Differnt Streaming/Networking issues, "a mind Game&quot (6 Viewers)

[thechad]

I think Sam is on the money with the timeshifting buffer on the server so that clients can pause / rewind etc. This would be easier to implement as you could use Windows file sharing to play the buffer although not very efficient it would work.

The current buffer is in the MS SBE format is it not?, this would be a problem for other applications trying to play the file as they would not understand the format. Am I on the right track here? MythTV uses its own proprietry file format from memory. NV is the extension and it is just a ring buffer file, was a long time ago I played with it so not sure now. The Myth client simply plays this file over the network using no special streaming protocols just NFS i think. Mplayer has support for the NV format and I believe a Windows codec is available as well. This is proff that a propritory system can work, but I think somehting more universal would be better.

Any input on how SageTV BeyondTV etc accomplish this task would be good discussion for points of interest. VLC sources could also hold smoe information although written in C++.

 

[bear]

Would it be simpler to have the clients timeshift on their PC's? That way they could control their own viewing requirements and the server could just stream realtime regardless. Then each client could then pause & unpause at will and you wouldn't be using up HDD hours on the server.

 

[tom1502]

was my first idea, and will be easiest way for ts on clients!!!

 

[bear]

ATM I'm planning to use UDP multicasting with the MS DSNetworking filters. I want to setup a server with multiple dtv cards with a scheduler program that can schedule record as well as stream to the network lan when the cards are idle. I want to receive these streams, maybe partial TS and feed then into a Timeshift buffer on any client pc. This way I can load up what streams I need in a media player and switch between the buffer files, as well as pause & seek etc. This way I can watch say one show close to real time, then when the ads come along I can go back and watch what I missed on the other Program.

 

[samuel337]

Would it be simpler to have the clients timeshift on their PC's? That way they could control their own viewing requirements and the server could just stream realtime regardless. Then each client could then pause & unpause at will and you wouldn't be using up HDD hours on the server.

As I explained above, the problem with this approach is this:

What if I want the server to continuously timeshift, so the clients can tune in at any time, and rewind the program to a spot before it started to tune in? If the client did the timeshifting, it can only timeshift the video that it was tuned in for, not before that.

Of course, if you want to negate this feature, your idea would work fine. Its just that I think its a fairly good feature that would be hard to implement afterwards using your idea.

Sam

 

[thechad]

By having the client do the time shifting you will also require a better spec client. With a server doing the time shift buffer, you could have a low spec, quiet machine for playback (Xbox :lol:, uPnp CE device) .

 

[tom1502]

hm,

havent seen it from this point of view yet! Quite interesting! I think the arguments for timeshifting on the server are quite good! Even if timshifting on client side will be easier to realize.
Now my questions:
How can a client know where he is in the program?(Well where the server is)? Solution would be to let the server remember whe he startet timshifting, and which channel(with EPG even name of broadcasted program) !

The other, already mentioned thing is: How can we realize this on a server, and how granting that enough Bandwidth is available?!
Do we want this to be possible for every connected client(watching another position in buffer)? Because then the limit of bandwidth will be there soon(maybe even before 3rd client with std TV) and after 1st with HDTV...
Or we can find a codec, todays machines are able to encode with in realtime(multiple streams of course)...

Finally i'd love to have this, but i fear that this is not possible concerning limited bandwidth and CPU-Power ressources!

What do you think?

Regards from SouthAfrica!

Thomas

 

[bear]

Ok,
So some are for and some against, lets compromise, we timeshift on the server and allow the client to access the TimeShift Buffer files. The Buffer is made up with of multiple files so the media player will need to be able to play files back to back. Can this be done?

If not then we need to stream the buffer. The more clients watching at different times will increase the BW required on the net and limit its appeal to the normal user. So for those HTPC clients with a HDD then they can access a direct stream feed from the card and timeshift it themselves on their pc.

 

[tom1502]

Ok,
So some are for and some against, lets compromise, we timeshift on the server and allow the client to access the TimeShift Buffer files. The Buffer is made up with of multiple files so the media player will need to be able to play files back to back. Can this be done?

Access the TS-Files? Via FileSystem??! No, thats not a real solution in my opinion! Or did i get you wrong?!

I really like the server-timeshifting solution... hm anyone of you already has experience with the MediaPortal Code?
To be honest... until now i have no idea how to handle videos or anything like this..

SO currently these people are involved:

bear
samuel337
thechad
tom1502
...hope i have seen all!

May i ask each of you to write down his experiences, he already has with programmin / app-development...
That way we can maybe get a good idea on who can do what, who ca decide what, who is "expert" for what ;-)

So i am first:
I am studying information systems(50-50 economy and computer science), and write my Diplomawork @ the moment... so my time is limited ;-)

I have lots of experiences with WEB-stuff like HTML, CSS(a bit "rusty"), JavaScript and PHP.
I also know a bit of C++, C#(just downloaded VSE, and wrote a lil calulator, to get used to this language), and know Java a bit more than in basics(TCP, UDP, Swing... )

So i am not the "professional"-developer, but know how to deal with software development...

I have wrote a LAN-InstantMessenger in Java, with TCP and UDP...

I have absolutely no idea of multimedia handling, so either i have to learn, or sbd else knows it ;-)

I dont think it makes sense to start developing too fast(but asap ;-) ). We should make a real concept. When i find time this weekend, i am going to make sth like a Model (in OO-Impress or whatever's suitable... ), based on what we have right noe, and will make it available online!

I think, once the concept is done we should talk to one of the core-developers, who is used to the multimedia(myTV, myVideo) part, to know what he thinks about, and maybe he can give us some hints on how we can use existing code...

So i wish you the best, thank you for your contribution, and hope we will get this done anyhow!

Cheers,

Thomas

 

[BoelShit]

Why don't install MP on every client ...... get 1 server MP with a couple of TV cards to record and share that recorded TV in a folder where all clients can access it. Perhaps write a simple piece of code which updates the clients with the necessary tv info in the client tv database or such..... and if you want to watch tv, just put on the regular telly ;-)

Hey just my thoughts! :lol: