Stream Live Audio Input (problems)

[RDP]

Having such trouble doing what should be such a simple thing.

What I want to do:

Take live audio input, stream to another computer running VLC on my home network.

The procedure:

Note that current VLC doesn't seem to have a 'Wizard' anymore, so forum wiki does not exactly show me what I need to do. However, I am doing it by:

Going into sream, selecting capture device, setting destination as UDP, typing in IP of the computer I want to send to, choosing audio transcode format and then starting up.

Problem:

Using NSL (NetStatLive) I can see that a second after I press start there is a stream of data going out of my computer (this is good). Where I run into problems is on the receiving computer. I try to open the UDP stream using my own IP, no good, and using the sending computers IP, no good as well.

Any ideas, I have been trying this for quite some time now, very frustrating.

Thanks in advance,
RDP

[kdh]

I wrote some quick and dirty how-tos over here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=68649 2nd post down.

however, instread of selecting a capture device, just select the media you'd like to stream instead.


Does that work for you, or do you need more detail?

[RDP]

Success, and fail...

First attempt: Everything just worked fine. Absolutley no problems. I am pretty sure I just selected the first audio option with transcode (Ogg Vorbis). I cannot be sure though.

Any attempt after: Error window comes up saying it cannot use the input (which had just worked before). This is now with me trying different transcode options and also no transcode.

Now, what is interesting is that I am sure I do NOT have FULL WDM drivers for my audiocard (pro card). It's an RME Hammerfall (original, not DSP). However, it worked the first time just fine. So, what else could be the problem? To be exact my driver handles:

"This driver uses the Windows Driver Model, therefore is fully Plug and Play compatible under Windows 2000. It does not support WDM streaming or KS (Kernel Streaming)."

What I have noticed on my subsequent attempts: If now I ask for a transcode on audio I recevie the error messages, but if I ask it (under transcode) to do Video and Audio it will startup WITHOUT the error reporting. However NetStatLive shows no stream being output.

Confusing, but will keep trying. I hate it when things work the first time, then never after...

RDP

[kdh]

Ive had the same issue with my sound card..I would just go into windows device manager, delete my sound card, uninstall vlc, delete the c:\program files\videolan folder and reboot.

Reinstall my drivers for my card, then reinstall VLC.. and poof. Things work.

try that, and see what that does for you.

[RDP]

I tried your intstructions and the result is:

Good: No more messages about problems

Bad: I cannot get a stream to actually send, VLC (using HTTP) starts streaming and shows an elapsed time timer (that interestingly seems to be a culmitive time, never resseting to 0:00:00 at the bottom right of the VLC window, but nothing actually is being streamed. I tried with transcode on/off, different Audio Transcode options (MP3, FLAC, Vorbis), and even streaming audio and vieo with no actually video, but nothing is ever actually sent out the network...

On another note I tried to use a program called Airfoil and Air Speakers and it works perfectly.

However the geek in me wants to use VLC so I can say that I did it.

Any further tips appreciated.

RDP

[kdh]

hmm..

are you trying to connect back to your stream with another vlc instance?

[RDP]

No, I am only watching for outgoing activity on the net using NetStatLive. My client VLC instance is on another computer on my home network.

I think I will try to use the INPUT that is on my motherboard, not the pro audio card, see if that can help narrow things down.

Interesting to note: When I use Airfoil and select my inputs all my pro audio inputs on my PCI card are listed as eg: ADAT1 1&2 (EMULATED).

Wonder if the EMULATED is a hint to my VLC problems.

RDP

[RDP]

Problem solved.

Streaming does not actually send any data until an incoming connection is made (from a client). This is even though VLC says that it's streaming and the time counter is running. Once a client connects data is sent... ...doh....

Now I am trying to come up with a setting that I like that balances sound quality/data consumption. FLAC seems good but gobbles lots of bandwidth.

Question: On the last of the streaming option windows it generates what looks like a command line. Can I copy this into a VLC shortcut to get it to run with that configuration every time.

By the way, thanks for all you help. Much appreciated.

RDP

[kdh]

thats awesome!

Can you try this command for you genereated string?

:sout=#transcode{acodec=mp3,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100}

Use mp3 instead of FLAC.. ab=128 is your audio bit rate.. you can change that to 32,64,96,128,160,192.. etc..

samplerate can be changed to 22000(i think.. I cant rememeber) but for now leave it at 44100..

That should do it for you and keep the stream size down and should sound pretty good.