Dreambox to vlc on Mac OS X problems

[scoobie]

Using vlc 0.7.0 test-1 and Dreambox DM7000s sat receiver connected to dual 2GHz G5, OS X 10.3.1. DB has IP of 192.168.150.2 and can be accessed from the mac via FTP and telnet using root/dreambox login combo.

It doesn't seem to be streaming the MPEG.TS through vlc.
The following message appears in the window:

main debug: creating new input thread
main: playlist item `http://192.168.150.2'
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: access `http', demux `', name `192.168.150.2'
main debug: thread 34617856 (input) created at priority 37 (src/input/input.c:253)
main debug: looking for access module
main debug: probing 8 candidates
access_http debug: authenticating, user=root, password=dreambox
access_http debug: opening server=192.168.150.2 port=80 path=
main debug: looking for network module
main debug: probing 2 candidates
main debug: using network module "ipv4"
main debug: unlocking module "ipv4"
access_http debug: HTTP server replied: 200
main debug: cmd=state old=10 new=2
main debug: toggling pause
main debug: cmd=state old=2 new=1
main debug: playing at normal rate

Any ideas??

[BigBen]

Well, still then, cannot seen anything wrong in these logs : the vlc connects correctly to the http server of the dreambox, authentificate correctly, and starts retreiving the file...

Could you please check the verbose box in the message window (if unchecked) and/or send us the rest of the logs ?

[JN]

There is no "videostream" on port 80.
http://192.168.150.2:31339/video-pid,audio-pid
should get you a ts-stream. You will find the video- and audio-pids on the dreambox webinterface. You will get a message log like this:

main debug:
main debug: creating new input thread
main: playlist item `http://192.168.150.2:31339/6ff,700'
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: access `http', demux `', name `192.168.150.2:31339/6ff,700'
main debug: looking for access module
main debug: probing 8 candidates
access_http debug: opening server=192.168.150.2 port=31339 path=6ff,700
main debug: looking for network module
main debug: probing 2 candidates
main debug: thread 2624 (input) created at priority 15 (src/input/input.c:252)
main debug: using network module "ipv4"
main debug: unlocking module "ipv4"
access_http debug: HTTP server replied: 200
main debug: using access module "access_http"
main debug: looking for demux module
main debug: probing 20 candidates
mp4 warning: MP4 plugin discarded (not a valid file)
avi warning: avi module discarded (invalid header)
asf warning: ASF plugin discarded (not a valid file)
dshow warning: dshow plugin discarded (not a valid stream)
dshow warning: dshow plugin discarded (not a valid stream)
main debug: looking for mpeg-system module
main debug: probing 1 candidate
main debug: using mpeg-system module "mpeg_system"
main debug: using demux module "ts_dvbpsi"

Unfortunately, vlc 0.7.0 test-1 shows no video. Any ideas?

[scoobie]

Ok guys, thanks for the pointers. Let's see if we can replicate this on a FTA channel such as MTV Central on 19.2E (11739MHz V 27500 3/4)

If I enter http://192.168.150.2:31339/0xbd7,0xbd8 in a web browser (pids taken from the main window in Dreambox webinterface) I can see the datastream being transferred to the computer at 205KB/sec. Therefore entering 192.168.150.2:31339/0xbd7,0xbd8 in VLC gives the following when selecting "0xbd7,0xbd8" in the playlist

main: playlist item `http://192.168.150.2:31339/0xbd7,0xbd8'
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: thread 34671616 (input) created at priority 37 (src/input/input.c:253)
main debug: access `http', demux `', name `192.168.150.2:31339/0xbd7,0xbd8'
main debug: looking for access module
main debug: probing 8 candidates
access_http debug: authenticating, user=root, password=dreambox
access_http debug: opening server=192.168.150.2 port=31339 path=0xbd7,0xbd8
main debug: looking for network module
main debug: probing 2 candidates
main debug: using network module "ipv4"
main debug: unlocking module "ipv4"
access_http debug: HTTP server replied: 200
main debug: using access module "access_http"
main debug: looking for demux module
main debug: probing 17 candidates
mp4 warning: MP4 plugin discarded (cannot peek)
avi error: cannot peek()
asf warning: ASF plugin discarded (cannot peek)
ts_dvbpsi error: cannot peek()
ts error: cannot peek()
flac error: cannot peek()
au warning: AU module discarded (cannot peek)
wav warning: WAV module discarded (cannot peek)
main debug: looking for id3 module
main debug: probing 2 candidates
id3tag debug: Checking for ID3 tag
id3tag error: cannot peek()
id3 debug: Checking for ID3 tag
id3 error: cannot peek()
a52sys error: cannot peek
main debug: looking for id3 module
main debug: probing 2 candidates
id3tag debug: Checking for ID3 tag
id3tag error: cannot peek()
id3 debug: Checking for ID3 tag
id3 error: cannot peek()
mpga error: cannot peek
mpgv error: cannot peek
mkv warning: cannot peek
aac warning: AAC module discarded
ps error: cannot peek()
main error: no suitable demux module for `http/://192.168.150.2:31339/0xbd7,0xbd8'
access_http: closing HTTP target `http://192.168.150.2:31339/0xbd7,0xbd8'
main debug: thread 34671616: mutex_destroy failed at src/misc/objects.c:321 (22:Invalid argument)
main debug: 0 loops consuming user: 130, system: 39
main debug: dumping stream ID 0x0 [OK:0/D:0]
main debug: pace controlled
main error: thread 34671616: mutex_destroy failed at src/misc/objects.c:321 (22:Invalid argument)
main error: unlocking module "access_http"

[BigBen]

well, this doesn't seem to be a valid ts file...

By the way, 200 kB/s seems too little for a DVB video stream. I would rather expect at least twice that value

[JN]

You have to enter the PIDs as plain hex digits, without the leading "0x"

http://192.168.150.2:31339/bd7,bd8

vlc should find a find a valid ts-stream now. You should look for a log message that tells, that vlc uses the ts_dvbpsi module to demux the ts-stream:

main debug: looking for mpeg-system module
main debug: probing 1 candidate
main debug: using mpeg-system module "mpeg_system"
main debug: using demux module "ts_dvbpsi"

[scoobie]

Right, we're now getting a data stream of 425KB/sec from the Dreambox but still no video is displayed.

main: playlist item `http://192.168.150.2:31339/bd7,bd8'
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: access `http', demux `', name `192.168.150.2:31339/bd7,bd8'
main debug: thread 34898432 (input) created at priority 37 (src/input/input.c:253)
main debug: looking for access module
main debug: probing 8 candidates
access_http debug: opening server=192.168.150.2 port=31339 path=bd7,bd8
main debug: looking for network module
main debug: probing 2 candidates
main debug: using network module "ipv4"
main debug: unlocking module "ipv4"
access_http debug: HTTP server replied: 200
main debug: using access module "access_http"
main debug: looking for demux module
main debug: probing 17 candidates
mp4 warning: MP4 plugin discarded (not a valid file)
avi warning: avi module discarded (invalid header)
asf warning: ASF plugin discarded (not a valid file)
main debug: looking for mpeg-system module
main debug: probing 1 candidate
main debug: using mpeg-system module "mpeg_system"
main debug: using demux module "ts_dvbpsi"
macosx debug: stream has changed, refreshing interface

[Guest]

Have you tried to stream to a local file instead of displaying it? It would be interesting to know if vlc can play the saved file.

There is a HowTo for a dreambox port of vlc (to run as a server on the dreambox) by Christophe Massiot at the vlc-devel mailing-list:
http://www.via.ecp.fr/via/ml/vlc-devel/ ... 00086.html

The only client I am aware of, that can directly show an unicast ts-stream from the dreambox through http is MPlayer 1.0pre2 for Linux:
http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/design6/news.html
I don't know if there is an OS X port.

[scoobie]

Hmmm, a bit beyond my technical expertise at the moment...
However if I save to the Dreambox's internal HD and ftp the TS file across to my desktop it plays without a problem in vlc. However I cannot get vlc to display or save the streaming TS file over HTTP. The box is streaming to vlc as I can see the network activity when I pause/play using vlc's controller. When attempts to save the TS stream it results in a "vlc-output.ts" file of zero bytes.

[scoobie]

Success - but using MPlayer OS X 2 not VLC

The http stream is entered in MPlayer as http://192.168.150.2:31339/0xbd7,0xbd8 which VLC will not display. Strange.

[Microtera]

Success - but using MPlayer OS X 2 not VLC

The http stream is entered in MPlayer as http://192.168.150.2:31339/0xbd7,0xbd8 which VLC will not display. Strange.

scoobie, I have the same problem in Mac OS X with Panther on it. I've tried without success with the test version VLC0.7.0 and after your tip I tried MPlayer OS X 2 also unsuccesfully.
Because this is not an MPlayer forum can you please e-mail me at tsantsan@freemail.gr so I can ask you a couple of questions?

Thanks

[glemble]

have you the same image on your dreambox ?

[scoobie]

I don't think the Dreambox firmware matters as it uses the same networking protocols. MPlayer displays the stream only after allocating a buffer of 8MB in its preferences of which it uses 20%. VLC has no way to set a buffer size for the incoming stream and discards it.

[glemble]

Thanks for this info, its interesting. canwe change this parameters ?