Can it do everything I need (1 Viewer)

[Pierrelenfestey]

Hi all

New to the concept and wanting to know more.

I'm currently looking for a network media solution for my new house. I want to be able to access recorded media (TV, MPEG, MP3 etc, the ususal) from a central server. How many PCs can the application support? If I have a server secreted away in a cupboard, can I access one media file (let's say video) from my PC in the living room, while at the same time accessing video from the kitchen?
If it depends on the hardware config, what's optimum?

Just send me to the thread where you send everyone else who asks simple questions, if it'll help.

Thanks alot.

Lenny {)

 

[Khris]

Unfortunately MP isn't a client/server type application (at present).

The best way to accomplish what you're trying to do is setup MP on your main server and setup network shares for the media you want to be able access on other machines.

Then install MP on the other machines and point it's media directories to the shares you setup on your main machine.

 

[Pierrelenfestey]

Thanks alot, Kris. Just a couple of further dumbish questions:

This is a bit off topic, but, hey.

What kind of bandwidth would I be needing for streaming video from the server (at PAL resolutions), if streaming is the right word on a LAN. I know there are a number of parameters that could be adjusted to bring down the required bandwidth to allow the data to pass from server to client, but can you get decent quality video to "stream" over an 802.11g wireless LAN.

If the PC playing back the video was on a wired Ethernet LAN and the rest on a wireless, could I be recording on the server from an STB, while streaming video to one client and streaming mp3s to another?. I know this is dependent on the hardware I'm using, but is it at all feasible?

One last thing. I've done alot of searching around, can anyone tell me why someone hasn't developed a specific server side app that does everything I'm asking for. Is it just because processing power is too limited, or because banwiths over LANs are too small? Or is it just plain wierd?

Feel free to pass on this one, it's a bit fringe. If not feel free to refer me to another place. I don't know where to go with this stuff.

Thanks.

 

[Callifo]

What kind of bandwidth would I be needing for streaming video from the server (at PAL resolutions), if streaming is the right word on a LAN. I know there are a number of parameters that could be adjusted to bring down the required bandwidth to allow the data to pass from server to client, but can you get decent quality video to "stream" over an 802.11g wireless LAN.

Yes that would be sufficient.

If the PC playing back the video was on a wired Ethernet LAN and the rest on a wireless, could I be recording on the server from an STB, while streaming video to one client and streaming mp3s to another?. I know this is dependent on the hardware I'm using, but is it at all feasible?

Not to sure on that one, as it would depend on hdd load. Providing the video is only played (transferred) at the speed its playing that shouldnt be a problem. If its copied (large load on hdd) in one block it would probably cause some stuttering in the recording.

One last thing. I've done alot of searching around, can anyone tell me why someone hasn't developed a specific server side app that does everything I'm asking for. Is it just because processing power is too limited, or because banwiths over LANs are too small? Or is it just plain wierd?

It hasnt happened simply because of the amount of work needed to do it. With the development that mediaportal needs to concentrate on (stability, usability, etc) there just isnt enough developers to do such a thing.

 

[guytpetj]

Pierrelenfestey,

I'm running MP on a central server which has 3 TV tuner cards, attached to my 55" rear projection. Using Windows Media Connect, I stream all recorder TV, music and pictures to a D-Link DSM-320 Conected to my 42"Plasma, and to 2 other computers in the house.

So far I've not had problems with network and disk use/speed. on an average evening all 3 tuners are recording. Watching a recorded program on the 55" and the kids watching a recorded program on the 42"

I have the option to use both wireless and wired network, my preference is wired since it does not get interference from the fridge, micro wave, cordless telephone and several other gadgets in the house using 2.4GHz wireless technology

Peter

 

[mzemina]

Your fridge uses 2.4GHz wireless? Why? What is your fridge manufacturer/model?

Mike

 

[wishywashy]

It is just from general electrical "noise". Motors, wires, relays... they all produce some noise that interferes with radio signals. Some affect signals more than others.

 

[pepsi_max2k]

hey, not entirely sure what you want to do, but i'll post some random mumblings anyway.

>>What kind of bandwidth would I be needing for streaming video from the server

whatever you're doing, it's all just data over the network, and so it only depends on the amount of data, doesn't matter what it is. if you're video's encoded at 160,000kbps (media portal's mpeg2(type) standard, equal to about 20 megabytes a second) then that's what'll be going over your network each second. now, i dunno if this is something to do with people getting MBs and Mbs confused but if i'm right then your norm for a basic gigabit LAN is 100Mbps, which is just over 10 megabytes a second at best. so you wouldn't wanna be transfering any uncompressed dvr-ms or mpeg2 files over in realtime. but your 192kbps sound files would be fine. (please someone tell me that's all wrong, 10 megabytes a second just doesn't seem right).

EDIT: ok, i know that's wrong. the dvr-ms files are giving me a bitrate of 160,000 kbps yet that would be 20 megabytes a second, whereas my 30 second clips are only half that in total. so i guess the bit rate's wrong....

of course, if you compress them then that's another thing. im guessing the best you'll get from 802.11g is about 20 Mbps, and the worst media portal is gonna to to the videos is just over 700 Kbps.

a mixture of wired and wireless is fine, if you can get them to work then it shouldn't make any difference, other than the wired should be faster (and as i understand it, if you add an 802.11b card into an 802.11g network it's gonna slow all the wireless stuff down to 802.11b, or i think that's what my lecturer was getting at anyway).

anyway, you can access anything just with windows network places folder, nothing else needed.

as far as serverside stuff goes, i really don't know what you're getting at, but anyway, here's something i use on my pc so i can access music files on it over a network (including the internet, though the uni's proxy/firewall put a stop to that):
http://www.slimdevices.com/su_downloads.html

 

[mzemina]

pepsi_max2k - Are you using slimserver with MP? If so, how?

Mike

 

[pepsi_max2k]

not with MP, just on it's own, and not accessing it via MP either, but as I only have one PC then that doesn't matter, i just run slimserver on the same PC as MP.

you can just add a network folder in MP anyway can't you? no different from any other folder.