Setting up VLC and DreamBox Internet interface

[gameboy]

Can anyone post a step-by-step guide to the above?

I can use the web interface but cannot workout how to set up the VLC streaming...

 

[td03-5]

Hi gameboy,

All I did was install VLC, associate .pls (playlist) files with it, install Mozilla Firefox.
Open FireFox and enter Dreambox IP (in my case h t t p://192.168.0.24) and complete logon (root / dreambox).
When Enigma web screen appears then select a channel to view and then click the video pid number. (If it asks which program to open it with select VLC). The VLC player controls appear fairly quickly and then after quite a delay the video screen opens (if box is on standby, it doesn't even turn it on to stream the video!).
My only problem is, as I've posted on toes, that I can't get audio on all channels.

73 & strappy heaming!

 

[pant]

these settings are for video streaming without audio but it works for sure.

1st open the vlc player
2nd click on file and open network stream
3rd tick the http/ftp/mms and type 192.168.0.24:31338/vpid,apid. You have to replace the ip with the ip of your dreambox and the vpid and apid with the vpid and apid numbers of the channel you are watching.This will give you 99,99% video streaming without audio though but its a good start
4th Dont mind my english

 

[gameboy]

Thanks td03-5

Will try that on my Mac...

Let you know

 

[gameboy]

Hi pant thanks for your help where did the 31338 number come from?

I have tried but not working?

thanks

 

[rolfw]

Just tried it with the vlc and worked first time, including original language audio, didn't work with IE6, but worked with Firefox. No need to type in the pids, just left clivk on the vpid in the top right hand corner of the enigma browser interface and select open with vlc, then you can select the audio pid.

 

[pant]

Hi pant thanks for your help where did the 31338 number come from?

I have tried but not working?

thanks

Are you on a mac or windows?

If you open your browser on windows and type ypur dreambox ip address then it ll come up the control panel where you can change channels an check the stream info and so on.Now on the right up you ll see the vpid and the apid if you press vpid then the vlc will come up and it ll try to connect at 192.168.x.x:31339/vpid number,apid but a lot of people have problems to connect so they choose 192.168.x.x:31338/vpid number,apid number which it gives an almost sure connection without audio.
Be sure that you read carefully and do it slowly and step by step and it will work.Also visit this link for further assistance http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=5364&start=0

 

[pant]

Just tried it with the vlc and worked first time, including original language audio, didn't work with IE6, but worked with Firefox. No need to type in the pids, just left clivk on the vpid in the top right hand corner of the enigma browser interface and select open with vlc, then you can select the audio pid.

*rolfw

Vlc works better with firefox.
But for those who have problems then the way i said it gives a connection no matter which browser you using ;-)
Once more I ll say that is without audio though but better than nothing

 

[BGonaSTICK]

31338 looks to be a port number.

 

[td03-5]

Hi All,

Rolfw, have you checked audio on all your channels?
With mine most are OK but some have no audio when they start on the primary audio channel. If this is not the audio you want and you select a secondary audio from the VLC audio dropdown then this works OK. However if you reselect the primary audio in this way, then no audio!
Some channels with a single audio channel start with no audio, selecting this, already selected, channel from the VLC audio dropdown still gives no audio. Selecting audio - disable, then audio - audio channel, from VLC dropdown also has no affect, no audio!
Yet other channels, single or multi audio, work with no need to select audio in the VLC dropdown!

Any ideas?

73

 

[rolfw]

Will have a check through later, only had time to try it on a couple last night.

 

[wallycharlo]

before you click on the VPID to start the video, hit the audio button from the enigma web interface, and select the audio you want.

then start VLC by hitting the VPID.

once the video starts to stream , select the audio you selected already in the VLC audio menu. this works for me in all cases tried to far.

..hmmm, having said this i am trying it now on sky news and it wont work ... it fixed the problem previously on other channels though ...

 

[gameboy]

Managed to get it working using Camino on the Mac but only by saving file then pointing VLC to that file to open.

Didn't get option to choose how I wanted the video-1.pls file handled.

Still it works and that's all that matters.

 

[td03-5]

Hi gameboy,

Presumably you have installed the MAC versions of VLC & FireFox?
(NB Although I said it the other way round, I actually installed FireFox first.)
Did you set the file association of VLC with .pls files when you installed it?

If so, what actually happens when you open FireFox etc?
Can you http into enigma?
If so, what happens when you click on the video pid number?

Hi wallycharlo,

Thanks for the advice. I've tried your method but no difference I'm afraid, still no audio on the channels with that problem.

73

 

[RedDevil_UK]

this works for me on IE too..using VLC to play it.

put the ip address of dreambox in IE when you get the DB interface
at the top where it says VPID there is a number at the right of this (ie 0x3e9) click on the number then either open it or save it to disk
on mine if i click open it doesnt work?? but if i save it to disk then double click it it does???

 

[haggard]

Managed to get it working using Camino on the Mac but only by saving file then pointing VLC to that file to open.

Didn't get option to choose how I wanted the video-1.pls file handled.

Still it works and that's all that matters.

gameboy,
On Mac, a little file video.pls is downloaded to your standard download folder.
Select it, hit Apple + i
and then change default player to VLC.
The equivalent audio playlist is .m3u and this will be iTunes by default but can be changed to VLC.
A few weeks back I posted a thread "How to stream from DB to Mac).
It works for PC as well.
Using Safari, the text line containing video and audio pids is jumbles but is sorted by
apple + +
followed by
apple + -
(i.e. enlarge text, reduce text).
Firefox is cleaner but it is not bug-free for Mac yet, (version 1.0!)
I can stream equally well to PC (Firefox) or Mac (Safari or Firefox).
IE works on neither because I havent had time to figure how to make IE select VLC as default handler for video and audio playlists.
I rarely have problems with no audio.
A single playlist file video.pls handles video and audio stream.
The single playlist audio.m3u brings the audio alone.
I dont know how to bring video alone!

you say
. . . . . ow I wanted the video-1.pls file handled . . . .
this means you have a video.pls from a previous stream.
It then names them video-1.pls, video-2.pls for each new one. They dont get deleted. Best go to download folder and clean them all out and start fresh from time to time.

 

[gameboy]

A few weeks back I posted a thread "How to stream from DB to Mac).

Thanks Haggard was leaving will use the file info to make VLC the default application.

Maybe the 'How to stream from DB' should be added as a post it at the top of the section.

The results amazed me as I continued working nd moved the video window around while it continued to play without any hicups.

Had the same problem with the sound s as td03-5 will play in the default but when the langauge is changed - no sound.

Tried to change the language on web interface before VLC and again after in VLC audio selection - still the same result.

Was watching the film 'Multiplex' and the kids were singing in English - cracked it - I thought then they started talking in Italian....

Back to the drawing board.

Sure someone will get it working...

 

[haggard]

Thanks Haggard was leaving will use the file info to make VLC the default application.

Maybe the 'How to stream from DB' should be added as a post it at the top of the section.

The results amazed me as I continued working nd moved the video window around while it continued to play without any hicups.

Had the same problem with the sound s as td03-5 will play in the default but when the langauge is changed - no sound.

Tried to change the language on web interface before VLC and again after in VLC audio selection - still the same result.

Was watching the film 'Multiplex' and the kids were singing in English - cracked it - I thought then they started talking in Italian....

Back to the drawing board.

Sure someone will get it working...

Usually, once you have started playing a stream, you are stuck with it.
I would expect, to change, e.g. language or channel, quit VLC and then change to what you want, using the buttons when you have the channel up on the web interface. That way, you should select the right audio pid.
Then click on video pid again and VLC will restart with new settings.
But if you are saying only default audio will work, then I'm not really surprised.

 

[td03-5]

Hi haggard,

Nop, it's not as simple as it only playing the default audio.
On some multi-audio channels it fails to play the default but if you change to the secondary audio using the drop down in VLC while watching the stream then this audio channel starts. Go back to dropdown and reselect default audio channel and ... silence!
On some channels with a single audio channel the audio works fine, whereas on others ... silence!

I'll keep playing but, as always, any suggestions gratefully received.

73 & good luck.

 

[haggard]

Hi haggard,

Nop, it's not as simple as it only playing the default audio.
On some multi-audio channels it fails to play the default but if you change to the secondary audio using the drop down in VLC while watching the stream then this audio channel starts. Go back to dropdown and reselect default audio channel and ... silence!
On some channels with a single audio channel the audio works fine, whereas on others ... silence!

I'll keep playing but, as always, any suggestions gratefully received.

73 & good luck.

That also doesnt surpise me.
I first looked at VLC about a year (?) ago when there was zilch to play mpg video on Mac apart from Quicktime which is (was) appalling when it pulls the file from an external disk.
Then, VLC was being produced by some students in France and it had more flakes than a cadburys bar. Its better now, but it never fails to crash XP on my Sony Vaio and it has the flakes you notice. Its definitely beta still.
It is my belief that any changes you can make during streaming are not intended by authors and it is sheer luck if you can change anything. Intention is you close VLC, change and restart.

BTW, there is a new version of DreamstreamX out for Mac (31.12.04). I am told that some people can stream to Mac with this - and previous versions. But VLC bombs out after about 10 secs. It is not, as author suggested to me, my G4 tit processor struggling with simultaneous streaming and decoding mpeg. Safari + VLC is OK. It is the DreamstreamX-VLC interface. There is no visible playlist file, so one cannot intervene. Using Safari, the header on the VLC pre-window refers to the VLC media player. With DreamstreamX, it switches from this to text stdin and then crashes. Alas it is a hobby for the author, Peter M, who has a day job in a music establishment. If he debugged it, he could sell it.