Client server question

[Nisse Q]

I'm not sure I have understood the client/server model used in Xlobby.

What I want to do is to have one media server with the TV tuner cards in it, and the media libraries. Then I want to be able to access it from any client in the house (or why not anywhere). For instance I may want to watch tv on the kicthen PC while having breakfast.

Is this possible in Xlobby?

[hjackson]

Yes. In ANY of these media systems out there you will need to have your media stored on your network. This can be in either network attached storage devices like networkable hard drives or a media server PC that is attached to your network (you do not have to run Xlobby on this server PC). Any TV that you want to watch your media on will need to be "hooked up" to a PC (running Xlobby). The "hook up" will usually be through the PC's video card. That PC will need to be able to control your electronic devices (ie TV, stereo, etc). This is commonly done with a ~$55 device called a USBUIRT (http://www.usbuirt.com) Xlobby will get the media from your media server and play it on the TV. There are several different ways to control the PC with Xlobby on it (so you don't have to use a mouse). It can be with any regular IR or RF handheld remote control, or with a PDA or other portable PC. There are more details to the remote control aspect but I won't go into that for now.

hjackson

[Nisse Q]

Does this go for the tv tuners as well? Can I have the tuners in one (server) PC, and have the other PC's (clients) using them? What program shall i use in the server and clients respectively?

[superflysocal]

if i have a pc with tv tuner, will a client like pocket pc or laptop be able to watch live tv? Do the clients have to have softwares installed or is it web based like Snapstream?

[Chazotta]

Well one thing I have learnt recently is that you can use Zoom Player to watch DVB-T broadcasts and this can be streamed over the network. Xlobby can handle this. You can also use ProgDVB and the Xlobby XLTV plugin for DVB-T, although I haven't got this to work because I don't think ProgDVB supports my DVB-T card.

In theory, my understanding is that Xlobby can do it all.

[Nisse Q]

This sounds interesting. Has anyone tried this, either the ZoomPlayer solution or ProdDVB? Which way should i take? I'm planning to get a Twinhan DVB-T with CI interface to suport coded channels. Has anyone tried this setup? Does it work well with EPG, client/server, PVR?

[Chazotta]

It works both ways.

I am using Zoom Player at the moment, because I haven't yet got around to making ProgDVB work. I understand that ProgDVB will work with the TwinHan cards. SO you can go either way.

I personally like using Zoom Player, because it means that you have some flexibility with certain things. Will you be using Zoom Player to watch TV in fullscreen or window mode ?

You need to look here to get an idea of how DC-DVBSource works with ZP - http://www.dsp-worx.de/index.php?n=11 It has an inbuilt scheduler. I am trying to get multiple instances of ZP to work, so you can have a movie and 2 TV screens all going at once (assuming you have 2 tuner cards). I am still trying to get my head around setting up the multiple instances of ZP so that you can control each one (ie: if you send a message to pause, you dont want all 3 to pause). Apparently it can be done, but I have yet to configure it.

I can see the advantages of using XLTV with ProgDVB but you will need to ask Badubo or the other xlobby (French team) guys on how to get this to work.

[rhinoman]

The DC-DVB source will create some interesting possibilities, the option to use its plugin and use zoom player for mp3 and ape files, might be nice to use zoom for everything instead of winamp/ foobar.

I wonder what Steven thinks? If steven supported it then multiple instances will become more viable.

[dgemily]

I can see the advantages of using XLTV with ProgDVB but you will need to ask Badubo or the other xlobby (French team) guys on how to get this to work.

for this plugin, there is an english documentation
look into this files : http://www.france.xlobby.com/plugins/xltv.zip
xltv is working for the moment with K!TV and progDVB, but Badubo is changing the way to control progDVB better.

later,

[Chazotta]

The DC-DVB source will create some interesting possibilities, the option to use its plugin and use zoom player for mp3 and ape files, might be nice to use zoom for everything instead of winamp/ foobar.

I wonder what Steven thinks? If steven supported it then multiple instances will become more viable.

Yes, agreed. I guess you could also do it the other way around ? Maybe use Winamp for everything, given that DC-DVBSource will work with any Directshow player. But I do like ZP. This is why I am interested in DC-DVBSource, because say you end up using ZP for TV for instance, then I think it means better overall integration with Xlobby with one less application to worry about.

Question: If ZP can handle mp3 and more importantly APE, why not just concentrate on ZP as the main application ? Can ZP handle the visual effects ? Assuming that ZP can do it all, what possible benefits does/would Winamp still provide Xlobby with ?

[rhinoman]

I've onlu used winamp to play a few hidef clips before Theatretek supported more formats. I prefer the flexibility that Theatretek gives for movie playback so now use it exclusivly. I am however tempted to try Zoomplayer and the Dscaler dvd decoder.

I dont know what restirctions using a movie based player to play music will give to people like us (xlobby users) that dont need database capabilities. Maybe the restriction will come in the lack of sound output formats, for example no asio/kernal streaming output etc, it wont effect me as I have an rme card but it will effect most others.