Does netsync work?

[irishwulf]

I've seen a couple of examples of how to use netsync to synchronize video playback over a network, and I've spent a few days working on this, and here are my observations:
1) Every example that works uses a stream as the input;
2) Everyone that tries to use netsync with a local file as the input reports that it doesn't work;
3) Removing '--control netsync' and '--netsync-master*' from the command lines of the working examples results in playback that is just as well synchronized (it seems) as leaving them in
4) '-vvv' output states:

Code: Select all

[0xbf1740] main interface debug: looking for interface module: 1 candidate [0xbf1740] main interface debug: net: opening any datagram port 9875 [0xbf1740] main interface warning: ambiguous network protocol specification [0xbf1740] main interface warning: please select IP version explicitly [0xbcbfd0] main playlist debug: Activated [0xbf1740] main interface debug: using interface module "netsync"

However, port 9875 does /not/ appear to be listening, according to telnet and netstat.
5) Setting up a netsync master and two clients on the same computer, using an RTP stream on a multicast address, no traffic appears to /ever/ be sent to port 9875
6) In the -vvv output of the master and the two clients, the only reference to netsync is this line, which I have not yet attempted to trace to its source:

Code: Select all

[0xbf1740] netsync interface error: InputEvent DEAD

So, does netsync actually do anything?

Here's what I'm trying to do, which does not work at all:
vlc testfile.avi --control netsync --netsync-master
and
vlc testfile.avi --control netsync --netsync-master-ip 127.0.0.1
Both instances of VLC play the file just fine, but they are definitely not synchronized. They each just start playing the file from the beginning, whenever I happen to start them.

-Seth