Perils of Rovi (Mu-so USB input from iPad)

Posted by: noname on 24 July 2017

For your amusement this Uniti Atom shipping week:

I use BBC iPlayer Radio running on an iPad connected to the USB input of a Mu-so (in case you are wondering:  USB input supports Naim Multiroom and happens to keep my media iPad charged). One of the nice things with the Naim App is that it shows you the station and programme details - so you can stay in the Naim App to deal with Multiroom and do not need to switch back to iPlayer to see what is on if you are listening live (and yes I know the Mu-so does digital radio streaming but the iPlayer interface is rather user-friendly for Listen Again).

Anyway, with the input coming from USB the Naim App lets you have a go to see what Rovi thinks is the currently playing "Album". Here is what it made of Radio 4 earlier today:

 

Later I thought I would try again and thought Rovi made an interesting job of it 

Despite the fun though, I really do think that the Naim App developers should probably work out how to disable Rovi somehow when not browsing stored music via USB.

By the way - DO NOT expect the Uniti Atom to support iPad/iPhone/iPod interaction via USB in the same way the Mu-so does. Expecting mine by the end of the week.

Roger

Posted on: 24 July 2017 by ChrisSU

Incorrect search results do seem to be quite a regular thing with Rovi. The way I see it, posting such mismatches here is a good thing, if it allows Naim to see them, and maybe give some feedback to Rovi that their service needs some improvement.

Posted on: 24 July 2017 by noname
ChrisSU posted:

Incorrect search results do seem to be quite a regular thing with Rovi. The way I see it, posting such mismatches here is a good thing, if it allows Naim to see them, and maybe give some feedback to Rovi that their service needs some improvement.

Sorry if I was not clear enough but I was not playing an album!

I was listening to BBC iPlayer Radio streaming live Radio 4 digital Radio from my iPad via USB to a Mu-so. I could equally have been streaming a podcast. Rovi album lookup should simply not apply in situations like this.

Roger

Posted on: 24 July 2017 by ChrisSU

I realise you weren't playing an album, but as Rovi has still attempted a search, better that it gets it right than not? But either way, if you don't want to see any Rovi info, you don't have to open the Rovi booklet.

Posted on: 24 July 2017 by noname

Hi Chrissu

Naim manage to disable other icons that apply only to stored albums read from a USB drive, such as shuffle play, so I think they should disable Rovi lookup by disabling the booklet icon too. I tried it out of curiosity and posted for a bit of fun but I bet Rovi would prefer not to have nonsense lookups sent to them and would be rather surprised if Naim reported these as being incorrect!

Keep smiling

Roger

 

Posted on: 24 July 2017 by ChrisSU
noname posted:

......I bet Rovi would prefer not to have nonsense lookups sent to them and would be rather surprised if Naim reported these as being incorrect!

 

Naim must pay a fee to Rovi for this facility, and it's been widely reported on this forum that results are often inaccurate, so I would very much hope that they are telling Rovi about the frequent failure of the facility they are selling us.

Posted on: 24 July 2017 by Innocent Bystander

When I had an ND5XS a few years ago I found the same, but assumed it was my less mainstream collecrion...

Roon performs a similar function, though when I tried it  recently (for far shorter time than I had the ND5 with Rovi) it also didn't recognise everything, but I can't comment on proportion successful. Whislt I did find Rovi, and that aspect of Roon, interesting at times as it did find some additional info, and suggest similar music, I was quite surprised and disappointed that neither found the original album art.

indeed, for all the albums I ripped from CD or LP I have images of the album art as well. And it would be great to have a facility from the music library to see that, whether on own store, or searching a central database. That simple thing would be such a boon - and it is not fulfilled by the library of my current player (Audirvana).