I thought it only refreshed the songs you have already listened to. I don't think I read that anywhere....but when I refresh. The stations I did not listen to don't get refreshed at all. If I listen to only a couple songs on a station it refreshes very quickly. This is why the initial load up of songs takes so long because it has to load every song up from scratch. So I don't think you get more repeats just from refreshing more often. Anyway I just don't think it refreshes every single song on the station. Only the ones you already listened to. No fact just what I have noticed in watching do the refresh process.
Refreshing Slacker G1/G2 portable players
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Well you almost have it correct, but having had this thing now for over a month I have a good bit of experience with it. When you refresh it does indeed only refresh songs you've listened too and in some cases it will also add songs to a station if space is available. But the biggest thing it does is reshuffle the station mix and this is where the repeats come from. So, my point is that by allowing us to manually refresh, I can listen to as many stations I want too and the mix will remain unchanged until I manually refresh it. Many times I don't care if it refreshes, but when I've only listened to 1 hour of a channel, I don't want it reshuffled to where I may hear some of the same songs again when I play that channel.
I didn't know if it was settings I had in my fine tunning that was causing this or not, but with more and more use I pinned it down to the channel refreshes and shuffling on the songs. If I use my car charger and keep the battery level up where I don't have to plug it into the AC adapter where it doesn't auto refresh, I never get the repeats. So, in my opinion I have confirmed the behavior.
Well I just thought we could create a thread just for the refreshing process. So it does not get cluttered in other threads with other topics. Post your refreshing comments, tips, questions here.....
I'm using a G2 player.......
I am doing refreshing via USB. The process has been flawless for me. Using Xp home, hard wired router, no firewall software(router is my firewall). I do notice you have to wait a few moments before the portable player will start refreshing. Player will display refreshing then it will connect, and refresh process will begin.
How are you refreshing. Have you had issues, or is the process working good ?
I'm using a G2 player.......
I am doing refreshing via USB. The process has been flawless for me. Using Xp home, hard wired router, no firewall software(router is my firewall). I do notice you have to wait a few moments before the portable player will start refreshing. Player will display refreshing then it will connect, and refresh process will begin.
How are you refreshing. Have you had issues, or is the process working good ?
I'm not using wifi. So when you plug the player into AC to charge. It will automatically connect to your wifi without you doing anything ? If so I could see how that would be a pain with the refreshing. With lack of wifi I can plug into AC, and not have to worry about refreshing. I think I actually prefer the usb process, but I can't compare since I don't have home wifi.
I did not think about the reshuffling of songs during the refresh process, but that certainly does make sense that it would do that......
Yes it automatically logs in and goes to the refresh screen. Now if I remember to watch it, I can go in and manually cancel it. But again there should be an option to turn this feature off.
I have also used the USB refresh and what I don't like about it is that basically you can't use the device during the process. But I have also noted that it logs in and refreshes automatically using that route as well, unless manually canceled.
This is what the manual says;
The Slacker G2 starts this process automatically when you plug it into an AC Outlet. In addition, you can start the refresh process manually. In order to start the refresh process, you connect to the Slacker Radio service one of two ways: WiFi or USB.
Yes your right you can manually cancel the refresh. I think I will just refresh less often with usb, and just charge it on AC. I would agree it should have a feature option for wifi to not auto connect. I don't mind note using it while it is plugged into usb. I really don't use the player at home so it does not matter. I use the web player at home as I am right now. My G2 gets used plenty outside the house. I used it this morning for about 4 hours straight while doing some work. I may suggest you doing a slacker support chat to mention the thing about wifi refreshes. I contacted chat the other day about a request for future firmware updates. They were happy to take my comments, and forward them. At least for them to consider anyway. My conversation was regarding something else.
I am not familiar with wifi refreshing. As far as usb refreshing. The Slacker USB Sync software is what enables Internet Connection Sharing(ICS) for your internet connection to allow your Slacker portable to connect to the internet and download all the music it needs. If your having issues refreshing. It seems you may want to start turning off firewalls, anti virus, etc. Bring them back online one by one while refreshing to see if one of those is blocking the refresh process.
I have read load up on G1 works better with few stations at a time, but I am not clear if that is just the initial load up or if it is on all load ups.
I have noticed with my G2 usb refresh. I can take a little while for the connection to be enabled, but it does work. My computer also shows pop up ballons at the bottom of the screen. To confirm the process is working. I only have a hard wired router so I am not using firewall software.
Feel free to add more refreshing comments, or your questions of course.......Be sure to specify G1/G2. Seems their can be some small differences between the two in some cases depending on the issue.
I have read load up on G1 works better with few stations at a time, but I am not clear if that is just the initial load up or if it is on all load ups.
I have noticed with my G2 usb refresh. I can take a little while for the connection to be enabled, but it does work. My computer also shows pop up ballons at the bottom of the screen. To confirm the process is working. I only have a hard wired router so I am not using firewall software.
Feel free to add more refreshing comments, or your questions of course.......Be sure to specify G1/G2. Seems their can be some small differences between the two in some cases depending on the issue.
Having done both, I honestly see no difference between the G1 and G2 in refreshing via USB or Wifi. It has been said that many folks have issues because their wap or router has the same IP address as the Slacker server. Not sure why Slacker would use a default IP address, but maybe that isn't really an issue and has just been reported as such.
I guess I have a rock solid wifi and internet service as I've never experience refresh issues with either device. I find that rather connecting via Wifi or USB it can sometimes take it a little bit to make the initial connection and actually start refreshing.
I guess I have a rock solid wifi and internet service as I've never experience refresh issues with either device. I find that rather connecting via Wifi or USB it can sometimes take it a little bit to make the initial connection and actually start refreshing.
I have read with the G1 refreshing via usb it is best to use the software player to sync with device. The usb station refresher was designed for the G2. Can you refresh the G1 on the usb station refresher ? I am not sure. Can you sync the G2 on the software player ? I am not sure I have not tried it. I seem to recall many folks stating the G1 does not refresh as well if you try to load up a bunch of stations at once. I think that maybe with the initial load up though. I have not heard of this issue on the G2. So I think there maybe some minor syncing personality differences on the usb side between the devices. Otherwise seems the processes between the two are very similar.
Well I have the Software Player installed, along with the USB Refresher the instructions stated to do. I've refreshed both G1 and G2 with it and have not had any issues. The difference if there is any seems pretty transparent to me.
I do know what thing I have noticed is that if you add artist to one of your customized stations even if you haven't listen to that station, it automatically refreshes with the new artist and does a reshuffle of the songs. I've noticed this last night after tweaking several of my stations with new songs and/or artist which I had not listened to since the last refresh. Pretty cool!
I keep wanting to call them channels instead of stations. Sirius XM calls them channels and Slacker calls them stations! I try to remember that when I am posting.
I do know what thing I have noticed is that if you add artist to one of your customized stations even if you haven't listen to that station, it automatically refreshes with the new artist and does a reshuffle of the songs. I've noticed this last night after tweaking several of my stations with new songs and/or artist which I had not listened to since the last refresh. Pretty cool!
I keep wanting to call them channels instead of stations. Sirius XM calls them channels and Slacker calls them stations! I try to remember that when I am posting.
That is how I understood it as well. I never had any conflicts with this when refreshing. I have a hard wired router. As the router has a different address. I think that is why I have not had a issue, but I'm not sure on that one. Just glad everything refreshes usb without a hitch. Solid as a slacker can be :yesshake:
It will download it, but it won't install it till you do a hard shut down or it does it automatically after 2 hours of being idle. Then when you restart it will do the install. But the download is automatic rather via wifi or usb.
Having done a bit of reading on Slacker forum today. It seems that they require using the USB Station Refresher for both the G1 and G2. Often times problems crop up when having the Software Player installed so if you are having problems it is recommended that you uninstall it. I didn't get any indication that you could use just the Software Player. What I did read is that apparently at one time when you installed the Software Player it also installed the USB Station Refresher, but that is no longer the case. So you can't really refresh your channels with just the Software Player installed.
But I'll take it a step further, I'd recommend you not bother to install the Software Player at all, as it is no longer being updated. So it is best to just use the online web player and then install the USB Station Refresher, which actually just creates an icon in your system tray.
However, in my opinion if you have a Wireless Router or WAP, I wouldn't even bother using the USB Refresher at all and really see no reason too use it. The Wifi refreshing has worked flawless for me for almost 2 months now.
Well my G2 has not given me any problems since I started using it in late Oct. Tonight I went to refresh it after 4 days. I've been playing with my G1 so much I had just not refreshed it. Anyway, plugged it in to charge it to night and hit connect to refresh it. It would log into my wireless router, but would just sit at signing in. I tried it upstairs with my WAP same thing. Then again using USB, same thing. Did some reading on Slackers forum thinking maybe the server was down, but nothing was reported. I continued to read and decided the only solution was to do a factory reset. I DID NOT WANT TO DO THIS because my stations were building up in size rather nicely. Needless to say though I bit the bullet and sure enough after the factory reset it immediately connected and started refreshing the stations. So, it will be refreshing the rest of the night because it has to put all my stations back on there. Well maybe this will rid them all of the Christmas music.
Just thought I'd put this out there in case anyone else has this issue.
Just thought I'd put this out there in case anyone else has this issue.
DAB,
Sorry to hear that I wasn't the only one with the same problem with signing in, and a factory reset was the only way to get it back...Yesterday I did an experiment with listening to one channel only for the whole day waiting to see when the repeats would happen. Got about 5 hours and then I hit the end of the station and repeats began. If memory serves me right it appears that the repeats play close to the same order. After several songs I played another channel for the rest of the day. I will listen to the same channel today to see what plays today after last nights refresh.
Sorry to hear that I wasn't the only one with the same problem with signing in, and a factory reset was the only way to get it back...Yesterday I did an experiment with listening to one channel only for the whole day waiting to see when the repeats would happen. Got about 5 hours and then I hit the end of the station and repeats began. If memory serves me right it appears that the repeats play close to the same order. After several songs I played another channel for the rest of the day. I will listen to the same channel today to see what plays today after last nights refresh.