Building A Small Video-On-Demand System? 21
Ryan Mack asks: "My dorm is looking to build a small (4-8 user) Web-based video-on-demand system. Basically, we'd want to be able to schedule MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 streams to be decoded and sent over our building's unused cable TV distribution system. There are many PCI MPEG decoder cards, but few advertise Linux driver support, and none mention if multiple cards can be run in a single box. We've also looked at external MPEG decoding devices, but these require ATM, T1/E1, or high speed RS422 connections, which also raise Linux compatability concerns. Anybody done this before? Can anybody recommend a MPEG decoding card or a RS422 controller capable of 5 Mbps transfer?"
software playback (Score:1)
And I've heard from a reliable source (who shall not be named) that some people have gotten an Athlon 800 to play four (FOUR!) broadcast-quality MPEG2 streams at once.
I shit you not.
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Comment removed (Score:3)
Good luck (Score:1)
-Tim
timothy@monkey.org
Re:many ways (Score:1)
Re:my thoughts (Score:2)
Re:many ways (Score:3)
Hmmmm (Score:1)
Just hook up a DVD Player or VCR to it and broadcast the video.
I know it's not as sexy, but it's cheap.
On the other hand, get yourself a couple of TiVos (runs linux) and hook them up, hack the system so you can control it over the serial or use an infrared repeater of some kind, perhaps even web controlled using the ethernet hack.
For more information, look at Tivo-Underground at www.tivocommunity.com
my thoughts (Score:2)
"Audio & Video" section at www.betips.net.
True, it isn't free in the RMS sense, but when it comes to handling media with grace under fire, BeOS wins out.
Re:Why dedicated? (Score:1)
A high-end DVD decoder card like a Sigma Designs Hollywood+ will run you 30-50 dollars on ebay, and can decode video with a minimum of CPU usage. Wheather or not these a) can run under linux, b) have an available API or c) can have multiple cards in the same box remains to be seen, however.
check them out (Score:1)
The LML33 would be great, but is also expensive. I don't know what you're aiming for though.
Disclaimer: I have NO connection with LML.
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Re:my thoughts (Score:2)
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About VideoLAN Client:
The VideoLAN Client is a MPEG2 decoder can also play DVD files.
The vlc is part of the VideoLAN project, a full MPEG2 client/server solution. The VideoLAN Client can also be used as a standalone program to play MPEG2 streams from a hard disk or a DVD.
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Here is the URL if you'd like to see some screenshots and read more about it:
http://www.bebits.com/app/1751/
Enjoy!
Is there even a TV out solution for Linux/XFree86? (Score:1)
Perhaps we can get the makers of "tvtool" to port it.. :-)
While a hardware decoder would be ideal, a software decoder would be a nice start, but first I need TV out.
Mini head-end (Score:2)
Sounds like you want to build a mini "head end" for a CATV system and stick some PC's decoding MPEG streams on the end of it. You'll send commands to the video servers via Ethernet or some-such, and send the streams into RF modulators and onto the CATV lines.
I'm fuzzy on the RF modulator part (I've worked with using ONE RF modulator on a line-- but I know that there exist solutions that will allow you to pile multiple signals from several RF modulators onto the same wire)-- but that would really be the hardest part. We did a "closed circut" system in a school where I interned a few years ago-- but that was done over CAT 5 w/ some type of balun on each end and only one RF modulator in the mix.
I'd recommend foregoing hardware MPEG decoders and get some el-cheapo PC's that have enough horsepower to decode the streams you're looking to decode. Boot 'em diskless w/ a server hosting all the encoded files. Stick a video card w/ reasonable quality TV out on each PC, put 'em on an Ethernet switch w/ an uplink to your building LAN, plug 'em into the RF modulators, and you should be set to go.
I don't think you're going to find a cheap way to do this, unless you can come up w/ some cast-off RF modulators. You're talking about hardware that doesn't have a tremendous non-professional market (not many people run their own CATV system) so it's not cheap. Sounds like a fun project, though.
Re:my thoughts (Score:2)
Yes, if you use baluns at each PC to compensate for the 72 Ohm characteristic impedance of CATV coax. Some companies used to sell them, I'm not sure if they are still being made.
many ways (Score:3)
Re:my thoughts (Score:2)
Videolan: MPEG2 over LAN with Linux soft server (Score:2)
Seen on Linux Expo 99 and 2000 in Paris
From the home page: "broadcast video on the campus, and provide the students with a MPEG2 software decoder. It will support streams from a satellite, a DVD or an MPEG2 compression card."
Video On Demand (Score:1)
link to a linux MPEG2 Software decoder (Score:1)
--
man sig
Re:Why dedicated? (Score:1)
How about this... (Score:2)
For a simple MPEG stream (like say from a VCD), simply set up some cheap Pentium 133 boxes, one per each user, with each one having a means to output the video to a TV (like a video card with TV Out and a composite->RF converter). Network them to a faster fileserver with the big drives to store the video.
If you get the right motherboard (like a MediaGX motherboard, or similar), that has built in ethernet, video and TV-Out, you could mount the eight boards in a custom case, perhaps even net boot them.
This solution isn't the most elegant, but it would be cheap enough.
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