VideoLan Tutorial - Streaming your cable tv to internet ;-)

Submitted by hexa on Tue, 09/05/2006 - 20:24. Video editing.

by: Miles Evans

As far as marketing goes I guess this article may one day bring me some hate for teaching some dumbass to build online infomercials, but I assure you my motives are far less industrious.

If you live outside North America, like me, you might think watching your favorite TV provider back home was impossible. In fact for years I figured I was just stuck with crap TV and limewire downloads. Trailerpark Boys, Battlestar Gallactica, and Family Guy had become pleasures I relied on friends to send me in the mail, years after they aired. Until now...

I have been fiddling with this all day and I will say VLC (www.videolan.org) is one of the coolest open source programs I have come across in some time. Platform support is universal from Win32, *Nix to even long dead BeOS. These are also the people behind Google Video if that is any indication. VLC allows you to stream video online, multicast, save incoming streams, and do all sorts of cool things only people with lots of money should be able to do – like open your own TV station. The quality is really amazing and of course endlessly tweakable. Oh and ya did I mention it is completely free? Ok I did, onwards...

I tested VLC by getting a friend to stream DISH Network to me from the US and it was VERY watchable. Keep in mind this was streaming from Seattle, WA to Bangkok, TH. 18 hops.

Streaming using a Video Capture Card

What you will need:

- Operating System
- 1 Video Capture Card
- Drivers for Video Capture card (go to driversguide.com to find software drivers for video capture cards)
- DirectX 9.0c
- VLC (please get the nightly CVS version, a lot of good folks work really hard on this software, and PLEASE donate to them if you can)
- A network connection
- Windows Media Player
- A WHOLE LOT of patience

Step 1

- Install Capture Card (I use all ATI Wonder Cards and have no problem)
- Install or Update your DirectX (windowsupdate.com)
- Install VLC

Step 2 FOR NAT(using DHCP for home networks)/DSL/CABLE Routers

- Go to your router and click on Port Forwarding
- Enter your VLC server's IP address and the desired port for forwarding.
- Your router should accept the setting and tell you everything is ok

Step 3

- Fire up VLC
- Go to File > Open Captue Device > Video Device Name > Refresh.. (wait a moment) click on the default bar and then click on your capture device driver (the one that came with your card)
- Now click Stream/Save > Settings
- Click on Play Locally and MMSH. Insert YOUR LOCAL IP ADDRESS and DESIRED port (for folks using NAT thats 192.X.X.X that you forwarded on your router earlier)
- Click on Video Codec and select your Video Codec format (I use WMV since I am using WMP), then select a good bit rate like 192 or 128, then select the size of the picture in your player (1 - 2)
- Repeat the instructions above for audio
- One VERY IMPORTANT quality setting is TTL - Type 10 at a minimum. This tells VLC the number of routers your stream will probably go across.
- Click Ok and Click Ok again to start your stream

Step 4

- Open WMP and click on File > Open URL
- Type http://:9494
- Your video will take a bit to buffer but then you should see your pictures.

I would love to hear results from anyone else working with VLC. My next step is to setup a remote control with an external IRD box, so I can change channels - yes people ARE doing this

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/07/2006 - 02:55.

This is a great article. It works for me. I have Hauupage 350 PCI under windows XP. I didn't use the port forwarding, since my main purpose is to watch TV in a PC window on my wireless laptop as I move around the house. Should also work for wi-fi PDA / smartphone.

Jim

Submitted by soloz (not verified) on Fri, 18/08/2006 - 17:19.

That's a good testimony about VLC Internet streaming capabilities. I need to deploy this streaming solution and am bothered about the bandwith. I am only provided with an internet connection link between 16kbps and 32 kbps. Can i realy have a smooth and clear viewing.

Submitted by makweley (not verified) on Tue, 05/09/2006 - 15:52.

You can not imagine how delighted I was to read your tutorial. I have been reading endless tutorials on how I can get my brother in Cameroon to stream live TV broadcast to me in London. I will have some problems to get it working but I understood a lot. It is very satisfying that there are lots of selfless people liike you willing and making efforts to help others. Great tutorial.

Submitted by straycat on Fri, 26/01/2007 - 00:39.

Great thanks for this article - found it through google.

This is my 2nd try at using VLC really. I had tried VLC before but could not understand the documentation.

Downloaded VLC yesterday but was totally lost in the configuration as before.

I'm using the free version of star media center for TV streaming on my lan. This SMC works but its buggy and 'screwy' and I was looking for a better alternative for sometime.

Your instructions is so clear that I was shocked when the Tv video and sound came up so quickly and suddenly.

Many thanks to hexa once again and God bless you.

..

Submitted by velums on Thu, 15/02/2007 - 22:42.

I would like to know whether it's legal to streaming my DISH over internet to friends in other country

Do i need to get license to do it?

Submitted by hexa on Fri, 16/02/2007 - 00:19.

Probably yes. But frankly if you do it for you or a couple of your friends and not anyone else, no one will bother you.

Submitted by bob001 on Mon, 05/03/2007 - 07:55.

Can you share how to stream the file that can only be played when client computer requests it to stream? Currently I tried to stream the file uzing wizard on server but it starts immediate streaming and by the time i start my client to view the server's streaming file..i already lost initial part. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Submitted by hexa on Tue, 06/03/2007 - 09:39.

Use video on demand option.