VLC newbie needs streaming help

[deviousdexter]

ok i cant find what i need to know from searching, maybe cos i dont know how to phrase the search.

I want to stream some films over the internal network as a multicast to my kids pcs, so they can log on and watch whatever is on. However the Streaming help suggest a 239.255.x.x Ip address, does this mean i need to reset the Ip address range on my router or is there another way to get the current 192.168.x.x range to see this broadcast?

the streams will vary between mpg, dvd, divx/xvid, and possibly mounted ISO's.

i am sure this software is easily capable of this but a little help is needed here.

Many thanks

p.s. i consider myself very computer literate (just not too networking savvy ) so dont worry to much about techno babble i'll try to figure it!

[AYChen]

I have also been stuck at this very basic step after reading all of the fantastic capabilities and features of VLC. I have seen demos that other people have done with VLC. So, I know it will work. But, all I have managed to do so far is using VLC as a WMP (Windows Media Player) to have the video displayed on the source PC's monitor.

Like you, I was an electronic circuit designer in my younger days. And, not to brag about it, I was a pretty good one and still reasonably hands-on. But, this one got me lost. How about a step-by-step course 101 for the dummies?

Hopefully, someone can lend a helping hand soon.


Abe (2005-07-12, 07:50)

[AYChen]

Since I have exhausted the possible combinations that I could come up following the online procedures, especially the concise "Wizard" part, I decided that the difficulty is more than the skin deep.

It turns out that the wide range of encoding formats that VLC is capable of may be most likely the source of our problem. Although VLC does all kinds of transcoding, it seems that it does not do so automatically as the "Wizard" may have made a new user to believe.

Since I have various kinds of video clips on my computer with different file extensions, I tried one (.MPEG) that is most closely resembling the formats that VLC would take. Wholla!, I got it through my HAN (Home Area Network) with MultiCast setting and displayed it in nearly real time as that on the source PC. And, the data transfer rate is about 800 Kbps.

I am sure that even though I have crossed the first hurdle, it will take me a lot more time to be proficient with this operation to be able to give you some accurate pointers. But, I want to share with you this "trivial" discovery as soon as possilbe so that you can shake off the frustration and move forward on your own, as well.

If you like to share your progress with me offline (so that not to burden the experts of our little findings), please feel free to contact me via eMail directly:

AYChen@Avinta.com

Please mark your first eMail with "Priority" and "Request for receipt confirmation" flags so that I can spot it out of the SPAMs.

Good Luck,


Abe (2005-07-12, 12:32)