Implemented method for timeshifting live TV on windows

[CryHavoc]

WooHoo... Just conducted this test and it works great!

Was recently screwing around with the dshow plugin to do this but decided to go off on my own path after messing with it for about a week.

The resulting method still uses DirectShow (I'm using windows 2000 with DirectX 9). I created a new filter that functions well with the standard directshow process (i.e. registered directshow filter, usable in graphedit, etc.). The new filter is based on the Infinite Pin Tee and writes a file buffer NOT using the Async Writer Filter provided.

The end result...

1) Uses 10-20% CPU vs. 40-60% CPU (2.4 ghz Pentium) when using the provided dshow access plugin directly (recording and rendering)

2) Does not exhibit the video/audio stuttering due to sync problems which the current dshow plugin exhibits.

3) Best of all... allows you to pause and seek from a live stream.

I don't know if this is relevant or has already been demonstrated, but if it is feel free to contact me. I have never submitted to this group before but I will if this sort of thing is of interest. I am currently working on a PVR system (like MythTV) and looked at Videolan because of it's features and cross platform capability.

[The DJ]

Cool. If you want you can explain what you did in more detail in a wiki.videolan.org article...

if wiki is back online again.

[sash]

I agree that is cool.

i being trying the same thing to build a simple udp player that could do this, but my programing skill are pretty bad...
i would interested in trying your dxfilter if possible

****sash99@mail15.com****

I was able to do pause a live stream using another dxfilter, actualy a series of, from moonlight. but it was not as compatible with other video codec, other then moonlights.. I was hoping to supply it to sigma hardware decoder card. it worked some what you have to use the mpeg transport stream anyalyer dxfilter for it to work. but it slowly get out of sync. perhaps your dx is more compatible )

it would be a great feature in vlc if it could pause live udp streams too.

[CryHavoc]

Glad to hear that I'm not wasting my time with this approach...

I am still building the filter (as we speak) to make it fully functional with IMediaControl methods for pausing, stopping and running. At this point the filter I tested yesterday just confirmed that this was possible, which exceeded my expectations.

Functions that I am working on...

1) IMediaControl compatibility
2) Finite File buffer (i.e. queue that holds (n) minutes of video)
3) Seek funtions (skip back, skip forward)

It may be several days before I would feel proud to release this filter.
I will follow the filter with a revised plugin_dshow (actually will be called plugin_dshow9). FYI, I don't believe this is exclusively Directx9 compatible. I think it will build and run with DX8 as well.

Correct me if I'm wrong with this theory (new to VideoLan software):

1) VLC currently allows one to pause a udp stream read from a file. (I think I tried this)
2) This dxfilter is essentially a write of the live stream to a file.
3) The standard unadultered vlc can read the file that is being written by my filter and stream udp and hence is seekable (confirmed during yesterdays test)

While my head is currently in this aspect of VLC, if anyone has any other thoughts or requests, let me know.

[mnspink]

Any updates?

[pvdeejay]

I am not such a programmer but I hope time-shifting is just close to recording. So is there a chance to use this up-coming filter as a recording system?
I am asking this because there are lots of arguments saying that while using actual dshow capabilities of VLC audo and video are getting out of sync slowly.
I am searching for a possibility to be able to record a movie from TV card to any lossless video and audio format muxed in any container preferably matroska or avi.
please let me know if I am totally off-topic

edit: oops I realized that this thread is too old to discuss such things... I believe most of the things are arleady solved.
Sorry