To Make MediaPortal Multi-threaded?!

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by Hyperborean

I've managed to distribute audio, video and remote receiver through a cat5 cable (also named LAN or network cable) over great distances without signal loss.
So, people that already have a cat5 wired house only need to have 2 of these boxes I made for each room.

I've tested this for over 40 meter! with NO signal loss but looking at the power of the twister pairs cable there is no reason why it shouldn't work with even 90 meters!

but only with additional hardware (extenders), right?

[Hyperborean]

Originally Posted by infinityloop

but only with additional hardware (extenders), right?

Nope, just a small cat5 setup box in wich I soldered the RCA jacks to the wires of the cat5 cable. Nothing to it, it cost me about 8 euro per box and 30 minutes of my life ..

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by Hyperborean

Nope, just a small cat5 setup box in wich I soldered the RCA jacks to the wires of the cat5 cable. Nothing to it, it cost me about 8 euro per box and 30 minutes of my life ..

you directly transmit the analog stereo audio signal over a cat5 cable?
over 20+ meters?

[mzemina]

Originally Posted by infinityloop

you directly transmit the analog stereo audio signal over a cat5 cable?
over 20+ meters?

Yes, I have seen baluns which will allow VGA + Stereo to go up to 1000 feet (304.8 meters)

Just google the key words: cat5 stereo balun

[Hyperborean]

Originally Posted by infinityloop

you directly transmit the analog stereo audio signal over a cat5 cable?
over 20+ meters?

Yes!,
including composite video and ir transmitter, this all over 1 cable although I've now swithched to rf remotes.
Even s-video signal works fine together with 2 audio signals over 1 cable. Right now I'm working on the VGA to cat5 setup boxes to have the option of transmitting VGA as well from one box.

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by mzemina

Yes, I have seen baluns which will allow VGA + Stereo to go up to 1000 feet (304.8 meters)

i know this extenders or media converters. since we use/sell/install them @ work too.
but using a simple cat5 cable to trasmit a analog audio-signal is just ...... "a bad idea".

i am realy surprised that Hyperborean can still hear something @ the end of this 20m long cat5 cable. since the insufficient cross section will cause a huge signal loss.

everyone who has some background in audio/video will tell you, that you should use cables with at least 2,5mm² for distances of 10meters. as longer the distance, as bigger the cross section has to be.

everything else will cause signal loss and signal quality issues.

If it works for Hyperborean good. but i recommend other ppl to NOT plan their wiring like that.
If other ppl want to do that. Then i strongly suggest to test it first befor you install a cat5 cable as replacement of your audio wiring.

[brainbone]

Originally Posted by Hyperborean

According to my calculus the additional costs of i.e. 3 diskless clients to the main server is still around 150 euro per piece, thus around 450 extra, and then you have 3 enclosures extra !

However, you won't need to spend nearly as much on the "server". Also, If you already have a cost effective way for distributing video, the cost of one mid-range, plus one low end system per extra display, and then sticking them all in a closet and distributing video form there, still isn't going to be that much more than a single high end system with enough memory, graphics and CPU horse-power to accomplish what you're after, especially if using something like VMware... plus you'll have a good deal more scalability.

Like Infinityloop, I question the sending of video or audio over any distance of UTP without, at the very least, a passive balun on both ends. There is simply no way of avoiding a great deal of signal loss and noise.

[temperal72]

couldn't this be possible with a windows server,, or big unix box that would support 4 thin client based machines all running from the same server ?

[vecnar]

Hi All,
Would it be possible to have one server with multichannel soundcard(to connect different speakers in different rooms) and remote to server using pda and choose what speakers will output the sound?
Is there a plugin which would enable you to do it? Is it possible to run media portal via remoted desktop or vnc from pda?
in advance