Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Operation Troubleshooting Compatibility Streaming Modes Licensing

General Operation

1. Can TuneBlade stream videos and images to an Apple TV?

No, TuneBlade is for streaming audio only with CD quality and multi-device synchronized streaming capabilities.

2. Can TuneBlade stream audio from Windows Store apps (Windows 8), not just desktop applications?

Yes, TuneBlade streams system wide, including any audio from Windows Store apps on Windows 8 Pro.

3. Can I listen to audio on my PC speakers while streaming to an AirPlay receiver?

When an AirPlay receiver is selected, TuneBlade mutes the PC speakers; when no AirPlay receiver is selected, it unmutes the PC speakers. This behavior of TuneBlade is just like how AirPlay works on iOS and OS X.

(You can disable auto-mute/un-mute through TuneBlade preferences, but the local PC speakers will be out of sync with AirPlay audio, hence this isn’t recommended.)

4. How many AirPlay receivers can I stream to, simultaneously?

TuneBlade imposes no limit on the number of simultaneous connections. As long as network conditions are adequate, stream to as many receivers as you desire.

5. Can I stream from one selected application only, instead of system-wide?

TuneBlade streaming is system-wide. If you are concerned about system sounds getting streamed, you can select a sound scheme in Windows sound settings with no sounds.

Troubleshooting

1. Sound quality is terrible.

The captured sound quality is terrible when protected content such as a DRM protected file is being played, or when certain applications such as Windows 8 XBOX Music are running. (This is due to Windows Potected User Mode Audio). Configure TuneBlade to capture audio using "Virtual Capture Mode" to overcome this issue.

2. Sound quality is good but appears to have less bass or treble.

Certain sound drivers will cut-off some frequencies to optimize the audio for the laptop's speakers. Since in the default capturing mode (Direct Loopback), TuneBlade is capturing the audio of the default endpoint, the same audio is transmitted to the AirPlay receiver. Capturing audio via the 'Virtual Device Loopback' method solves this issue.

3. I see the status of my speaker as 'Standby' / 'Connection Standby' on TuneBlade’s interface, but my speaker is fully powered up. Why is TuneBlade showing status as Standby?

The 'Standby' / 'Connection Standby' status does NOT refer to the power state of the AirPlay receiver. When there is no audio being played for 20 seconds, the connection with the AirPlay receiver is closed to avoid unnecessary network activity. This auto-disconnected state is the 'Standby' state. When any audio is detected, TuneBlade will auto-connect with the receiver and start streaming again. Version 1.1.2.0 and above allows you to disable this feature or change the time limit to standby. The settings are located under 'AirPlay Streaming' tab of peferences.

4. TuneBlade is unable to connect to the AirPlay receiver. It shows connecting, and then it disconnects.

If using an additional 3rd party firewall on your PC, make sure that TuneBlade.exe is allowed to receive network connections.

5. My music application is playing audio, and TuneBlade is connected (with or without 'Connection Standby') to my AirPlay receiver but I hear no sound.

Capturing audio via the 'Virtual Device Loopback' method solves most of such capturing issues.

6. 'Remote for TuneBlade' (iOS App) cannot find TuneBlade on the network.

Make sure 'Enable Remote Control' setting is set to enabled in preferences, under the 'Remote Control' tab.

Compatibility

1. Can TuneBlade stream audio to ____________?

TuneBlade can stream audio to:

2. Can TuneBlade stream audio to an Android/iOS device?

TuneBlade is compatible with the AirPlay audio standard (AirTunes), so any app with AirPlay audio receiving capabilities should be able to receive audio from TuneBlade.

Some popular apps for receiving AirPlay audio:

3. Can TuneBlade stream audio to other PCs?

Yes!

Some compatible AirPlay audio receiving software:

Streaming Modes

'Streaming Modes' feature is incompatible with ShairPort, XBMC and other AirPlay audio receiving software applications except TuneAero.

1. What is the use of ‘Streaming Modes' feature in TuneBlade?

Streaming Modes lets you make the right balance between reliability in your wireless network and audio streaming latency. The default streaming mode is ‘Normal Streaming mode’ which streams with a latency of 2 seconds. This is ideal for most networks.

2. Tell me about the advantages of 'Real-time Streaming Mode'?

When Real-time Streaming mode is active, TuneBlade streams with minimal latency (5-350 milliseconds of protocol latency + 100-300 ms for system latency) to AirPlay receivers. This means there will be a minimal lag time between when a sound is generated on your PC and when it plays on an AirPlay receiver. This mode requires good enough network conditions for reliable streaming.

3. Tell me about 'Buffered Streaming Mode'?

Buffered streaming mode is ideal when network conditions are patchy. It helps achieve streaming reliability at the cost of a high latency (3.5 – 5 seconds) in playback.

4. Is there sound quality difference between different streaming modes?

No! All streaming modes stream audio at the same CD quality.

5. How do I choose the right streaming mode for my network?

Start with Real-time streaming. If you do not experience any drop-outs in this mode, then Real-time streaming is the right choice. If Real-time streaming has reliability issues, choose the next best i.e. Normal streaming mode. If you experience drop outs at normal streaming mode, shift to the buffered streaming mode for maximum reliability.

6. I do not see any difference in latency when I change the streaming modes.

Streaming modes are compatible with AirPort Express, Apple TV, Apple certified speakers and AVRs, and TuneAero for Windows PC. Software such as Shairport/XBMC/AirBubble etc play at a fixed latency of 2 seconds.


Refer documentation for more details.

Licensing

1. What are the limitations of the free version?

Free version is fully functional for streaming to non-proprietary open source software and systems such as ShairPort and XBMC/Kodi. You can connect to other AirPlay receivers (Airport Express, Apple TV, AirPlay speakers and HiFi receivers, and TuneAero), but streaming will be interrupted every 10 minutes. There is no limit on how many times you can reconnect.

2. I have more than one PC. Do I have to purchase separate licenses for each?

No, TuneBlade is licensed on a per-user basis. Using the same license, you can unlock TuneBlade on up to five computers that you own.

3. I cannot locate my license key. Can you send me a copy?

Sure, send us a request at support@tuneblade.com from the email ID you used while purchasing your TuneBlade license. We will send you a copy within 24 hours.

4. What are the payment options?

PayPal is our payment gateway. You can pay using a PayPal account, or pay with a debit or credit card without signing up for PayPal.

5. How long is the license valid?

License never expires, and is valid for lifetime for the version(major) you've purchased. There are no annual/monthly fees.

Payment Issues

1. I don’t have a PayPal account, and don’t wish to create one.

In most countries, PayPal will let you pay without creating an account, but in some countries (including Netherlands) , it is mandatory to create an account prior to payment. If you do not wish to do that, please contact us at support@tuneblade.com. We can help you with other payment options like bank transfer or via Amazon payments. These alternate methods require up to 24 hours to issue a license.

2. I'm unable to pay using an Indian Credit/Debit card.

Please use this link instead : PayPal for Indian cards . Please contact us for any further support.