Goal of the project
Proposed solution
Features of this solution
Prerequisites
How-to install and set up Remote Potato
Potential troubleshooting after installation
Tips & Tricks
NOT tested (maybe someone wants to add his experience here?):
Restrictions are or may be
What is NOT working?
And last but not least:
Client repository
I really hope, that this description may end your search for a light-weight and reliable streaming solution for your recorded shows & clients throughout the internet!
If you have questions or proposals, please feel free to post them in this thread.
And... If you like this solution or post, please hit the "Thanks" button and rate this thread.
Kindest regards from Switzerland - Christoph
- setup a reliable streaming server which needs an absolute minimum of CPU load
- usable everywhere throughout the internet through various Web (!) clients
- serving several web clients on as many various platforms as possible (Win XP-7, MacOS, iOS, Android, Win mobile)
- flexible resolution to adapt to the bandwidth that is available (Server: upload bandwidth, Client: download bandwidth - or maybe costs using mobile clients)
- scalable and full screen view should be possible, although using a browser client and used stream can be streamed with various resolutions
- NO need to set up or expand an existing web server. Whoever tried to use Smooth Streaming with the on-board Windows IIS, knows, what I'm talking about
- re-muxing and stream "on the fly", no need to re-mux the recorded *.ts files in advance
- should serve all medias like recorded TV shows, music and pictures out of your library
- easy (!!) setup and maintenance
- usable also on older PC hardware
- ability to stream currently running recordings
- if possible, also being able to stream live TV streams
Proposed solution
- To be able to nearly fulfill all above requirements, I am using a FREE streaming server called "Remote Potato" (http://www.fatattitude.com)
I was using it already years ago, when I was using a WMC-based Media Center.
Recently I had the idea, that this could be used for XBMC respectively many of the recording servers (e.g. Fortherecord or MediaPortal et al.) as well, just maybe not supporting some WMC core functions like EPG, planning & administrating the recordings, but at least a light-weight and intelligent streaming
Features of this solution
- streaming to web clients with various selectable resolutions
- streaming to LAN and WLAN and internet web clients
- scalable output and selectable format up to full screen independent from selected streaming resolution
- minimum CPU load
- serves to various operating systems
- watching pseudo-live TV possible through a "trick"
- fast and easy installation & setup (approx. 6 minutes)
Prerequisites
- properly defined Media Shares ("Libraries") under Windows: make sure, you defined your recording (and/or) storing folders of TV shows so that you can find them among your Windows "Video Library" - you can add locations freely by right-clicking on "Videos" in your Windows Explorer Libraries View. Select Properties and add, change or delete wanted or unwanted storing locations.
- Add also network storage locations of videos, music and pictures to the libraries of the machine running the streaming server.
- to be able to watch your streams throughout the internet, setup a dynamic DNS service (e.g. dyndns.org) and forward the ports (default: 9080 through 9083) to your media server machine in your routers configuration
- [optional] Install MS Silverlight on the clients (will be also offered on first visit of the Media Server through the browser). For more information, refer to http://www.microsoft.com/web/page.aspx?c...light.html. Make sure that you have the latest version by invoking "Windows Update" after installation. Older installations of silverlight like to crash every now and then.
- if you want to stream over the internet, you will need an externally reachable IP address. You may achieve this through the free and reliable service of dyndns.org. Mostly directly supported by your router, if not, there are also freeware apps that cyclically register your currently used IP address.
How-to install and set up Remote Potato
- Please read the pre-requisites above, they're easy to fulfill
- Download and install the streaming pack for your Windows version (x86 or x64) from from http://www.remotepotato.com/downloads.aspx. Current stable version is 2.0
- Download and install "Remote Potato Server" from http://www.remotepotato.com/downloads.aspx. Current stable version is 1.0.6
- Run through the setup wizard and check the "expert settings" checkbox - they're not really "expert", don't be afraid.
- Make sure you UNCHECK "Windows Media Center" on the first page and select the libraries that you want to share - add the Account information that is needed to accesss them. They will just be save locally, encrypted, as far as I know
- That's it, it will take you maybe 6 minutes to set it up and get it running
- test it on the server's machine using its web browser and entering the page "http://localhost:9080" - and ENJOY!
Potential troubleshooting after installation
- IF the server shows no files to stream
- check out the Windows library settings, if the path is included
- if above seems to be correct, it may be, that your server doesn't have the codecs installed to strem eg. *.ts files
in THIS case, I recommend to download and install the free Shark007 codec package on the SERVER (http://shark007.net) and go through the recommended step-by-step configuration guide under http://assassinhtpcblog.com/?page_id=39
After that you will definitively have all your *.ts files in the library (in addition, your Windows Media Player now can play *.ts files in HD WITH sound
)
- IF the client shows "not able to show ..."
- make sure, Silverlight in its latest version is installed
- make sure you have a streaming client that can playback *.ts files.
Tips & Tricks
- watching REAL live TV is not supported, but you may schedule a recording (also - depending on your used recording software - through the web access) and immediately look at it via this media server (IF the recording path is included in your Video library) - I call this "pseudo live TV", it may be just 30 seconds delayed...
- if your Silverlight client asks you to increase the cache size, after you logged off, allow it. Stored data and settings can be found by right-clicking the Silverlight image in the browser while connected to Remote Potato.
NOT tested (maybe someone wants to add his experience here?):
- Waking up the server out of stand-by (you have to set up WOL for the machine, which may be quite difficult with older machines)
- iOS client for iPhone (commercial) - downloadable through App Store, search for "Remote Potato"
- MacOS client not tested, as I'm not the lucky one to own one
- various Web browsers are not tested by me. Tested: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera
Restrictions are or may be
- locked ports of your current location of the client. Default setup uses port 9080 for the web interface and 9081 to 9083 for streaming, those have to be accessible through your web browser
- Platforms not supporting MS Silverlight, only can access a standard (HTTP) web interface, streaming may be limited in those cases. Currently, all Web Browsers under all Windows (including Windows Mobile 7) and MacOS operating systems are supported.
What is NOT working?
- any EPG access, as the streaming server is designed for collaboration with Windows Media Center (WMC)
- Menu item "Recorded TV" will probably show an empty folder, it refers to the recordings of WMC -> use the menu item "Video" instead
- Deleting recorded shows is only possible in combination with WMC, not with XBMC installations
And last but not least:
Client repository
- MS Windows (XP through W8): all web browser should be able to watch all streamed recordings (incl. currently recording shows), tested: Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera
- MacOS: all web browser supporting MS Silverlight for MacOS should be able to watch streamed recordings (incl. currently recording shows)
- iOS / iPhone: all recorded TV shows can be streamed and watched through "Remote Potato" for iOS, accessible through App Store (commercial & not tested by me)
- Android: *EDIT* streaming works well: I use "Remote Media Center" together with streaming-capable MoboPlayer (both free via Android Market): instant access to all recordings and streaming through the internet
- Windows mobile 7: all recorded TV shows can be streamed and watched through web browser for Windows mobile 7 - not tested by myself,
- Windows mobile 6 and earlier: basically streaming is possible, currently under test by myself, drop a message or post, if you want to know more
I really hope, that this description may end your search for a light-weight and reliable streaming solution for your recorded shows & clients throughout the internet!
If you have questions or proposals, please feel free to post them in this thread.
And... If you like this solution or post, please hit the "Thanks" button and rate this thread.
Kindest regards from Switzerland - Christoph
