So how do I make this thing work?

[dhj]

OK - I've looked through the forums - I've tried searching (phpBB doesn't quite do it well) and I cannot find a SIMPLE guide to how to make the whole thing work.

So, where is there a step by step guide IN ONE PLACE that shows how to do the following things:

1) Install VLC Streaming Server
2) Run it
3) Point a client at it from another machine
4) Via that client, select a movie to run (movies are DVDs that have been copied to the hard drive where the server is running)
5) Watch the movie!

(Note - I have actually installed it and I can run it and point a browser at it....but it seems to be incredibly clumsy).

If you have seen the SlimServer system (http://www.slimdevices.com), they have done the whole thing beautifully for music - you install the server, run it, tell it the root of your music files, it goes and finds them - and you just point a client (hardware or software) at the server and everything just works.

Am I only dreaming that a similar thing can be done with VideoLAN? It looks horribly messy to configure it - I can't even tell how to point it at ONE DVD on my drive, never mind have it be able to access my entire DVD library.

Thanks in advance
David Jameson

[dhj]

Sigh


P.S.
(Although I'm able to stream by explicitly selecting a file to stream and then pointing a client at it, this is hardly "Video on demand")

How do I allow a client (either software such as the VLC client itself) or hardware (such as the AminoNet 110) choose what movie to watch?

Thanks,
David Jameson

[jean]

Hi David,
I'm not in the posistion to answer your questions, but by the way where did you get the AminoNET?

Thanks
Jean

[dhj]

From the US Distributor in Florida. URL is

http://www.goamt.com


The pricing was extremely good and they were very helpful. However, I'm most likely going to return mine and investigate the PRISMIQ for which there is also a Linux streaming server available (unofficially) and supposedly it's far easier to work with than VideoLAN

[jean]

OK David,
thanks for the hint, may be I will also go for the PRISM

[dhj]

Yes, the longer one waits here without a response, the less interested I am in using VideoLAN. It's not that I expect to be supported - but lack of activity tends to imply lack of relevence.

The other system to look at is the HD1000 from RokuLabs - I wouldn't buy that one yet either but it looks like they're going down an interesting path. In particular, they implemented SAMBA on the box itself so SUPPOSEDLY you can just point it at files on a Linux box to play them. However, they're clear that full support for VOB is not quite there yet - there is Linux activity going on though.

[konggo]

hey i have been given a film that has subtittles...the subs are external ie exported in a .sub file how do i use VLc and open and play this file???