Normalize Dropbox URLs and add throttled stream restart retries

client/public/version.js

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Maintainer-controlled web client version.
 // Format: YYYY.MM.DD Rn (example: 2026.02.20 R2)
-window.CHGRID_WEB_VERSION = "2026.02.25 R233";
+window.CHGRID_WEB_VERSION = "2026.02.25 R234";
 // Optional display timezone for timestamps. Falls back to America/Detroit if unset/invalid.
 window.CHGRID_TIME_ZONE = "America/Detroit";

client/src/audio/itemEmitRuntime.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ const SUBSCRIBE_PRELOAD_SQUARES = 5;
 const UNSUBSCRIBE_HYSTERESIS_SQUARES = 8;
 const SPATIAL_RAMP_SECONDS = 0.2;
 const SPATIAL_TIME_CONSTANT_SECONDS = SPATIAL_RAMP_SECONDS / 3;
+const STREAM_PLAY_RETRY_MS = 5000;
 
 /** Maps a 0-100 speed control to playback-rate range used by emitted audio. */
 function resolveEmitPlaybackRate(raw: unknown): number {
@@ -64,6 +65,8 @@ function resolveEmitRates(item: WorldItem): { playbackRate: number; preservePitc
 
 export class ItemEmitRuntime {
   private readonly outputs = new Map<string, EmitOutput>();
+  private readonly pendingEmitStarts = new Set<string>();
+  private readonly nextEmitStartAtMs = new Map<string, number>();
   private layerEnabled = true;
   private listenerPositions: Array<{ x: number; y: number }> = [];
 
@@ -84,6 +87,8 @@ export class ItemEmitRuntime {
     output.gain.disconnect();
     output.panner?.disconnect();
     this.outputs.delete(itemId);
+    this.pendingEmitStarts.delete(itemId);
+    this.nextEmitStartAtMs.delete(itemId);
   }
 
   cleanupAll(): void {
@@ -170,7 +175,7 @@ export class ItemEmitRuntime {
         gain.connect(destination);
       }
       this.outputs.set(item.id, { soundUrl, element, source, effectInput, effectRuntime, effect, effectValue, gain, panner });
-      void element.play().catch(() => undefined);
+      this.tryStartEmitPlayback(item.id, element);
     }
 
     for (const itemId of Array.from(this.outputs.keys())) {
@@ -226,6 +231,7 @@ export class ItemEmitRuntime {
       const panValue = mix?.pan ?? 0;
       const emitVolume = volumePercentToGain(item.params.emitVolume, 100);
       output.gain.gain.setTargetAtTime(gainValue * emitVolume, audioCtx.currentTime, SPATIAL_TIME_CONSTANT_SECONDS);
+      this.tryStartEmitPlayback(itemId, output.element);
       if (output.panner) {
         const resolvedPan = this.audio.getOutputMode() === 'mono' ? 0 : Math.max(-1, Math.min(1, panValue));
         output.panner.pan.setTargetAtTime(resolvedPan, audioCtx.currentTime, SPATIAL_TIME_CONSTANT_SECONDS);
@@ -246,4 +252,38 @@ export class ItemEmitRuntime {
       Math.hypot(item.x - listenerPosition.x, item.y - listenerPosition.y) <= threshold,
     );
   }
+
+  private tryStartEmitPlayback(itemId: string, element: HTMLAudioElement): void {
+    if (!element.paused) {
+      this.nextEmitStartAtMs.delete(itemId);
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this.pendingEmitStarts.has(itemId)) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const now = Date.now();
+    const retryAt = this.nextEmitStartAtMs.get(itemId) ?? 0;
+    if (now < retryAt) {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.pendingEmitStarts.add(itemId);
+    if (element.error) {
+      try {
+        element.load();
+      } catch {
+        // Ignore stale media reload failures.
+      }
+    }
+    void element
+      .play()
+      .then(() => {
+        this.nextEmitStartAtMs.delete(itemId);
+      })
+      .catch(() => {
+        this.nextEmitStartAtMs.set(itemId, Date.now() + STREAM_PLAY_RETRY_MS);
+      })
+      .finally(() => {
+        this.pendingEmitStarts.delete(itemId);
+      });
+  }
 }

client/src/audio/radioStationRuntime.ts

@@ -167,10 +167,13 @@ const SUBSCRIBE_PRELOAD_SQUARES = 5;
 const UNSUBSCRIBE_HYSTERESIS_SQUARES = 8;
 const SPATIAL_RAMP_SECONDS = 0.2;
 const SPATIAL_TIME_CONSTANT_SECONDS = SPATIAL_RAMP_SECONDS / 3;
+const STREAM_PLAY_RETRY_MS = 5000;
 
 export class RadioStationRuntime {
   private readonly sharedRadioSources = new Map<string, SharedRadioSource>();
   private readonly itemRadioOutputs = new Map<string, ItemRadioOutput>();
+  private readonly pendingSharedStarts = new Set<string>();
+  private readonly nextSharedStartAtMs = new Map<string, number>();
   private layerEnabled = true;
   private listenerPositions: Array<{ x: number; y: number }> = [];
 
@@ -279,6 +282,10 @@ export class RadioStationRuntime {
         output.gain.gain.linearRampToValueAtTime(0, audioCtx.currentTime + 0.05);
         continue;
       }
+      const shared = this.sharedRadioSources.get(output.streamUrl);
+      if (shared) {
+        this.tryStartSharedPlayback(shared);
+      }
       const spatialConfig = this.getSpatialConfig(item);
       const mix = resolveSpatialMix({
         dx: item.x - playerPosition.x,
@@ -330,6 +337,8 @@ export class RadioStationRuntime {
     shared.element.src = '';
     shared.source.disconnect();
     this.sharedRadioSources.delete(streamUrl);
+    this.pendingSharedStarts.delete(streamUrl);
+    this.nextSharedStartAtMs.delete(streamUrl);
   }
 
   private getOrCreateSharedSource(streamUrl: string): SharedRadioSource | null {
@@ -345,7 +354,6 @@ export class RadioStationRuntime {
     element.loop = true;
     element.preload = 'none';
     const source = audioCtx.createMediaElementSource(element);
-    void element.play().catch(() => undefined);
     const shared: SharedRadioSource = {
       streamUrl,
       element,
@@ -353,9 +361,44 @@ export class RadioStationRuntime {
       refCount: 1,
     };
     this.sharedRadioSources.set(streamUrl, shared);
+    this.tryStartSharedPlayback(shared);
     return shared;
   }
 
+  private tryStartSharedPlayback(shared: SharedRadioSource): void {
+    if (!shared.element.paused) {
+      this.nextSharedStartAtMs.delete(shared.streamUrl);
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this.pendingSharedStarts.has(shared.streamUrl)) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const now = Date.now();
+    const retryAt = this.nextSharedStartAtMs.get(shared.streamUrl) ?? 0;
+    if (now < retryAt) {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.pendingSharedStarts.add(shared.streamUrl);
+    if (shared.element.error) {
+      try {
+        shared.element.load();
+      } catch {
+        // Ignore stale media reload failures.
+      }
+    }
+    void shared.element
+      .play()
+      .then(() => {
+        this.nextSharedStartAtMs.delete(shared.streamUrl);
+      })
+      .catch(() => {
+        this.nextSharedStartAtMs.set(shared.streamUrl, Date.now() + STREAM_PLAY_RETRY_MS);
+      })
+      .finally(() => {
+        this.pendingSharedStarts.delete(shared.streamUrl);
+      });
+  }
+
   private async ensureRuntime(item: WorldItem): Promise<void> {
     const streamUrl = String(item.params.streamUrl ?? '').trim();
     if (!streamUrl) {

deploy/php/media_proxy.php

@@ -273,6 +273,49 @@ function resolve_redirect_url($baseUrl, $location)
     return $scheme . '://' . $host . $port . $dir . $location;
 }
 
+function normalize_dropbox_url($url)
+{
+    $parts = parse_url($url);
+    if ($parts === false || !isset($parts['host'])) {
+        return $url;
+    }
+    $host = strtolower((string) $parts['host']);
+    if (!host_matches_suffix($host, 'dropbox.com')) {
+        return $url;
+    }
+
+    $query = array();
+    if (isset($parts['query']) && $parts['query'] !== '') {
+        parse_str((string) $parts['query'], $query);
+    }
+    // Dropbox direct media playback is most reliable with raw=1.
+    $query['raw'] = '1';
+    unset($query['dl']);
+
+    $scheme = isset($parts['scheme']) ? (string) $parts['scheme'] : 'https';
+    $user = isset($parts['user']) ? (string) $parts['user'] : '';
+    $pass = isset($parts['pass']) ? (string) $parts['pass'] : '';
+    $auth = '';
+    if ($user !== '') {
+        $auth = $user;
+        if ($pass !== '') {
+            $auth .= ':' . $pass;
+        }
+        $auth .= '@';
+    }
+    $hostPort = (string) $parts['host'];
+    if (isset($parts['port'])) {
+        $hostPort .= ':' . (int) $parts['port'];
+    }
+    $path = isset($parts['path']) ? (string) $parts['path'] : '/';
+    $fragment = isset($parts['fragment']) && $parts['fragment'] !== '' ? '#' . (string) $parts['fragment'] : '';
+    $queryString = http_build_query($query);
+    if ($queryString !== '') {
+        $queryString = '?' . $queryString;
+    }
+    return $scheme . '://' . $auth . $hostPort . $path . $queryString . $fragment;
+}
+
 function resolve_safe_redirect_chain($initialUrl, $allowlistSuffixes, $requestHeaders, $maxRedirects, &$error)
 {
     $error = '';
@@ -351,6 +394,7 @@ $rawUrl = isset($_GET['url']) ? trim((string) $_GET['url']) : '';
 if ($rawUrl === '') {
     send_text(400, 'missing url query param');
 }
+$rawUrl = normalize_dropbox_url($rawUrl);
 
 // Optional allowlist env var: CHGRID_MEDIA_PROXY_ALLOWLIST=dropbox.com,example.com
 $allowlistEnv = getenv('CHGRID_MEDIA_PROXY_ALLOWLIST');