client server questions

by **cubesys** on Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:14 pm

I am currently using Xlobby to control my theater and it works great. I have it manage my dvd collection (over 350movies on hard drives) and it works like a charm (except for the import from dvdprofiler).

I am thinking about building a new computer to store the data which has grown to over 2TB. Is there any way I can have a computer be the storage computer and xlobby but play the movies through another computer without an xlobby intreface?

thanks
Itai

by **Chazotta** on Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:01 am

Can you give a bit more detail. What exactly are you trying to do ?

by **cubesys** on Wed Jul 06, 2005 9:24 pm

here is what I would like to do. have two computers running my theater setup.
1. computer 1 - only zoomplayer, ffdshow, and filters connected to the projector
2. computer 2 - raid hard drive array, xlobby, girder, usb-uirt, touch screen display for xlobby control

I would like computer2 to control everything and launch a movie and play it through computer1.

is this possible? I want to take the overhead of the interface away from the dvd playback computer.

thanks
Itai

by **BaddaBing** on Wed Jul 06, 2005 9:56 pm

While what you are asking for can be done I'm not sure the effort involved will equal the results returned. I am running a setup similar to yours except computer 2 ( and 3 & 4 - I'm talking a ton of terabytes

) are nothing more than dedicated media servers.

Computer 1 is running all the HomeTheater software (xlobby, zoomplayer, ffdshow, usb-irt, touchscreen, etc) and I have never seen so much as a stutter or artifact during video playback. Of course, this assumes that computer 1 is a relatively healthy machine with decent specs, but if you have invested in a RAID array for your storage I don't think you would skimp on the most critical component, the HTPC. After all, its the video processing that requires CPU cycles, RAID storage can be run on old hardware that would otherwise be used as a boat anchor.

Otherwise, if you still want to set it up as you described there are a variety of ways to accomplish it. If the two computers are close to each other you could simply add a USB-IRT and Girder to machine 1 and have Computer 2 control it via IR. The other option is to again place Girder on both machines and send network commands. Lastly, you could map a drive on the remote machine and use batch commands to execute.

by **zewt** on Fri Jul 08, 2005 4:52 pm

I have a large HTPC array with about 3+ Terabytes of RAID 5 storage for all my movies/music/pictures.

I am trying to come up with a solution that can do a similar function as described above.

I want to set up monitors(LCD flat screens) in multiple rooms and have them be able to access a central server for as many things as possible.

live HD TV
Movies
Music
Games
Cable
Security cameras
and more.

Problem is I cannot find a solution that can stream all of these types of media.

I am not wanting to put a PC in each room that has a HD capture card, and so forth. I want to be able to tap into the HD signal of a HD card in another central PC/server.

Anyone have any ideas of the possibility of any of this?

by **mzemina** on Fri Jul 08, 2005 9:20 pm

zewt wrote:...I want to set up monitors(LCD flat screens) in multiple rooms and have them be able to access a central server for as many things as possible.

[1] live HD TV
[2] Movies
[3] Music
[4] Games
[5] Cable
[6] Security cameras
and [7+] more.
.
.
.
I am not wanting to put a PC in each room that has a HD capture card, and so forth. I want to be able to tap into the HD signal of a HD card in another central PC/server.

Anyone have any ideas of the possibility of any of this?

So in my mind you just want to split the signal to each room? Why not purchase a splitter to handle the number of LCD TVs you want to place throughout the house? You said you didn't want a computer in each room. Right? If you want the same display on every TV then it is easy and not very expensive. If you want to choose from the 7+ (my numbering) then you could get modulators for each channel and inject into cable TV distribution network you build.

Mike

by **zewt** on Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:32 pm

I was planing on a PC in each room, so each room would have gaming, internet, word, excel and so forth.

The hurdle part is largely the HD part.

I do not want to have a HD card for each PC, or a HD reciever in each room.

I wanted to be able to feed live HD from a single receiver, to any or all rooms would want it. I do not believe you can pass HD over a modulator.

Also I think if you could do this every room would have to watch the same channel.

It seems the only way to do the HD part is for each rooms PC to have an HD card, or reciever. As well as an antennae feed to that device.

by **Atlas** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:15 am

One thing that might be possible is to "timeshift" your HD card. I use myHD and can record with the card and playback with TheaterTek 2.0 (don't know about ZoomPlayer) the same stream that is still recording. Granted you may be a few seconds off put still close to live. And each room could pause at different times. I am able to do this over my network, but I'm only 1 user. I don't know what the hit would be with multiple clients hitting the same server/file for throughput of a HD stream. Also it would all be the same channel. You would need multiple tuners for multiple stations.

by **hjackson** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 2:51 am

"Problem is I cannot find a solution that can stream all of these types of media."
I believe Videolan can stream HD, and every type of media that you have listed... for free. That is why I would like to see a larger Videolan presence with Xlobby.

hjackson

by **zewt** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 6:01 am

Yes I was able to stream HD from files that I had captured using videolan, and it looked superb.

But I was unable to stream from my MyHD Capture card while watching HDTV, which is what I am really trying to do.

btw to stream HD files you have to use UDP, HTTP is too slow.