes and does not contain any media data. When a player opens a .strm file, it reads the URL and streams the target video directly over the network. This approach is widely used in NAS‑based media libraries to avoid storing large video files locally and to bypass cloud‑drive scanning restrictions. Players such as VLC, mpv, Kodi, and Emby/Jellyfin clients can play .strm files as long as they support network stream parsing.
Description
Summary
When my friend and I use our self‑hosted Syncplay server to watch videos stored on our respective NAS devices, synchronization works perfectly for regular media files. However, when we try to use Syncplay with .strm files, two problems occur:
Double‑clicking a .strm entry in the playlist does not start playback for both users. We have to manually open the .strm file in our player and then use Syncplay to sync the progress bar. This defeats the purpose of the shared playlist feature.
When using VLC, seeking (dragging the progress bar) causes a crash. It is unclear whether the crash originates from VLC or Syncplay.
The double‑click issue is more disruptive for us. We currently find mpv works better overall, but the .strm playback problem persists in both players.
Environment
Syncplay server version: 1.7.4
Syncplay client version: 1.7.4
VLC version: 3.0.23
mpv version: (please insert your mpv version here)
Operating systems: (please specify the OS for each user, e.g., Windows 11, Ubuntu 22.04, macOS 14)
Media players tested: VLC 3.0.23, mpv
File type: .strm (plain‑text files containing a URL to the actual video stream)
Steps to Reproduce
Problem 1 – Double‑click playback:
Both users connect to the same Syncplay room.
Each user adds the same .strm file to their Syncplay media directory (the file points to the same remote video URL, or to different URLs that resolve to the same content).
One user double‑clicks the .strm entry in the Syncplay playlist.
Expected: Both users’ players should start playing the video simultaneously.
Actual: Neither player starts. We must manually open the .strm file in VLC/mpv and then manually sync the progress bar via Syncplay.
Problem 2 – VLC crash on seek:
Both users play the same .strm file using VLC via Syncplay.
One user drags the progress bar to seek.
Expected: The seek should be reflected for both users without crashing.
Actual: VLC crashes (either on the seeking user’s side, the other user’s side, or both). The crash occurs consistently.
Expected Behavior
Double‑clicking a .strm file in the Syncplay playlist should load and start playback for all users in the room, just as it does with regular video files.
Seeking in VLC while playing a .strm file should not crash the player.
Actual Behavior
Double‑click does nothing for .strm files.
Seeking in VLC causes a crash.
Additional Context
We have verified that both VLC and mpv can open and play .strm files outside of Syncplay without any issues.
The problem is specific to Syncplay’s handling of .strm files.
We are using a self‑hosted Syncplay server (version 1.7.4).
The double‑click issue affects both VLC and mpv, while the crash only occurs with VLC.
Relevant Logs / Crash Reports
(Please attach any VLC crash logs, Syncplay debug logs, or screen recordings that you can capture. This will help the maintainers diagnose the issue faster.)
Additional Information – What is a .strm file?
A .strm (stream) file is a lightweight plain‑text file used by media servers such as Emby, Jellyfin, Plex, and Kodi as a “shortcut” or “pointer” to an actual audio/video resource. It contains only a URL (or local path) that points to the real media file, which may be stored on a NAS, a cloud drive, or a remote server. The file itself is typically only a few kilobytes and does not contain any media data. When a player opens a .strm file, it reads the URL and streams the target video directly over the network. This approach is widely used in NAS‑based media libraries to avoid storing large video files locally and to bypass cloud‑drive scanning restrictions. Players such as VLC, mpv, Kodi, and Emby/Jellyfin clients can play .strm files as long as they support network stream parsing.