Twonky database rescan screws up Dlink-320

[serker]

First, the information you guys need (Per the locked forum message on how to post problems)

TwonkyMedia version 4.4.6
Operating System Gentoo (Linux)
If you are running as a system service (Windows only) Nope
Client(s) and their software version DSM 320, v1.06 thru 1.09
Type(s) of media you are having problems with Video media (all mp4)
How many files you have in your database 14000 music, 11258 video
Network type (Wired/Wireless) Both

Here’s the problem…it’s minor, but annoying enough. Please remember I’m a previous Tversity / Dlink’s own UPNP software user, and I never had this particular problem with either of those programs. (But there were plenty of other problems with those software packages, and this is the only one I can find with this one--so basically, I'm a happy guy with a little problem)

When watching a video, if the twonkymedia software rebuilds it’s database automatically, or if I hit the rescan directories button, the current video that is being watched may be replaced (on the fly) with another video in the library. If I back out to the D-link menu, then replay the same video, it now appears as a different video. The only solution is to shut down the DSM-320, then turn it back on. Everything will work at that point until the next nightly rescan.

Notes: This only happens when I add new video’s to the server. If I go three or four days without adding video, the rescans work just fine. I even think I know what the problem is, I just don’t know how to fix it.

My guess is that Twonky rescans the media, in order (let’s assume alphabetical by folder/name) and assigns the video file a number, 1, 2, 3, etc. as they are found in this order. Reasonable so far, eh?

Now, let say in the movies folder that there are 100 files, and twonky has them in the database as files 100 thru 199. If I add three movies to this folder, and say those movies are alphabetically between file 150 and 151, then the new database would be correct up to #150, but 151, 152, and 153 would be the new movies, followed by the previous next movie, which would have moved from 151 to 154. Anything past this insertion (you, know—the other 11000 files in the database) would then be incremented by 3.

But—the Dlink doesn’t know about this, and since it’s cached it’s copy of the directory structure from the web server (sorry, UPNP server—which is just a custom version of apache), its request for the next part of file 151 (which in the above example just got moved to 154) suddenly shows block errors on the screen until it finds the keyframe, and continues with the new 151 (which stumps the viewer into saying "what the ----")

The example I’ve just given above, is something I can prove, because I’ve done the very thing above, and it does start picking up on the third movie down in the list. That’s why I’m comfortable in the above example. (Ghost Rider suddenly became Electra).

Now, I know…this sounds kind of petty. But neither Tversity nor the Dlink server software had this issue. I think because of the very same reason:

Both the D-link software, and Tversity, both maintained the database by an “added date”—meaning it was possible to see what was added to the media database by day. I suspect that the media ID’s that Tversity used were based on this, meaning that the three new videos that I’d be adding to the database would be ID as 14259, 14260, 14261, instead of 151, 152, 153. That way, when you migrated around through the menu of the Dlink (which only needs a retreat and re-enter of a folder to “redock” with the mothership), the new movies would be listed in the directory, and current streams (in use during the rebuild) would not be affected or redirected.

Not that I’m asking for the feature of showing “Date Added”—while nice, I never used the thing unless I was showing off the system. But when you have a kid upstairs on a constant loop of the Spongebob folder, and because you’ve added 12 movies to the Movies folder it slants the numbers on the Series folder, you suddenly discover that the kid is watching the last twelve episodes of Seinfeld in the rotation, just because the Dlink hasn’t been restarted—well…It’s annoying. I’ve actually created the above situation to prove the problem, after discovering accidentally that our son was watching Law & Order episodes in the Looney Tunes loop. That became kind of disturbing—and unexpected, as you might understand (he’s 5 yrs).

Thanks, and please feel free to fry me if I've assumed all wrong.

serker