Can VLC play recorded vids direct from FTP device

[TJK]

The simple answer is yes and I have done it. The problem is to make it play everything in a folder. Using the open file method is quite easy. I added the ftp device as a network place. So I browse to it, the file, and play it. I however can not do it with open folder. If I copy the folder to my PC, no problem, but I want to play it direct from the device, like I do with a single file. If I use this method (open single file) and I select more than one file, I get an error 'File not found'

So 'open folder' must be the way to go, but VLC just sits there when given the folder in My Network Places. When using 'open file', it sees the directories immediately and you browse to file level, no problem. So why can I not open a folder on the device and play the folder?

To help you understand better what I want to do:
I record security cameras on an IPcorder by Koukaam. (KNR100) The vids is recorded as 60 second files. It puts an hours files in a sub directory, ie 60 files. So the directory structure is: Camera name/Date/Hour/filename.avi. File size is +-10.2MB. So I want to select the date folder and play all the files in the sub folders in sequence. 1440 files! I saw on the forum another user is trying the same thing.

The next problem is viewing these files at high speed. It seems from those posts that I can download a 'nitely build' that will give me up to x 32 speed. That will be great. But the link to those downloads / builds seems down or outdated? (http://nightlies.videolan.org/) My current player is 0.9.8a Grishenko on a Windows XP machine.

Can someone point me in the right direction? I have played around with the 'Open Network" option with FTP, but it looks like that is meant for something else?

VLC is great! It is the only player I can find that can play these MPeg 4, DivX, . avi files! Well done to the team. I will surely contribute if I become a regular user!

[VLC_help]

Unfortunately nightlies have died. So you have to wait for 1.0.0 beta versions.

[TJK]

What about the rest of my post?

[TJK]

Unfortunately nightlies have died. So you have to wait for 1.0.0 beta versions.

I understand that I will have to wait for the speed function, but can we sort out the 'open folder' question so long?

[VLC_help]

What does VLC messages say when you try to do folder open?

[TJK]

What does VLC messages say when you try to do folder open?

There is no error message or any other message. You click on Media, Open Folder. 'Browse For Folder' dialog opens, showing directory tree. You then browse to My Network Plases and the Network Folder you created. All this time the OK button is greyed out. As soon as you click on the Network folder, the OK button becomes selectable. Click on OK, the dialog close and VLC sits there as if nothing happened. You can then do it over again immediately and it responds the same. It is not frozen, hanging or anything, indicating it is not busy.

The Network Folder I click on points to ftp://ftp@192.168.0.220/ . As I have said, the same Network Folder works just fine in Open File and you can browse thru all the sub directories down to file level in the last sub directory. As you can see, it is all on a local network.

[Arite]

By messages VLC_help means the messages output. Go to "Tools >> Messages...", raise the "Verbosity Level" to 2, and then do a folder open.

Arite.

[TJK]

By messages VLC_help means the messages output. Go to "Tools >> Messages...", raise the "Verbosity Level" to 2, and then do a folder open.

Arite.

Thanks, did not know that, done that now, but still no messages. What is the save as... for. To save any messages that may pop up?

I have done it with the messages dialog both open and closed. No messages....

[TJK]

I get these messages when doing the 'Open File' method.

avi warning: cannot get packet header, track disabled
avcodec debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) stopped
main debug: removing module "avcodec"
main debug: thread ended
main debug: thread times: real 1m0.080816s, kernel 0m0.046875s, user 0m2.437500s
main debug: thread 6504 joined (input/decoder.c:248)
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `FMP4', 0 PES in FIFO
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseSurface
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay clipper
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay display
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDDraw
main debug: thread ended
main debug: thread times: real 1m0.033939s, kernel 0m0.031250s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 6628 joined (video_output/video_output.c:536)
vout_directx debug: DirectXEventThread terminating
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseWindow
vout_directx debug: WinProc WM_DESTROY
qt4 debug: Qt FS: Detaching Vout
qt4 debug: Qt: Changing Fullscreen Mode
main debug: removing module "qt4"
main debug: thread ended
qt4 debug: Video is not needed anymore
main debug: thread times: real 1m0.065190s, kernel 0m0.000000s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 6564 joined (directx.c:513)
main debug: removing module "vout_directx"
main debug: removing module "blend"
main debug: thread times: real 0m0.015625s, kernel 0m0.000000s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 6684 joined (freetype.c:511)
main debug: removing module "freetype"
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: finished input
main debug: dying input
qt4 debug: Updating the stream status: 8
main debug: dying input
avi debug: free chunk avih
avi debug: free chunk strh
avi debug: free chunk strf
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk ISFT
avi debug: free chunk JUNK
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk JUNK
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk idx1
avi debug: free chunk RIFF
avi debug: free chunk LIST
main debug: removing module "avi"
main debug: removing module "access_file"
main debug: thread ended
main debug: dead input
main debug: thread times: real 1m3.174705s, kernel 0m0.156250s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 4936 joined (playlist/engine.c:244)
main debug: TIMER input launching for '20090203_17004213[1].avi' : 2991.000 ms - Total 2991.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 2991.000 ms)
main debug: starting new item
main debug: changing item without a request (current 0/1)
main debug: nothing to play

[TJK]

Can the problem with open folder be that when I point to the network folder and click 'ok', VLC expects to find files in the folder to play, but instead it only finds more folders! As there is no files, it does not attempt to do anything and therefore no messages either? Double clicking on the folder does not take you to sub folders.

[Arite]

It if it trying to play files via the FTP protocol then it might have a problem since when opening a directory it just adds all the files within a directory (using the file:// prefix).

Are those messasges all the messages from when VLC started?

Arite.

[TJK]

Are those messasges all the messages from when VLC started?

Arite.

No. It is just from the open file command. Remember, it is not from the open folder command. Open folder command produce no messages.

So, would you agree that the problem is that you can not drill down to the sub directory containing the actual files? Open file command does drill down, but not 'open folder' command.

[Arite]

Well Open Folder does recurse into subdirectories (for normal local HDDs). When seletcing "My Network Places" the "OK" button is greyed out, which makes sense since it is like a portal to various networks etc. - you need to select an actually mounted folder/drive that is shared on a device (such as a Windows PC) to be able to add it.

Arite.

[TJK]

Well Open Folder does recurse into subdirectories (for normal local HDDs). When seletcing "My Network Places" the "OK" button is greyed out, which makes sense since it is like a portal to various networks etc. - you need to select an actually mounted folder/drive that is shared on a device (such as a Windows PC) to be able to add it.

Arite.

Well, I think it is just an oversight in the code. No reason why 'Open File' can work, but open folder not. But then again, what I know about code is dangerous!

Thanks for your help in any case!

[TJK]

How does one give a user name and password in the Open Network dialog. I gave the following :

Protocol Address
FTP 'ftp://192.168.0.220/nws_kantoor/2009-02-05/06/ "user=ftp" "password=mypass" '
without the ' '

And get the following message

main debug: connection succeeded (socket = 6156)
qt4 debug: Updating the stream status: 3
access_ftp debug: answer=220 (vsFTPd 2.0.6)
access_ftp debug: connection accepted (220)
access_ftp debug: ftp_SendCommand:"USER anonymous"
access_ftp debug: answer=331 Please specify the password.
access_ftp debug: password needed
access_ftp debug: ftp_SendCommand:"PASS anonymous@example.com"
access_ftp debug: answer=530 Login incorrect.
access_ftp error: password rejected

Clearly my string is incorrect as it is using a default username and password.

[Arite]

From VLC's commandline help:

Code: Select all

FTP input --ftp-caching=<integer> Caching value in ms Caching value for FTP streams. This value should be set in milliseconds. --ftp-user=<string> FTP user name User name that will be used for the connection. --ftp-pwd=<string> FTP password Password that will be used for the connection. --ftp-account=<string> FTP account Account that will be used for the connection.

If using e.g. --ftp-user dos not work, try :ftp-user instead (i.e. with ":" not "--").

Arite.

[TJK]

OK, it works. Thanks. But I must FTP to the file.

• ftp://192.168.0.220/nws_kantoor/2009-02 ... 000262.avi

Is there a way to specify a range of files and play them in sequence?

[Arite]

As in play a directory? Not sure if that will work for FTP, you could try --playlist-enqueue and enqueue the additional files..

Arite.

[TJK]

No, that wont do. That means typing everything by hand in the commandline. Not an option. Playlist/add directory from the Gui is also not an option. It will not let you drill down to the sub directories.

OK, thanks for the help. Will see if I come up with another angle.