[LehighBri]

Looks like the streaming port # is 8559 with direct stream and then 8563 with transcoding. Could that be it?

[indy5]

Does this plugin work if your cable company (time warner) marks pretty much every channel as "copy once" ?

[uspino]

1.6.1 is working with trascoding! However, when I change the channel I get

Code:

Server: Client requested stream url for Tuner[4]
Server: Client requested channel map data
Tuner[4]: Changing channel number to 1
Tuner[4]: Program number is 4001
Tuner[4]: Channel name is FiOS TV 1
Tuner[4]: rtsp://192.168.200.1:8554/cetonmpeg3
Tuner[4]: Starting video stream
VLC[4]: Starting VLC instance with remoteVLC plugin
VLC[4]: Streaming to [url]http://localhost:8559[/url]
VLC[4]: Setting stream program id using remoteVLC
VLC[4]: Starting VLC transcode stream at 1000kbps
VLC[4]: Streaming to [url]http://localhost:8563[/url]
Scheduler: Sleeping 120 seconds until next task
Tuner[4]: Changing channel number to 600
Tuner[4]: Program number is 683
Tuner[4]: Channel name is CNN HD
VLC[4]: Closing VLC transcode stream
VLC[4]: Setting stream program id using remoteVLC
VLC[4]: Could not set program in 5 seconds
VLC[4]: Closing VLC instance
Tuner[4]: Stopping video stream

[mcheng89]

Looks like the streaming port # is 8559 with direct stream and then 8563 with transcoding. Could that be it?

No that should be correct...

1.6.1 is working with trascoding! However, when I change the channel I get

Code:

Server: Client requested stream url for Tuner[4]
Server: Client requested channel map data
Tuner[4]: Changing channel number to 1
Tuner[4]: Program number is 4001
Tuner[4]: Channel name is FiOS TV 1
Tuner[4]: rtsp://192.168.200.1:8554/cetonmpeg3
Tuner[4]: Starting video stream
VLC[4]: Starting VLC instance with remoteVLC plugin
VLC[4]: Streaming to [url]http://localhost:8559[/url]
VLC[4]: Setting stream program id using remoteVLC
VLC[4]: Starting VLC transcode stream at 1000kbps
VLC[4]: Streaming to [url]http://localhost:8563[/url]
Scheduler: Sleeping 120 seconds until next task
Tuner[4]: Changing channel number to 600
Tuner[4]: Program number is 683
Tuner[4]: Channel name is CNN HD
VLC[4]: Closing VLC transcode stream
VLC[4]: Setting stream program id using remoteVLC
VLC[4]: Could not set program in 5 seconds
VLC[4]: Closing VLC instance
Tuner[4]: Stopping video stream

Does this happen for all channels?
And does direct streaming still work for you?

[LehighBri]

No that should be correct...

Weird. I just rebooted again and now transcoding is working. I get the following (I can also change channels too):


Server: Client requested stream url for Tuner[4]
Server: Client requested channel map data
Tuner[4]: Changing channel number to 3
Tuner[4]: Program number is 1003
Tuner[4]: Channel name is KYW
Tuner[4]: rtsp://192.168.200.1:8554/cetonmpeg3
Tuner[4]: Starting video stream
VLC[4]: Starting VLC instance with remoteVLC plugin
VLC[4]: Streaming to http://localhost:8559
VLC[4]: Setting stream program id using remoteVLC
VLC[4]: Starting VLC transcode stream at 1250kbps
VLC[4]: Streaming to http://localhost:8563
Scheduler: Sleeping 120 seconds until next task
Tuner[4]: Changing channel number to 570
Tuner[4]: Program number is 602
Tuner[4]: Channel name is ESPN HD
VLC[4]: Closing VLC transcode stream
VLC[4]: Setting stream program id using remoteVLC
VLC[4]: Starting VLC transcode stream at 1250kbps
VLC[4]: Streaming to http://localhost:8563

[mcheng89]

Weird. I just rebooted again and now transcoding is working. I get the following (I can also change channels too):


Server: Client requested stream url for Tuner[4]
Server: Client requested channel map data
Tuner[4]: Changing channel number to 3
Tuner[4]: Program number is 1003
Tuner[4]: Channel name is KYW
Tuner[4]: rtsp://192.168.200.1:8554/cetonmpeg3
Tuner[4]: Starting video stream
VLC[4]: Starting VLC instance with remoteVLC plugin
VLC[4]: Streaming to http://localhost:8559
VLC[4]: Setting stream program id using remoteVLC
VLC[4]: Starting VLC transcode stream at 1250kbps
VLC[4]: Streaming to http://localhost:8563
Scheduler: Sleeping 120 seconds until next task
Tuner[4]: Changing channel number to 570
Tuner[4]: Program number is 602
Tuner[4]: Channel name is ESPN HD
VLC[4]: Closing VLC transcode stream
VLC[4]: Setting stream program id using remoteVLC
VLC[4]: Starting VLC transcode stream at 1250kbps
VLC[4]: Streaming to http://localhost:8563

Not too sure but maybe my next version might make it a little more stable.
Is it still working?

[LehighBri]

Not too sure but maybe my next version might make it a little more stable.
Is it still working?

Yep, still working

[mcheng89]

Yes! I would like support for the hd Homerun prime cablecard device or would this maybe work already?

Can you run those steps up to step 3? I need to see what the channel map looks like.
http://www.silicondust.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1924


EDIT: Also, if anyone wants more options for transcoding, give me a list.

[uspino]

It seems to be working fine (Windows), but same problem persists: can't change from SD to HD channel (only upper left corner shows in XBMC). Also, on latest XBMCBuntu, changing from HD to SD or from SD to HD crashes video stream. (I'm on FIOS: no copy protection)

For transcoding profiles, I think we definetely need higher bitrates and lower resolutions. It looks like it is encoding at 1920x1080 for HD. There needs to be something like 1280x720, 1024 x 576 and even 960x450 and 640x480 if we want to cover all place-shifting necessities. Maybe two drop-down menus with a large list of selectable bitrates and resolutions would be the best approach.

Again, congratulations (I wish I had your programming abilities) and thank you.

[mcheng89]

It seems to be working fine (Windows), but same problem persists: can't change from SD to HD channel (only upper left corner shows in XBMC). Also, on latest XBMCBuntu, changing from HD to SD or from SD to HD crashes video stream. (I'm on FIOS: no copy protection)

For transcoding profiles, I think we definetely need higher bitrates and lower resolutions. It looks like it is encoding at 1920x1080 for HD. There needs to be something like 1280x720, 1024 x 576 and even 960x450 and 640x480 if we want to cover all place-shifting necessities. Maybe two drop-down menus with a large list of selectable bitrates and resolutions would be the best approach.

Again, congratulations (I wish I had your programming abilities) and thank you.

When you say crash is it the xbmc or remoteCeton side?
(Does remoteCeton stop the video stream?)

europorsche914 had a fix for the hd streams getting cut off. I need to put that in...

[uspino]

When you say crash is it the xbmc or remoteCeton side?
(Does remoteCeton stop the video stream?)

europorsche914 had a fix for the hd streams getting cut off. I need to put that in...

There are different issues: when you change channels, remoteCeton acts properly, but XBMCBuntu gets stuck in what appears to be the last 2 frames of the video, over and over. I'm guessing this also has to do with the streams being originally in different resolutions.

Also, it looks like both a high-end PC with Windows 7 and a regular IOS2 HTPC (with perfect 1080p capabilities) struggle to play the transcoded stream. What's the encoding profile, H264?

[mcheng89]

There are different issues: when you change channels, remoteCeton acts properly, but XBMCBuntu gets stuck in what appears to be the last 2 frames of the video, over and over. I'm guessing this also has to do with the streams being originally in different resolutions.

Also, it looks like both a high-end PC with Windows 7 and a regular IOS2 HTPC (with perfect 1080p capabilities) struggle to play the transcoded stream. What's the encoding profile, H264?

This is what I use for VLC. Maybe I should switch to H264, since I'll need that for iOS....

Code:

:sout=#transcode{vcodec=mp2v,vb=<transcodeBitrate>,acodec=mp2a,ab=128}

Does mp2v have hardware acceleration on playback? Maybe thats the issue...

[uspino]

This is what I use for VLC. Maybe I should switch to H264, since I'll need that for iOS....
out=#transcode{vcodec=mp2v,vb=<transcodeBitrate>,acodec=mp2a,ab=128}

You are exactly right: the best encoding profile from VLC to IOS (and to XBMC) is H264 at 30 fps, AAC 128 for audio. In terms of resolution, 1024x576 works really well for HD sources on an iPad... (mp2v is MPEG2: you don't want that for streaming)

[mcheng89]

You are exactly right: the best encoding profile from VLC to IOS (and to XBMC) is H264 at 30 fps, AAC 128 for audio. In terms of resolution, 1024x576 works really well for HD sources on an iPad... (mp2v is MPEG2: you don't want that for streaming)

I'll make the changes tonight.

Do you think its possible to just map the bitrates to a specific resolution?
That way we dont need two config options in XBMC for resolution and bitrate
(example: 500kbps is going to look like crap at 1080p)

The iOS StreamToMe App does something like this:
2 Mbps - 720p video + 256kbps aud
1.4 Mbps - 480p video + 256kbps aud
720kbps - 320p video + 256kbps aud
etc...

[uspino]

I'll make the changes tonight.

Do you think its possible to just map the bitrates to a specific resolution?
That way we dont need two config options in XBMC for resolution and bitrate
(example: 500kbps is going to look like crap at 1080p)

The iOS StreamToMe App does something like this:
2 Mbps - 720p video + 256kbps aud
1.4 Mbps - 480p video + 256kbps aud
720kbps - 320p video + 256kbps aud
etc...

I think there should be at least 3 (medium, good, best) for every resolution, that's why maybe 2 settings would work better. 720p should be allowed to go as high as 6 or 8 Mbps - FIOS and Comcast clients have more than sufficient up/down bandwidth for that. In case it is any help, here are the resolutions used by Hauppauge on their WinTV Extend TV server (which by the way you should take a look at - it also works with VLC - maybe it can even work with your script:

<Profile audioBitrate="64k" resolution="320x240" bitrate="96" description="96kbps, 320x240" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="64k" resolution="320x240" bitrate="196" description="196kbps, 320x240" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="128k" resolution="320x240" bitrate="256" description="256kbps, 320x240" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="640x480" bitrate="512" description="512kbps, 640x480" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="640x480" bitrate="1024" description="1024kbps, 640x480" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="640x480" bitrate="2048" description="2048kbps, 640x480" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="704x480" bitrate="1024" description="1024kbps, 704x480" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="704x480" bitrate="2048" description="2048kbps, 704x480" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="720x576" bitrate="1024" description="1024kbps, 720x576" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="720x576" bitrate="2048" description="2048kbps, 720x576" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="1280x720" bitrate="4096" description="4096kbps, 1280x720" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/><Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="1280x720" bitrate="8192" description="8192kbps, 1280x720" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/>4 <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="1440x1080" bitrate="4096" description="4096kbps, 1440x1080" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/> <Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="1920x1080" bitrate="4096" description="4096kbps, 1920x1080" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/><Profile audioBitrate="192k" resolution="1920x1080" bitrate="8192" description="8192kbps, 1920x1080" localBuffer="300000" remoteBuffer="500000"/>

Sorry for the late response - family duties