Dreambox to VideoLan HowTo

  • Dreambox to VideoLan HowTo
    How to stream DreamBox video broadcast over the Internet


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc0.jpg]


    Note the VLC button in the upper-right corner of the screen. If you don’t have such button, then download the VLC plugin for your DreamBox’s Image or install a new Image like Gemini 2.9 If you don’t want to download any plugins or change your image, then there is another (harder) way to do that.
    Click on the “Stream Info” button. A popup window will give you all the streaming information you need. Of Interest to us are the following values:
    • PMT (only the first 4 characters)
    • VPID (only the first 4 characters)
    • APID (only the first 4 characters)
    • PCRPID (only the first 4 characters)
    The VLC URL is in the following format:
    Protocol://DreamboxIPAddress: Port/0,PMT,VPID,APID,PCRPID
    Protocol will always be: http
    DreamBoxIPAddress: is your DreamBox’s IP Address
    Port: should always be 31339 unless other way configured.
    PMT: only the first 4 characters from program’s PMT value
    VPID: only the first 4 characters from program’s VPID value
    APID: only the first 4 characters from program’s APID value
    PCRPID: only the first 4 characters from program’s PCRPID value
    Open Notepad and build your URL. When done, Copy (Ctrl + C) the resulting string.
    In our case, we will use the values for DishNetwork FYI, so the resulting VLC URL will be:
    http://10.0.0.12:31339/0,0021,1722,1723,1724,1722
    So, that’s it for those without a VLC button.
    For those with a VLC button: click on it and save the “video.m3u” file to your hard disk. Fire up Notepad (or any other text editor) and open the video.m3u file you just saved.
    Note: Notepad defaults to .txt files, so you will have to change “Files of Type” field to: “All Files” in the Open File dialog.
    You will see a URL in the same format like the one explained above. Copy the URL (Ctrl + C).
    OK. So now we know what URL to access with VLC.
    Open VLC and go to File > Open Network Stream
    In the “Open Network Stream” dialog, select:
    “HTTP/HTTPS/FTP/MMS” and paste your URL (created in text editor or copied from video.m3u) in the provided field.


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc1.jpg]


    Now, check the “Stream Output” and “Caching” checkboxes.
    For Caching, a good value is the default 1200.
    This will ensure that small signal outages will be passed without major issues for the client.


    Now, click on the “Settings” button, next to the “Stream Output” checkbox. The following window will appear.


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc2.jpg]


    Pay close attention to this! as it may result in streaming failure if not configured properly.
    Here you will specify what codec and what protocol you will be using to stream your DreamBox’s signal over the Internet.
    From experience, the best setting for streaming on Cable/DSL lines is the one I used my screenshot. You can try other settings too, but I will give you a brief description.
    I chose HTTP as streaming protocol as it doesn’t require any special configuration for firewall pass-trough or any special port-forwarding. Port was set to 1433 because I had a previous MSSQL forwarding rule and I was too lazy to create a new one. For encapsulation method:
    MPEG 1. I tried the others too, but MPEG 1 seemed to be the most stable. You MUST check the Video and Audio codec checkboxes or VLC will stream your video as it comes from DreamBox and this will require a very fast connection (SDSL / T1 or better). But we’re regular people that use Cable or ADSL, so we will scale the video down to 0.25 (1/4) of its original size, and the audio to 1 channel. Also, the bitrate will be downgraded to 128Kb/s for Video and 16Kb/s for Audio. I will show you next why.


    As for transcoding options... I chose mp1v for video and mpga for audio because I use MPEG1 as streaming format. You can play with those settings as you wish.
    “Select all elementary streams” is optional to be checked. I did and it worked.


    Now, let me explain why I downgraded so much the video and audio quality.
    Plain straight, it’s all bandwidth related. Most of Cable and ADSL providers limit residential users to about 300kb/s upload speeds while they offer you megs of download speed.
    With the settings presented you can see in this image, that my broadband connection was almost filled by the broadcast (243.2kb/s out of about 300 I get). As soon as you pass your upload limit, VLC will drop frames and at the end connection, so try to keep it below you max. upload speed allowed.
    To check your connection speed, use SpeakEasy’s Speed Test available at:
    http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
    Make sure you are selecting the closest city to you from the locations provided.


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc3.jpg]


    Let’s get back now to VLC.
    After you set the streaming output, click OK, and then OK in the “Open Stream” window. Streaming should start immediately.
    But we have to make sure we are sending the right audio and video. So, Click the Pause button and:
    Audio > Audio Track > Track 1 [English]


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc4.jpg]


    Video > Video Track > Track 1


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc5.jpg]


    Just to make sure we have no major errors, open the Messages window (View > Messages)


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc6.jpg]


    The Great Moment has now arrived. Click the play button.
    In the Messages window, you may get some messages like:


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc7.jpg]


    This is not great news (the main warning part), but it will work just fine. Still not figured out what triggers this, but I am sure you will find plenty of answers in the VLC Forums (http://forum.videolan.org/).


    If you are behind a firewall, then you will have to forward in the firewall / router incoming connections on the port you selected at “Stream Output” step to the computer IP where VLC is running. In my case, port: 1433.
    To learn how to do port forwarding in your router, go to http://www.portforward.com/routers.htm and select your brand, model, etc. and see how it can be done.
    On the remote site (client) VLC must also be installed.
    If this is done, open VLC and go to File > Open Network Stream Select “HTTP/HTTPS/FTP/MMS” and type in your streaming address in the format:
    http://yourexternalip:port
    where:
    • yourexternalip: Is your external IP. To find it out, from the PC running the streaming VLC, go to:
    http://www.whatismyip.com/ and you will see it.
    • port: Is the port you selected in the “Stream Output” section or/and in the router port-forwarding configuration.
    Click OK and wait a few seconds. You should watch TV now. Below is a real example of image quality and size outputted by the settings presented in this document.


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc8.jpg]


    Enjoy watching TV remotely!


    Troubleshooting:
    If by any chance the client VLC has choppy image, open the messages window (View > Messages) and see if you get errors similar to:


    [Blockierte Grafik: http://ihadna.com/wbb2/attachments/downloads/imgs/vlc9.jpg]


    If yes, then your upload speed at VLC streaming server location is slower than required. Try to decrease the video and audio quality.
    If no image is displayed on the client side, check first your messages and then the VLC streaming server’s settings.
    Help and support available at: http://forum.videolan.org/

  • I'm trying to stream only on local area i.e. connect my DB7025 network card to a wireless tx/rx so that on my laptop through the laptop's wireless network card I'll be able to watch the station. Do I have to go thruogh the same process as mentioned above? I do not have the software or screen display as displayed above I only have installed a VLC software. Tks for your help, regards

  • Zitat

    Originally posted by viko
    I'm trying to stream only on local area i.e. connect my DB7025 network card to a wireless tx/rx so that on my laptop through the laptop's wireless network card I'll be able to watch the station. Do I have to go thruogh the same process as mentioned above? I do not have the software or screen display as displayed above I only have installed a VLC software. Tks for your help, regards


    If you are a gemini user you'll notice that it has a web interface . Open firefox browser and into the adress bar type the ip adress of your dreambox. Previously install the latest version of VLC (video lan player) on your computer and connect your computer with the dreambox via crossover cable. P.S. While you are installing VideoLan select the option ActiveX.

  • Hi, I have tried it but with no success. I only had the possibility to change the channel and to 'grab' a frame. Do I have to do any setting to VLC setup ? Is it as above ? If not can you please help me. Tks


    regards

  • Hi,


    thanks!!


    It is cumbersome, but at works !!!



    Regards, flatline


    EDIT: oops; it only works for non-coded (free) channels; too many artifacts on a coded channel...

    DM800se / DM800 / Kathrein UFS912

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von flatline ()

  • Zitat

    Originally posted by viko
    Hi, I have tried it but with no success. I only had the possibility to change the channel and to 'grab' a frame. Do I have to do any setting to VLC setup ? Is it as above ? If not can you please help me. Tks


    regards


    Use firefox and vlc. When you open firefox type the ip of dreambox. When the webinter. opens select the chanell you want to watch and stream it with vlc.exe. It has to work.

  • Web-x-TV only works for uncoded channels.


    Is there a way to watch scrambled channels on the PC? They are, of course, visible on the TV.

  • Hi everyone,


    I made several tries to launch VLC from the web interface.
    It was working at the beginning (despite I do not try to imput the streaming values).
    Now when I click the VLC button , there is no image on VLC.
    I updated VLc with the last version.
    I retried several time, no image on VLC.
    I am using firefox


    Any ideas ?


    Thanks

  • Hi I have the same problem mentioned earlier in this forum with VLC
    I was only able to view a channel ONCE through WEB-X-TV
    then once I closed the window to go to another channel that was it i never managed again. VLC control is clicked upon but the 'white/orange cone' remaons on screen and nothing happens
    Any help?
    Thanks

  • regards[/quote]


    Use firefox and vlc. When you open firefox type the ip of dreambox. When the webinter. opens select the chanell you want to watch and stream it with vlc.exe. It has to work.[/quote]


    Dear bianconeri,


    It seems, by the post I saw, You also are using VLC and Enigma webInterface to stream and view the channel directly on your PC screen.


    Do you know if there is another software able to do the same ( connect to the webinterface by Dream IP and stream movies on PC ) but with a better quality than VLC ? VLC is not the optimum for quality of vision.


    Thank you for any suggestion or info.

  • I'm using dm7025 with Gemini2 ver 3.4 and vlc 0.8.6f.


    Works really well with full quality over both wired and wireless (via Linksys WGT54g). Works for both live and pre-recorded files from dm7025 harddisk.


    Simple vlc setup is to put settings/preferences/streamoutput/Default stream output chain: ALL
    and settings/preferences/Input - Codecs/Program: (leave blank)
    This allows zapping to different programs without having to enter the specific Program ID but means the PC and vls have to cope with the extra load of all program streams.


    When streaming from a file on the dm7025 (rather than live) it is best to leave Default stream output chain: (leave blank) and set the Program: PID (decimal not hex). This allows vlc to control the specific stream (pause, play, slide bar) coming from the dm7025 much more responsively than otherwise.


    cheers

  • thanks a lot my friend but i have a question :


    i have dm800hd box and there is no icon such as VLC or Stream info in my infobar so how can i do that ?

  • try this...

    Dateien

    DreamBox 1: 7000s rev. 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dreambox 2: 7025-SS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dreambox 3: 600 PVR-S . . . . . . . . . Dreambox 4: DM800S HD PVR
    USB - Stick: Kingston Datatraveler USB 2.0 . . CF - Karte: 1GB Extrememory Performance w/o MB!
    Festplatte: IBM 120GB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Festplatte: Maxtor 200GB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Festpaltte: Samsung 120GB. . . . . . . Festplatte: HDDrive2go 500GB eSata
    Image im Flash: Gemini 4.X0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Image im Flash: Gemini 4.X0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Image im Flash: Gemini 4.X0. . . . . . Image im Flash: Gemini 5.X0
    Satelliten: 13,0°; 19,2°; 23,5° Ost. . . . . . . . . . Satelliten: NIM1 -19,2° Ost; NIM2 - 13,0°; 19,2°; 23,5° Ost . . Satelliten: 13,0°; 19,2°; 23,5° Ost . . Satelliten: 13,0°; 19,2°; 23,5° Ost


    ...Never cared for what they say - Never cared for games they play - Never cared for what they do - Never cared for what they know...


    ICH GEBE WEDER IM FORUM NOCH PER PM HILFE ZU KEYS BZW. PAYTV HACKS!