Sonos has been disliking pocket casts lately. Episodes have been randomly stopping, and now it is refusing to play episodes because they are “not encoded correctly”. This happens to different random podcasts and random times. Sometimes it will play half the episode, then say the episode is not encoded correctly.
Ideas?
I’d start with a refresh of your Sonos network, by unplugging all Sonos devices from power, then rebooting your router. Once the router comes back up, plug back in the Sonos devices, and give them a couple of minutes to boot and reconnect. Double check to be sure your Sonos is up to date, while you’re at it.
If, however, this doesn’t alter the issue, I would recommend that you submit a system diagnostic within 10 minutes of experiencing this problem, and call Sonos Support to discuss it, or post the diagnostic number here for a Community Moderator to pick up.
There may be information included in the diagnostic that will help Sonos pinpoint the issue and help you find a solution.
When you speak directly to the phone folks, there are more options available beyond just the diagnostic analysis.
Thanks Bruce. I guess I should say the things I have already done, and the answer I expect. I’ve gone down the reboot and diagnostic line with Sonos so many times …
After I posted I did some digging and I see that Sonos is having “issues” with Pocketcasts. I am curious to hear from them what the issues are and when they expect to have them resolved.
Any news? This issue continues to frustrate podcast listening on S1. Switching controllers from Android to iOS yields the same error.
I appreciate Bruce's suggestion to reset all Sonos devices when this happens but that is an enormous PIA. I have 9 devices.
If Pocket Casts is no longer supported, please come clean, SONOS.
I don’t know why they tell you to reboot - they know it has nothing to do with that.
Sonos has an ongoing problem with Pocketcasts. See this thread where they responded to someone else complaining of this issue:
They know - and nothing is being done. Pocketcasts wants to fix the problem - no one from Sonos is doing anything.
Is this happening with a particular podcast? I use pocketcasts in the S2 Sonos App for things like:
...to name but three regular podcasts and they have all been working okay. Might this be wireless network interference, perhaps?
absolutely not wireless interference. I do not know why it is working for you, but I routinely get the error message, and it does not matter what podcast I am listening to.
The process I describe has multiple benefits. First, it causes all speakers to reboot, so that if there’s an error on the speaker, it gets cleared. Rebooting the router clears it of any potential issues. The process also resolves any potential duplicate IP addresses that may have occurred, not easily seen in most router’s software, and forces a renew of any DNS changes that may have occurred upstream from your LAN. Consider it a general but thorough clean of the local system.
Another, more permanent, way of doing the same thing is to assign reserved IP addresses for all network devices in your router. Since each router seems to handle that process slightly differently, it’s best to refer to the manual for your specific router.
And if either option doesn’t work, then submitting hard data to Sonos is much more useful than mere anecdotal reports. It allows them to see if there are any particular errors in their code base, any remaining errors in your network, or if the issue is coming from the sync from PocketCasts, or the originating server for the podcast itself.
Airgetlam, Sonos has answered this. They know about the problem. It has nothing to do with “cleaning the local system”:
“Best answer by Xander P
Hi everyone, thanks for reaching out to the Sonos Community!
As you have experienced, we are aware of an issue affecting Pocketcasts playback, particularly when attempting to skip forward or back, or when resuming from pause.
No ETA to share for a fix I’m afraid, however we are working with Pocketcasts to get everything working properly. In the mean time, if you are using an iOS device and have AirPlay capable speakers, you can AirPlay audio from the Pocketcasts app as a workaround.”
Other users have contacted Pocketcasts. Pocketcasts says they cannot get in touch with support from Sonos to fix the problem;
gnuf:
“I have been in touch with PocketCasts support, and they have said that due to a lot of turnover at Sonos, they have been unable to establish a working relationship with Sonos engineers who understand the problem, who could help debug the problem.”
The problem is, you suggest that we have to do something, so we run around trying to fix it, when the problem is on Sonos’s side all along. Don’t suggest I do a bunch of stuff when it is a waste of time. Hopefully Sonos and Pocketcasts will work it out some time.
I’ve just played three different podcasts, back-to-back, using an episode from each of those mentioned in my earlier post from the pocketcast service and not a single interruption, or dropout here. Unless it’s a particular country-based, or local issue? I’m over in the U.K. otherwise my thoughts are there is a likely wireless interference issue, or a bandwidth problem. I’m not referring to an internet connection issue to a single-point device, which might be working fine.
If using WiFi, maybe try a different ‘fixed’ non-overlapping 2.4Ghz WiFi channel (1, 6 or 11) and a channel width of 20MHz to cut down on the local interference.
If using a SonosNet signal instead, then ensure its channel in the Sonos App is set at least 5 channels away from the chosen router WiFi channel and that the WiFi credentials are also not stored in the App, plus ensure the wired device is located well away from the router.
Then maybe see if that type of setup resolves the pocketcast issue.
Ken, play a podcast on Pocketcasts, stop it in the middle of the podcast, put a different podcast on, stop it in the middle of the podcast, try to go back to the first podcast.
Sonos has already acknowledged a problem:
“we are aware of an issue affecting Pocketcasts playback, particularly when attempting to skip forward or back, or when resuming from pause.”
Why are people trying to prove the problem doesn’t exist?
And its always the same answers!
It just seems odd that the pocketcast service is working okay here in the UK. I’ve not seen the dropouts mentioned. In fact it’s still playing okay to a Sonos Move, as I type this post.
Ken, play a podcast on Pocketcasts, stop it in the middle of the podcast, put a different podcast on, stop it in the middle of the podcast, try to go back to the first podcast.
Sonos has already acknowledged a problem:
“we are aware of an issue affecting Pocketcasts playback, particularly when attempting to skip forward or back, or when resuming from pause.”
Why are people trying to prove the problem doesn’t exist?
I will try this, so bear with me whilst I do that - but just to say this, what you are now asking to be tested here, has no bearing at all on your original opening post.
Anyhow I will try this now and report back - but for general playback of podcasts, I have not yet seen an issue from the pocketcast service… but admittedly I’ve not been part-playing stopping/switching podcasts about, like you now describe.
I will post again in a short while.
Okay, here are the steps I have just taken:
My Sonos Diagnostic Report: 1933211241
So the Pocket Casts service appears to be working as expected here - I have now also added a Sonos diagnostic report to my post above too, taken after undertaking the test as outlined. So if anyone wishes to check that, then the information is there to maybe assist.
As mentioned in a separate thread (sorry for overlooking this one) I'm having the very same issues the poster described, only with Stitcher and Iheartradio. Errors are nearly identical, sudden stop, and either unable to restart or restarting but being unable to successfully advance to the point it cut off.
I should mention these errors came both before and after an upgrade from bridge to whatever the name of the thing is that replaced it, listening thru a soundbar so it's not like a reset or upgrade solved anything. Very disappointed w) this thing that used to work so elegantly is just wracked with curious errors lately
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