Related
I've got it down now.
Please go buy this new emulator is blows Nesoid out of the water. It is called ggNES. The lite version isn't a good impression to be honest. It uses the trackball, the volume keys, etc and you can't map the keys.
I bought the full version and I've got the FPS's up to 115!!!!
Sound is a lot better
Just will take a few to get use to.
A lot of comments are badgering the app but they're just foolish I haven't seen a better emulator yet!
"FC" = Family Computer (commonly called by its shortened name "Famicom") home video game console in Japan but in the US it's called "NES".
Have yet to use the emulator so I can't help you there.
I got the lite version and i can map the keys just fine!
-BMFC
I just don't like how it scans my files when it starts looking for Roms. I have all my Roms in a folder with Subfolders so it should let you tell it where to look opposed to going scan happy.
I haven't really tested it other than that so far.
The sound and totally fullscreen is better than nesoid. However, the screen is pixelated. Nesoid looks more filtered. The colors are off on ggnes. People are getting high fps but frame skip of 2 is imposed at a minimum. Its choppy.
ransu said:
The sound and totally fullscreen is better than nesoid. However, the screen is pixelated. Nesoid looks more filtered. The colors are off on ggnes. People are getting high fps but frame skip of 2 is imposed at a minimum. Its choppy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd suggest just playing around with it, turn off the high def.
And you can disable that rom search just tinker around with it.
Its not hard.
I prefer nesoid. Things I do not like:
Lists entire directory path
Odd screen dimensions (how is this better than Nesoid?)
No turbo option
Things I like:
Nice options, but screen options odd. Either squished on sides or top and bottom.
Frame rates show plus 60, but do not seem so. Besides, anything above 60hz is pointless with games designed for 50fps (PAL) or 60fps (NTSC).
The effort is appreciated and will be real good if noted issues are corrected. Since there already is a good NES emu. Perhaps time would be better spent on GBC, SMS, Game Gear and Turbgrafx?
actually this is runnin good.. u can change ur keys, i had it for 2 days and it updated twice ahh back in 4th grade memories
Lol I think it will more support for it will cause better emus later on. I think its better then Nesoid. I really like how you can key map and I like the fps running faster then 60.
I want to see a SNES emu from him so I can key map for portrait and play some good RPGS like Breath of Fire and Chrono Trigger.
You may have seen some blogposts yesterday about someone "hacking" the chromecast to run a gameboy emulator. Well, it is true that I got a gameboy emulator running on the chromecast, but it wasn't really a hack. This application uses no workaround or hack to get this up and running. It only uses the official SDK provided by Google.
I've posted the code on github here: https://github.com/acordar/chromecast-gb.
Performance is decent, not exactly the best since it doesn't run at 60fps (might depend on the rom, I've only tested 2). There isn't really any input lag though which is awesome.
If you've whitelisted your chromecast, you can set up the emulator yourself and try it out.
Here's OPs Reddit post
I really need to try this.
Hello folks,
I got my Chromecast, it works, I like it.
But I find it unnerving that the system is so closed.
Some guy has, months ago, released something he called "PiCast" as an open alternative on the Raspberry Pi.
I wonder: Why aren't there more devs bringing an open, extensible alternative, installable on a Raspberry Pi or other small computer, to life? I really don't understand it, since. like I see it, it doesn't seem particularly complicated! The following features would at least have to be implemented:
***********************************************
- media player software which can play a broad palette of formats and stream from different sources (VLC, Mplayer etc. come to mind an can surely be used as a part of the project)
- web interface which accepts URLs (web or LAN) of files that are to be played and passes them to the media player; and which accepts control commands for the now playing file like pause, forward etc.
Most convenient would be if these URLs could not only be http ones, but also SMB, streaming protocols etc.
Don't we all want a device where we NOT are confined to certain formats?
- apps for computers and mobile devices which let the user choose files he wants to watch / listen to and pass the URL to the web interface and which pass control commands like pause, forward to the web interface
- a customized, lean OS with a Chromecast-like, very simple UI
*************************************************
Any thoughts?
Best wishes,
Hasenbein
The entire reason for the CCast (which essentially replaced the GoogleTV fiasco) was to keep the system closed enough to get Content providers to support it due to the ability to use DRM and control the players being used.
Why do you think other projects like XBMC still to this day do NOT (and will NEVER) have access to Netflix for any sustainable time because Netflix will change their encryption and break any player app they do not have complete control over.
GoogleTV was actually blacklisted by the network websites to prevent it from playing content. All because it was just a little too open for their liking.
What @Asphyx said, plus Android TV sticks have been around for quite some time and already do similar. The key difference is market share. History is littered with proposed "standards" that never won. In the end it's not what is better, sometimes not even what's cheaper, but what picks up.
Iomega's Zip drive was inferior to SyQuest EZ drive, but Iomega won by marketing and hence adoption. Developers had more incentive to support Zip drives (not that much was specifically required but still) because there was a wider audience and market for them.
Adobe's changing the design market the same way. I still have CS6, but more and more I'm getting files from people on CC. And it's annoying. Essentially I'm being forced into CC if I want to work with anybody outside of my four walls.
Even though it's only available in select retail channels, Google is pushing Chromecast with TV ads. The fact that they've sold (or at least shipped) millions is a strong testament to its adoption rate. Even at my local stores, I can say just by the serial numbers they've cycled through, at least 500 have left the shelf since August 2013.
The market share attracts content providers, and the closed nature gives their lawyers ease regarding theft. Sure, there will always be people supporting TV sticks with clever solutions that are free or near-free, though they sometimes require jumping through numerous hoops (even moreso than Chromecast of today), and if something doesn't work as required, it involved researching. It's not like you can put in a support ticket or call support. Granted, Chromecast support isn't outstanding... but many of my non-techy friends have adopted Chromecast, even without hearing from me, and these are not people who visit XDA, nor are they people who would ever have run across or even considered an Android TV stick, nor are they people who have any idea of what an Arduino or Raspberry Pi is.
The draw is the consumer, and the consumer needs content to consume. Which means longevity of the product/concept/standard depends on support from the content providers.
At the price point of Chromecast it seems to be designed to draw in not just first timers, but also customers who may already have a media to TV solution but it's lacking in simplicity or quality. E.g. maybe you have a powerful HTPC that suits all your needs but Netflix is in low-def for DRM reasons. And YouTube stutters on 1080p because Windows keeps trying to do other things in the background while you play it. OK then you put $35 down on a Chromecast and now your Netflix & YouTube videos look better.
And similarly, it's cheap enough that if Chromecast alone does not suit your needs, you can say, well hey, all I spent on the Chromecast was $35, so I don't see why that should stop me from also buying that other media box that does more things.
cmstlist said:
At the price point of Chromecast it seems to be designed to draw in not just first timers, but also customers who may already have a media to TV solution but it's lacking in simplicity or quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm definitely in this boat.
I have a semi-Smart TV that supports YouTube, Amazon, and a about 12 other "channels" - but its interface is slow and clunky. It also doesn't support DLNA video (sadly, one model year too early).
I have a HTPC that I use to play DVDs and Blu-rays from my media server, and even though I have a BT keyboard remote for it, navigating between Windows Media Center and browser-sourced video is fiddly.
Chromecast didn't replace my HTPC, it's just giving me a much easier way to view those browser-sourced videos.
However, if/when Chromecast gets DVD and BD playback, it very well might replace my HTPC...
http://blog.vudu.com/?p=10711
https://forum.vudu.com/showthread.php?112941-UltraViolet-FAQ-s
Vudu ultraviolet on Chromecast will displace the need for a disc player or home video server for a number of people. Not sure yet but I'll probably be one of them.
cmstlist said:
At the price point of Chromecast it seems to be designed to draw in not just first timers, but also customers who may already have a media to TV solution but it's lacking in simplicity or quality. E.g. maybe you have a powerful HTPC that suits all your needs but Netflix is in low-def for DRM reasons. And YouTube stutters on 1080p because Windows keeps trying to do other things in the background while you play it. OK then you put $35 down on a Chromecast and now your Netflix & YouTube videos look better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. I really care about picture quality, so Chromecast offers the cheapest way to get SuperHD Netflix on my TV. If I wasn't bothered about the quality, I'd just connect my tablet with a cable whenever I wanted to watch something.
EarlyMon said:
http://blog.vudu.com/?p=10711
https://forum.vudu.com/showthread.php?112941-UltraViolet-FAQ-s
Vudu ultraviolet on Chromecast will displace the need for a disc player or home video server for a number of people. Not sure yet but I'll probably be one of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting service and a good idea....
Unfortunately $2 per SD conversion of DVD or $5 to HD is a bit too pricey considering how I have the equipment to rip my own DVD (I have more than 3000 titles in my collection), do the Upconvert and even rip the subtitles to put into an MKV.
But this service will do well because of the sheer number of people who do not have the capability to do that and the ease of use.
I wonder are they actually converting your DVDs or are they doing the much smarter thing and letting you insert the disk, check it for validity and then just giving you access to the already encoded content they have stored?
Asphyx said:
I wonder are they actually converting your DVDs or are they doing the much smarter thing and letting you insert the disk, check it for validity and then just giving you access to the already encoded content they have stored?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The second one, so far as I know.
And if you just enter your digital copy information that works too.
My son-in-law does that but I haven't asked him about the details - he's very happy with the service though.
It's a great Idea....
I have a similar validation system I use....
If I own it already on disc then I feel I have the right to download it if I choose...I paid them their cut so no Guilt involved.
LOL
Similar but I don't pay the conversion fee!
I have a small collection.
I got tired years ago of format changes, player upkeep and having more plastic in the house, so I've been satisfied with rentals. I keep a few favorites on my shelves just in case.
And I had one of my media servers die of old age a few months ago. I'm tired of maintaining my own cloud. Been there, done that. Still do my music and just a few movies now.
I like the ultraviolet model, it sounds simple to me.
And to the OP -
LocalCast does direct entry of http and smb addresses.
EarlyMon said:
I have a small collection.
I got tired years ago of format changes, player upkeep and having more plastic in the house, so I've been satisfied with rentals. I keep a few favorites on my shelves just in case.
And I had one of my media servers die of old age a few months ago. I'm tired of maintaining my own cloud. Been there, done that. Still do my music and just a few movies now.
I like the ultraviolet model, it sounds simple to me.
And to the OP -
LocalCast does direct entry of http and smb addresses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah unfortunately I live in a very rural area and Cable and Internet outages are common (all the damn trees!)
So when that happens I really have no other recourse than to use whatever is on my Media server to entertain myself...
I went out and invested in a good NAS with Raid that holds 16Tb worth of drives (don't get full16Tbs with Raid though...I may even need to double that soon as I'm running out of space).
My Media Server is my HTPC so I can simply replace that unit if it craps out and just re-install the server software and map the drives.
Been checking out that Chromecast store app...a Lot of stuff in there I didn't know about...
Hey Guys, new to the forum.
I purchased the chromecast, looking to stream local files and get rid of my hdmi cable. I can cast a tab fine, but experience a bit of lag when viewing at max bit-rate. (extreme 720p)
My computer is i7 4770k @3.5ghz and card is HD7970. SO i dont think hardware is the issue. My router is a Linksys EA6900 and its about 5m away from the dongle.
Has anyone managed to actually stream full HD to the chrome cast without noticeable lag or reduction if FPS, or is it simply not available at this point of time?
Thanks
MaverickH93 said:
Hey Guys, new to the forum.
I purchased the chromecast, looking to stream local files and get rid of my hdmi cable. I can cast a tab fine, but experience a bit of lag when viewing at max bit-rate. (extreme 720p)
My computer is i7 4770k @3.5ghz and card is HD7970. SO i dont think hardware is the issue. My router is a Linksys EA6900 and its about 5m away from the dongle.
Has anyone managed to actually stream full HD to the chrome cast without noticeable lag or reduction if FPS, or is it simply not available at this point of time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
720p tab casting even of Flash video works well for me, but I seem to be an exception rather than the norm...
Are there any obstructions between your router and Chromecast, especially the TV itself?
My system is a dual Quad-Core Opteron 2.9 GHz Shanghai, 32 GB RAM, running Win 7 Professional x64. AMD/ATI Radeon HD 7750 graphics.
bhiga said:
720p tab casting even of Flash video works well for me, but I seem to be an exception rather than the norm...
Are there any obstructions between your router and Chromecast, especially the TV itself?
My system is a dual Quad-Core Opteron 2.9 GHz Shanghai, 32 GB RAM, running Win 7 Professional x64. AMD/ATI Radeon HD 7750 graphics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its pretty much line of sight and the perpendicular to the back of the TV. What kind of router are you using?
Also what file type are the videos you are watching and how big are the files. For example, if i watch a .mp4 blue-ray RIP its size is around 1.8Gb i experience minor FPS decrease on the High setting. Extreme just leads to lagging.
The way i see it there's the potential for 3 issues.
1. The computer hardware
2. The router connection
3. Google chrome's wireless hardware
MaverickH93 said:
Hey Guys, new to the forum.
I purchased the chromecast, looking to stream local files and get rid of my hdmi cable. I can cast a tab fine, but experience a bit of lag when viewing at max bit-rate. (extreme 720p)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to stream local file (movie) is better to send the file and let Chromecast buffer and decode it than stream a tab.
I've been using this here and works like charm: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/videostream-for-google-ch/cnciopoikihiagdjbjpnocolokfelagl
I don't believe I tried sending a 1080p but 720p is flawless and I can't see why it wouldn't
They also have an Android app for remote control the stream, so I pretty much click play on the PC and sit on the sofa with the phone to control.
If your video is not in a compatible format, I'll go ahead and do a shamelessly self-propaganda: I did this little batch converter specifically for the CC and it seems to be working fine.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2699870
Budius said:
to stream local file (movie) is better to send the file and let Chromecast buffer and decode it than stream a tab.
I've been using this here and works like charm: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/videostream-for-google-ch/cnciopoikihiagdjbjpnocolokfelagl
I don't believe I tried sending a 1080p but 720p is flawless and I can't see why it wouldn't
They also have an Android app for remote control the stream, so I pretty much click play on the PC and sit on the sofa with the phone to control.
If your video is not in a compatible format, I'll go ahead and do a shamelessly self-propaganda: I did this little batch converter specifically for the CC and it seems to be working fine.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2699870
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i tied to use Videostream, but for some reason it gets stuck on the loading screen. I turned off all my firewalls, changed permissions, ran chrome canary, ran as admin but it still doesn't work.
i think that's the issue. CC needs to buffer video. It sounds like VideoStream is the kind of program i need so will just have to keep working at it.
MaverickH93 said:
Yes i tied to use Videostream, but for some reason it gets stuck on the loading screen. I turned off all my firewalls, changed permissions, ran chrome canary, ran as admin but it still doesn't work.
i think that's the issue. CC needs to buffer video. It sounds like VideoStream is the kind of program i need so will just have to keep working at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, those HERE are the media types that Chromecast can natively run. Anything besides that it will not work (unless you're just mirroring the screen, but as you noticed, it's pretty slow, or you have some media server on your computer doing some on-the-fly conversion, which can run pretty slow and heat your PC a lot).
I suggest getting a video that you're sure within the spec to test. Probably if you download a YouTube from those "youtube downloaders" website or just something you recoded with your phone, it will be in spec (mp4 container, h264 codec, AAC or MP3 audio).
So what I've done (check my last post) was to code myself a batch converter (helps being a Java developer) so currently my computer at home is converting my whole video collection to compatible format.
Can I upload a mp4 video say dropbox and stream it to chromecast? Any online hosts allow this?
LoL.
I have a Raspberry Pi running Rasbian and it has 1TB USB drive attached, I'm running Apache2 and point it to my drive so it appears in http. I then use the Android NAS Cast app, settings configure to the http of the directory with the MP4 and it casts perfectly decent quality. So there is no desktop involved, Android in your hand and the small Linux server and Chromecast.
As has been said, Chromecast as very limited codecs. You can explicitly seek out the compatible videos, or recode using ffmpeg. The Raspberry Pi is too weak to do real-time recoding but you can batch up and have recoding those files not compatible, and then if low on disk-space, delete the original non-compatible.
I'm 90% through overnight building my own Rasbian system (been on a Dockstar on older Linux for years) and built ffmpeg overnight.
nigelhealy said:
As has been said, Chromecast as very limited codecs. You can explicitly seek out the compatible videos, or recode using ffmpeg. The Raspberry Pi is too weak to do real-time recoding but you can batch up and have recoding those files not compatible,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said on the other thread.
I found a FFMPEG for RaspianPi but it was so painfully slow. Like a low-res 20 seconds video would take 30 min to encode. Now imagine a tera-byte drive it would take a few years, not really good. Best option is really to get the best-fastest machine you have available and leave it running for a week or two.
Budius said:
Like I said on the other thread.
I found a FFMPEG for RaspianPi but it was so painfully slow. Like a low-res 20 seconds video would take 30 min to encode. Now imagine a tera-byte drive it would take a few years, not really good. Best option is really to get the best-fastest machine you have available and leave it running for a week or two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried running it locally (Ubuntu desktop) lots of error messages saying
Failed to get FFPROBE
I have the ffprobe command though.
nigelhealy said:
Tried running it locally (Ubuntu desktop) lots of error messages saying
Failed to get FFPROBE
I have the ffprobe command though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what does say in the LOG tab?
Try running from the terminal: ffprobe <video_path>.mp4 Does it work or does it say "can't find command ffprobe" ?
at the end of this https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/UbuntuCompilationGuide it shows how to add the ffmpeg to the path
ps.: let's keep debug/conversation regarding the Converter on the converter thread? I guess it's more logical and we don't hijack MaverickH93s thread
moved to the app thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=51533199
I use Plex and I love it, try it if you haven't!
The best way is Localcast https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.stefanpledl.localcast
Great for android!
Enviado desde mi Amazon Kindle Fire HD mediante Tapatalk
MaverickH93 said:
Its pretty much line of sight and the perpendicular to the back of the TV. What kind of router are you using?
Also what file type are the videos you are watching and how big are the files. For example, if i watch a .mp4 blue-ray RIP its size is around 1.8Gb i experience minor FPS decrease on the High setting. Extreme just leads to lagging.
The way i see it there's the potential for 3 issues.
1. The computer hardware
2. The router connection
3. Google chrome's wireless hardware
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your router is behind the TV? That's how mine is set up, although my Chromecast is actually off to the side of the TV.
My router is a Netgear WNDR4500
I've mainly been watching Flash videos, as that's what the websites my little one likes has (Nickelodeon, BabyFirstTV, Disney Junior)
nigelhealy said:
LoL.
I have a Raspberry Pi running Rasbian and it has 1TB USB drive attached, I'm running Apache2 and point it to my drive so it appears in http. I then use the Android NAS Cast app, settings configure to the http of the directory with the MP4 and it casts perfectly decent quality. So there is no desktop involved, Android in your hand and the small Linux server and Chromecast.
As has been said, Chromecast as very limited codecs. You can explicitly seek out the compatible videos, or recode using ffmpeg. The Raspberry Pi is too weak to do real-time recoding but you can batch up and have recoding those files not compatible, and then if low on disk-space, delete the original non-compatible.
I'm 90% through overnight building my own Rasbian system (been on a Dockstar on older Linux for years) and built ffmpeg overnight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boy wish you had a tutorial or walk through of setting this up. I would love to use my beaglebone black for that if possible. Any links that would point me in right direction? mind sharing?
I would really like to use headless systems for this. Thanks
I think Plex is the easiest way to stream local movies since it makes everything organized and can convert file formats if needed. The phone app makes it a breeze to control everything. I use localcast to stream pics and videos taken from my phone.
paracha3 said:
Boy wish you had a tutorial or walk through of setting this up. I would love to use my beaglebone black for that if possible. Any links that would point me in right direction? mind sharing?
I would really like to use headless systems for this. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as far as I Googled beaglebone is just a little Linux machine like the RaspberryPi. Just install a mini-DLNA on it and that's all you need. Most Android apps in Google Play will run from a DLNA (bubble and LocalCast do it).
Quick Google I found this tuto on mini-DLNA on RaspberryPi (http://bbrks.me/rpi-minidlna-media-server/) should work for the beaglebone too.
I have to throw my hat in the ring for plex, too. Downside is that you have to put your videos in a certain folder and name them a certain way for the server to see them. It doesnt let you just open a random video file like VLC and have it sent to the chromecast. Upside is that it transcodes the videos to a supported format on the fly.
As far as streaming videos/pictures off your phone, there are a few choices, but none of them are ready for primetime yet. Allcast shows some of the videos/pictures taken on my phone sideways and upside down. I also havent found an easy way to tell Allcast to stop casting and return to the chromecast homescreen (screensaver). Localcast has an option to let you rotate the files so you can at least see them with the correct orientation, but it still has some issues with connecting. Localcast does, however, have an option to stop casting so you dont burn-in its screen on your TV.
gianptune said:
I have to throw my hat in the ring for plex, too. Downside is that you have to put your videos in a certain folder and name them a certain way for the server to see them. It doesnt let you just open a random video file like VLC and have it sent to the chromecast. Upside is that it transcodes the videos to a supported format on the fly.
As far as streaming videos/pictures off your phone, there are a few choices, but none of them are ready for primetime yet. Allcast shows some of the videos/pictures taken on my phone sideways and upside down. I also havent found an easy way to tell Allcast to stop casting and return to the chromecast homescreen (screensaver). Localcast has an option to let you rotate the files so you can at least see them with the correct orientation, but it still has some issues with connecting. Localcast does, however, have an option to stop casting so you dont burn-in its screen on your TV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The naming should be a non-issue though. Most of the movies and shows you download are already named the correct way.
I have been working for a few days on setting up a process to pull my Tivo recordings off my Tivo onto my PC, and then get them into a format where they can stream to my chromecast on another TV. In other words, a poor man's multi-room viewing. I am in over my head on several aspects, and while I have gotten it to work, I have had to make some sacrifices. I'd like to see if someone can "poke holes" in my setup and suggest a better way to get the job done.
First, here is the hardware...
Asus AC66U (currently, no qos enabled)
TivoHD (wired connection)
Fairly-new PC with capable processing power (wired connection)
Chromecast in the next room (gets full bars on wifi icon)
The setup...
1. I am using kmttg to automatically pull the recordings off the Tivo, decrypt them to an mpeg file, and then encode that mpeg file into an mp4 file that is compatible with chromecast. Kmttg has both ffmpeg and handbrake encoding capabilities.
2. I store the encoded mp4 files in a folder on my PC that is shared with everyone on my network.
3. I use Localcast on my android phone to locate the shared folder, then the file I want to view, then Localcast takes it from there.
ETA:
3. Plex Media Server on the PC
4. BubbleUPnP android app
The Plex Media Server and BubbleUPnP app solve the problem that Localcast caused by using the phone as the connection between the PC and Chromecast. Plex Media Server and BubbleUPnP allow me to connect the PC directly to Chromecast, lowering network traffic considerably and allowing me to cast a much higher quality video without the stuttering.
This setup works, however there are some problems I need to correct. I have issues with stuttering/buffering streams. I have tried to correct this by using encoding profiles that create a very small file size, which solves the buffering problem, but video quality suffers as a result. At present, I either have to decide between HD quality video that causes stutters ever few minutes, or a file that streams smoothly but has a video quality around SD quality. In seeking help on another forum for the best encoding profile, the suggestion was made that it wasn't the file size, but my wifi setup that could be the problem. Researching my wifi setup brought be to this post, which makes me wonder if localcast is my bottleneck. I was under the impression that Localcast was just creating a direct stream from my PC, similar to a direct stream from Netflix. However, if it is actually forwarding the stream from my PC through my phone to the chromecast, that would explain the poor performance (the stream has to go out to the phone and then back to the router and then out to the chromecast).
Greetings (again) fellow TiVo user! I refuse to give up my lifetime subscription and Series3 display!
Here's what I suggest...
Install Serviio on the PC with the converted videos on them. This will make your PC a DLNA/UPnP server. Be sure to configure the library so the folder with the videos is accessible.
Install BubbleUPnP on your phone.
Set the BubbleUPnP Library to your Serviio PC (it should show up in the list).
Set the BubbleUPnP Renderer to your Chromecast.
Go to the Library and find something to play. Depending on the metadata, you may need to use the Folder view rather than categories.
I tested it and the BubbleUPnP client app that runs on Chromecast seems to grab the stream directly from the server, rather than brokering the stream through your phone. That ought to help your bandwidth issue so you can use higher bitrates to get better quality.
I like what you're doing, it's something I'd like to do eventually too.
Localcast might do the same as BubbleUPnP once you get Serviio running, I haven't used it.
Yeah, I'm not ready to give up my old Tivo either! My wife has been bugging me that she can't watch recorded shows
I played around with my setup last night and found some things that work. I installed Plex Media Server on my PC and the BubbleUPnP on my phone. The BubbleUPnP app automatically detected the Plex Media Server and casting to my Chromecast was very easy. And you are right, this setup allows casting directly from PC to the Chromecast. I was able to stream my files without any stuttering! I have to go back now and re-encode my existing files to a higher video quality, but that is a price I am willing to pay.
Plex Media Server downloads the metadata about the recordings from the internet and automatically names, organizes and adds thumbnails for each recording. This is really cool. It took me a few attempts to figure out how the folders and files needed to be stored on my PC to get it to work right, but I think I have the hang of it now.
The only small trouble I have in the process is it seems like Tivo's episode information is incorrect on some of the recordings. For example, Tivo thinks a particular recording is Episode number X, but really it is Episode number Y. Tivo's Episode Title is correct, but Plex seems to just look for the Season/Episode information to pull the metadata, and then overwrites the Episode Title with the downloaded info. I have to go back into my PC and correct the episode number, which then corrects the trouble on Plex at the next download. However, this has just happened on a couple of recordings and it may not be a big issue.
I'll take a look at Serviio and see how it compares to Plex.
My next project is to see if I can find a way to stream recordings from my Mega cloud account. With 50bg of free storage, that would allow my Tivo recordings to be available wherever I am. I see Mega has a mobile app, and they say that it is possible to stream files from it, but I haven't been able to get it to work. You can long press on a file and share it to BubbleUPnP or Localshare, but I get an error message on Chromecast saying the file type is not supported. It would be nice if Mega added Chromecast support. That would rock. Even if I can't cast it to Chromecast, being able to stream it on my phone would be great. However, when I click on the file, it just tries to download the file to my phone's storage. I see there are 3rd party apps that claim to stream Mega files, but I'm wary of trying them since they don't look to be widely used.
Good move with the Bubble and Plex addition....
The two of those give a great one two punch and really make all the other options for streaming pretty lackluster IMO...
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
Might think about moving to an MKV container and using Handbrake for the conversion.
Asphyx said:
Good move with the Bubble and Plex addition....
The two of those give a great one two punch and really make all the other options for streaming pretty lackluster IMO...
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
Might think about moving to an MKV container and using Handbrake for the conversion.
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kmttg lists closed captioning data as one of their features. I haven't tried it so I can't say if/how it works.
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
Thanks for the suggestion of the MKV option. I tried that encoding profile in the beginning and I kept getting errors each time the file started saying that something wasn't compatible and possibly the audio wouldn't work. Everything seemed to stream correctly, but the error message was annoying each time. Additionally, now that I have Plex installed, it doesn't seem like the old leftover MKV files are showing up in my library...as if it is an unsupported file type. I'll work on it some more. It could be the particular MKV profile I chose, or some other issue that I can work through.
whitenack said:
The only small trouble I have in the process is it seems like Tivo's episode information is incorrect on some of the recordings. For example, Tivo thinks a particular recording is Episode number X, but really it is Episode number Y. Tivo's Episode Title is correct, but Plex seems to just look for the Season/Episode information to pull the metadata, and then overwrites the Episode Title with the downloaded info. I have to go back into my PC and correct the episode number, which then corrects the trouble on Plex at the next download. However, this has just happened on a couple of recordings and it may not be a big issue.
I'll take a look at Serviio and see how it compares to Plex.
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Yeah, the TiVo guide info has been spotty lately, which is not a good thing since the guide info is what the subscription is for!
Some episodes are incorrectly numbered (though the back-to-back dual-episode premieres and finales always tend to be confusing), some don't have episode numbers at all. Almost seems like they're pulling from two sources and when the "good" source doesn't have info, we get the generic version.
Asphyx said:
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
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Plex's metadata library really is one of its strong points
TiVo recordings do have embedded CC AFAIK, but I haven't looked to see if it's encoded as MPEG subcode like on DVD or differently. My guess is it's subcode, as it's embedded in the original transport stream.
whitenack said:
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
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I've successfully used VideoReDo TVSuite 4 to edit both native TiVo .tivo and MPEG transport streams. It has some nifty features to fix rubbished streams and also has commercial detection. It's not free, though since I already have it, this auto-processor may just have reserved a few future weekends... Hmm, I might have to get a new machine after all (granted, my desktop is over 5 years old - I just dislike change, haha).
whitenack said:
kmttg lists closed captioning data as one of their features. I haven't tried it so I can't say if/how it works.
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
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Yep I understand the automated want...PITA to have to manually do it. Commercials are always a PITA to cut out. You can just as easily FF through them later.
whitenack said:
Thanks for the suggestion of the MKV option. I tried that encoding profile in the beginning and I kept getting errors each time the file started saying that something wasn't compatible and possibly the audio wouldn't work. Everything seemed to stream correctly, but the error message was annoying each time. Additionally, now that I have Plex installed, it doesn't seem like the old leftover MKV files are showing up in my library...as if it is an unsupported file type. I'll work on it some more. It could be the particular MKV profile I chose, or some other issue that I can work through.
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Hmmm it could be the CC Subtitles that are the actual issue with compatibility. You might be able to tweak that profile properly but if you don't need them why bother. I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
bhiga said:
Plex's metadata library really is one of its strong points
TiVo recordings do have embedded CC AFAIK, but I haven't looked to see if it's encoded as MPEG subcode like on DVD or differently. My guess is it's subcode, as it's embedded in the original transport stream.
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For guys like us (and other XDA folk) it's probably not as important to have a nice and easy interface to navigate with but since we all have friends and family who need to navigate these things Plex just makes the whole process a lot simpler to teach for those uninitiated users.
One of the biggest downsides to the DLNA architecture is it's lack of metadata and good interface system.
Uninitiated want to see box covers not file listings.
As for your old computer it may be 5 years old but that still makes it a good prospect for a media server...Throw a bit more ram in and run Linux and it should be good enough for transcode and serving.
But you know that already! LOL
Asphyx said:
Yep I understand the automated want...PITA to have to manually do it. Commercials are always a PITA to cut out. You can just as easily FF through them later.
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Yeah, precisely why I haven't really put much effort into dealing with them to date. Still, when you're archiving hundreds of hours, those commercials add up.
Asphyx said:
I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
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That describes me perfectly. Something's either wrong with my hearing, audio system, or both.
Asphyx said:
As for your old computer it may be 5 years old but that still makes it a good prospect for a media server...Throw a bit more ram in and run Linux and it should be good enough for transcode and serving.
But you know that already! LOL
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It's a dual quad-core with 32GB of RAM, so still quite capable for my needs, which is why I haven't upgraded (aside from cost), but as an encoding machine its fans SCREAM so I usually throttle encoding tasks outside of sleep times using Battle Encoder Shirase. The other alternative is to switch to liquid cooling, but my system is not mainstream (AMD Socket F server board) so doing that will likely require more than a weekend.
This just reminded me though... I do have my previous desktop which was a quiet machine. Nowhere near the same horsepower, but it was quiet... Hmm... Now ALL of my precious spare time has been shot! LOL!!
Asphyx said:
Hmmm it could be the CC Subtitles that are the actual issue with compatibility. You might be able to tweak that profile properly but if you don't need them why bother. I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
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Nevermind. I see my problem now. It's not the MKV that is causing the problem, its the fact I don't have the folder set up correctly for that particular show (the only recordings for that particular show were MKVs). I dropped an MKV file into an existing show folder and it recognizes it. Awesome. So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.
whitenack said:
So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.
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Individual quality judgements will vary (and so will Spouse Approval Factor), but as a matter of reference, DTV streams are typically 19 Mbps MPEG-2, so they're already squashed, which roughly translates to around 4 Mbps in MPEG-4.
Commercials are good for threshold purposes, especially those with the tiny text at the bottom of action commercials that says "Professional stunt person - Do not attempt." One because those types of commercials have a lot of action and scene changes, and two because the text at the bottom tends to be small, and that's usually the first thing to go blocky/fuzzy when you drop too many bits.
Watch out of the car commercials though, the SUPER tiny text on those is usually already destroyed by the cable company's compression.
bhiga said:
Individual quality judgements will vary (and so will Spouse Approval Factor), but as a matter of reference, DTV streams are typically 19 Mbps MPEG-2, so they're already squashed, which roughly translates to around 4 Mbps in MPEG-4.
Commercials are good for threshold purposes, especially those with the tiny text at the bottom of action commercials that says "Professional stunt person - Do not attempt." One because those types of commercials have a lot of action and scene changes, and two because the text at the bottom tends to be small, and that's usually the first thing to go blocky/fuzzy when you drop too many bits.
Watch out of the car commercials though, the SUPER tiny text on those is usually already destroyed by the cable company's compression.
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We cut the cable cord a few years ago, so unfortunately I am accustomed to uncompressed quality. Having said that, the Chromecast is connected to our bedroom TV and it isn't exactly a high quality display. It was one of those Black Friday specials where they pretty much give it away. Thanks for the tip on the commercial text test. That will be handy.
bhiga said:
It's a dual quad-core with 32GB of RAM, so still quite capable for my needs, which is why I haven't upgraded (aside from cost), but as an encoding machine its fans SCREAM so I usually throttle encoding tasks outside of sleep times using Battle Encoder Shirase. The other alternative is to switch to liquid cooling, but my system is not mainstream (AMD Socket F server board) so doing that will likely require more than a weekend.
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Get one of those corsair pre-built models...
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...1366_2011_AM2_AM3.html?tl=g30c321&id=Ar4dvGLz
That should be more than enough for Encoding/Transcoding...You would only need more for Gaming....
But I agree you are a far way off from needing an upgrade with that rig!
whitenack said:
Nevermind. I see my problem now. It's not the MKV that is causing the problem, its the fact I don't have the folder set up correctly for that particular show (the only recordings for that particular show were MKVs). I dropped an MKV file into an existing show folder and it recognizes it. Awesome. So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.
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As for Profile everything I have currently is H.264 4-10Mbs with AAC Stereo, AAC Surround and in some cases where it was available AC3 or DHT.
But that is not conducive to automated encode really...
What I do for most of my movies is if it has AC3 or DHT I add in AAC Stereo, AAC Surround based off the Dolby track and add any subtitle tracks I need as well.
So what I wind up with is a virtually device wide compatible Video track and Multiple Audio and subtitle tracks to choose from depending on the output device.
Probably don't need something that comprehensive for TV shows...Just make sure there is at least one AAC audio track.
File Size will really be dictated by Video Bitrate which @bhiga already mentioned...4MBs is probably the most you could need given the source quality.
Asphyx said:
Probably don't need something that comprehensive for TV shows...Just make sure there is at least one AAC audio track.
File Size will really be dictated by Video Bitrate which @bhiga already mentioned...4MBs is probably the most you could need given the source quality.
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I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?
whitenack said:
I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?
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Same res = same resolution, but the bitrate can still affect video quality.
That said, the parameters you're showing should produce good results.
An AIO corsair or any other closed loop would start getting costly for him. Remember he has more than one CPU to cool, so you'd really wants go open loop cause you need two CPU blocks and I don't know anything else about the system so I won't guess how many rads you would need. Maybe change the fans out if there too loud, but I'm assuming you need something very powerful like delta fan's to keep it cool. Anyways that site recommended above does have a nice selection of quality water cooling components and fans. Check out alphacool, I use there rads with a swiftech block, but watch out for the clearance its around 60mm.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
whitenack said:
I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but thats what your encoding profile says not the source bitrate right? You should experiment a bit and see at what bitrate you see little to no quality loss or find some way to figure out the bitrate of the source file (since it's in some proprietary format might not be possible).
Then just make sure your target bitrate for re-encode is slightly higher with the same frame rate and you should be fine. from the looks of it it sounds like your FPS may be too high. And that might be a cause of loss of quality. Great for movement but the frames and pixels suffer.
Think if it similar to the following
The VBrate is like a bottle holds all the data for video and comes once a second.
FPS determines how many pictures are in that bottle with each picture being limited to the data size that allows all pictures to fit in that bottle.
Resolution (1080, 720) determines how many pixels must be REPRESENTED (but not always actually present) in each picture.
SO...
a VBRate with 4000K and 60 fps means 66.6K worth of pixel data per frame,
VBRate of 4000k and 30 fps means 133.3K worth of data per frame
Divide that number yet again by the number of pixels (resolution) and you get the data allotment for each pixel. As that number gets smaller the pixels actually get larger and blockier by trying to make one pixel tell the story of 4 or 8 pixels to fit into the limits of the picture so the pictures (FPS) can fit into the limits of the bottle (VBRate) and the dynamic range of each pixel gets compromised as it must use a shorter pallette for Light Dark, and RGB (Red Green Blue).
By the same token this is also why Upconverting often leads to blockiness not because of the limits of the Output but the limitations of the input. And no BETTER quality is actually possible.All the encoder does is double the pixels or framerate using the VBrate for each but you are not actually getting any better quality just magnifying the pixels. And that is just like looking at a screen with a magnifying glass. You see how blocky the pixels really are in the original and those blocks just get BIGGER on the upconvert.
I suggest you see what the top Bitrate and resolution of the source files are and then set your profile accordingly to at least get parity for the best quality possible.
Resolution and FPS should exactly match and then the VBrate as long as it is the same or slightly above will ensure your getting everything there is to get out of the source...
Nizda1 said:
Remember he has more than one CPU to cool,...
...Anyways that site recommended above does have a nice selection of quality water cooling components and fans. Check out alphacool, I use there rads with a swiftech block, but watch out for the clearance its around 60mm.
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Yes good catch I missed the DUAL and just saw the Quad...The Dual CPU does complicate things.
I have used Frozen for most of my Personal Builds of rigs but mostly because they are so damn close to me that I get the shipments almost next day even when I ship it ground.
IMO Cooling is the most overlooked and underrated part of Rig Building...
I happen to have a Cosmos S case I use for all my main rigs (Just keep changing the guts) because it's just so versatile no matter what I decide to do, Water, Fans and plenty of room for all of it.
Asphyx said:
Yes but thats what your encoding profile says not the source bitrate right?
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Yes, that file had been encoded, but at a much higher rate than what it ended up at. I think the bitrate was set at either 4000 or 5000, but still only produced a file at a bitrate of about half. Therefore, I assume that the Tivo file is set at that bitrate?
You should experiment a bit and see at what bitrate you see little to no quality loss or find some way to figure out the bitrate of the source file (since it's in some proprietary format might not be possible).
Then just make sure your target bitrate for re-encode is slightly higher with the same frame rate and you should be fine. from the looks of it it sounds like your FPS may be too high. And that might be a cause of loss of quality. Great for movement but the frames and pixels suffer.
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Yeah, these are .TiVo files, and I can't find any information on it. You were right about the frame rate...too high. I adjusted to 30 and that helped. I then tried about 4 or 5 different bitrate settings and am still looking for the perfect match between video quality and file size. I currently have one (480xheight, 1250 bitrate, 1500 max rate) that is a nice file size but a little fuzzy for my tastes. Then I have another one (1280xheight, 2000 bitrate, 2500 max rate) that looks great. What I'll try to do tonight is work on trimming the bitrate down a bit on the higher quality one until I notice a quality change, and then see if it changes the file size enough to justify the loss of quality.
Think if it similar to the following
The VBrate is like a bottle holds all the data for video and comes once a second.
FPS determines how many pictures are in that bottle with each picture being limited to the data size that allows all pictures to fit in that bottle.
Resolution (1080, 720) determines how many pixels must be REPRESENTED (but not always actually present) in each picture.
SO...
a VBRate with 4000K and 60 fps means 66.6K worth of pixel data per frame,
VBRate of 4000k and 30 fps means 133.3K worth of data per frame
Divide that number yet again by the number of pixels (resolution) and you get the data allotment for each pixel. As that number gets smaller the pixels actually get larger and blockier by trying to make one pixel tell the story of 4 or 8 pixels to fit into the limits of the picture so the pictures (FPS) can fit into the limits of the bottle (VBRate) and the dynamic range of each pixel gets compromised as it must use a shorter pallette for Light Dark, and RGB (Red Green Blue).
By the same token this is also why Upconverting often leads to blockiness not because of the limits of the Output but the limitations of the input. And no BETTER quality is actually possible.All the encoder does is double the pixels or framerate using the VBrate for each but you are not actually getting any better quality just magnifying the pixels. And that is just like looking at a screen with a magnifying glass. You see how blocky the pixels really are in the original and those blocks just get BIGGER on the upconvert.
I suggest you see what the top Bitrate and resolution of the source files are and then set your profile accordingly to at least get parity for the best quality possible.
Resolution and FPS should exactly match and then the VBrate as long as it is the same or slightly above will ensure your getting everything there is to get out of the source...
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Click to collapse
Thanks for all the help. I came to this post knowing nothing about any of this and all the information I have is from you guys and reverse engineering some existing profiles. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I see there may be an option to access my Plex Media Server from other networks over the internet. Looks like BubbleUPnP also supports setting up media servers over the internet, so I will work on that next.
whitenack said:
Oh, I forgot to mention that I see there may be an option to access my Plex Media Server from other networks over the internet. Looks like BubbleUPnP also supports setting up media servers over the internet, so I will work on that next.
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Yeah I would shoot for 720P (1280 X 720) as that is likely the best quality your likely getting from the sources you have recorded.
I don't see where encoding set at one bitrate would actually wind up with a lower bitrate output, unless of course you have it set to Auto Match Bitrate. Which really shouldn't be done because the new codec you are encoding to might require a higher bitrate to get the same quality (Remember different codecs compress differently and as a result require more or less bandwidth than other codecs to get the same quality)
So you have to choose the target bitrate that works best for the codec you are encoding in. In the case of H.264 and 720P 4Mb is a good balance of size and quality. That will translate to roughly 1Gb of file per hour of programming give or take how active the footage in the material is.
As for remote Streaming...Yes both Plex and Bubble support this. You do have to have a machine up and running at all times and you must set up your router to port forward the ports used by these servers to be sent to the server. Make sure also that the Server has a static IP or that you have set a DHCP reservation in yor router for the server machine so it has the same IP address every time.
Remote streaming will almost always require you to ask for a reduced bandwidth version of the stream since your ISP is unlikely to give you enough upload speed to get full quality but it has helped me pass the time on those long days where I have nothing to do and just waiting around to pass the time.
Asphyx said:
I don't see where encoding set at one bitrate would actually wind up with a lower bitrate output, unless of course you have it set to Auto Match Bitrate. Which really shouldn't be done because the new codec you are encoding to might require a higher bitrate to get the same quality (Remember different codecs compress differently and as a result require more or less bandwidth than other codecs to get the same quality)
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Hmmm, we are quickly getting over my head. I don't have any experience in encoding, I am hijacking example encoding profiles and tweaking them a bit. Can you take a look at my profile and see if I am making any mistakes?
Code:
FFMPEG -y -i INPUT -threads CPU_CORES -vcodec libx264 -level 31 -subq 6 -me_range 16 -qmin 10 -qmax 50 -g 300 -s 1280xHEIGHT -r 29.97 -b 2000k -maxrate 2500k -acodec aac -strict -2 -ac 2 -ab 160k -ar 48000 -f mp4 OUTPUT
I think I pulled this code off an example iPhone profile. I have tweaked the resolution, bitrate and max rate a bit to experiment, but am not really sure what anything else does other than the fps and stereo aac (which is all I need).
Remote streaming will almost always require you to ask for a reduced bandwidth version of the stream since your ISP is unlikely to give you enough upload speed to get full quality but it has helped me pass the time on those long days where I have nothing to do and just waiting around to pass the time.
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Ok, forget that then. I hadn't thought about my ISP upload speed. I have TWC and my download speeds are enough for my needs but my upload speeds are pretty weak.