Can I stream live TV over my local network?

sohlinux

sohlinux

Member
Hello, Is it possible to stream live TV channels from the foxsat over my local network and receive the TV channels on a pc? I can stream recorded programs OK but I would like total control of the foxsat from another room so I can watch live TV, change channels and set recordings etc . I have tried TV tranmitters but they do not work very well as there are 3 internal walls between. If not then is there some sort of device which would do this over my local network? Thanks
 
sohlinux said:
Is it possible to stream live TV channels from the foxsat over my local network
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Not really, no.

HDMI will reach 10m, or 20m with a repeater. You could also look at devices which adapt HDMI to/from Cat5 cable (but that's a point-to-point connection, not a network).

There are various ways to get the IR control signal to the unit, including over the network.
 
Black Hole said:
Not really, no.

HDMI will reach 10m, or 20m with a repeater. You could also look at devices which adapt HDMI to/from Cat5 cable (but that's a point-to-point connection, not a network).

There are various ways to get the IR control signal to the unit, including over the network.
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Thanks for the info.
 
A bit more detail:

HDMI is no more than an analogue RGB connection converted to serial digital, with separate signals for R G and B. To achieve 1920x1080 pixels at 25Hz with 8 bits per colour channel requires over 400Mb/s over each channel, 1.2Gb/s total. Do you really expect to push that through your network?

That can be supported over a point-to-point Cat5 link, using three out of the four pairs in the cable, and is a process of matching the signal to the characteristics of the cable. This can send the (adapted) HDMI much further than using HDMI cable.

Streaming services work by sending compressed video (eg in the form of .MP4) rather than raw video. That way the data rate is less than 10Mb/s rather than 1200Mb/s. If you wanted to do that using the Foxsat as the video source, you would have to invest in a unit which can take HDMI (or analogue video) in and run it though a video encoder to produce a stream, such as this:

https://www.orivisiontech.com/products/hdmi-encoder/
 
This video summarises the situation in the first 4 minutes, then goes on to explore some units which use compression to distribute HDMI video across a network, apparently with IR and USB back-channels too!


It'll cost though, you'll need the right network infrastructure to go with it.
 
I have a hdHomeRun box that allows me to watch live TV on my PC and also record. https://shopuk.silicondust.com/shop/product-category/hardware/ but they only have Terrestial TV rather than sattelite boxes, Similarly I don think there is a Satelite version of the Humax Aura.

Vbox do have an Andorid TV sattelite box that can record and stream live TV https://vboxcomm.com/product/vbox-android-tv-gateway-for-satellite/ I have the Terrestial TV version and it was one of my most disappointing tech purchases - it was fine for streaming live TV but the recording software was buggy and the TV guide unreliable with poor tech support so it has sat unused since I got the hdHomeRun.

I did experiment with trying to get live streaming working with the HDR FOX T2 but was unable to do so and I think unlikely wih any of the older Humax models.

Do you have the Foxsat cutomised firmware installed? I am not familiar with since I have never had a Foxsat but I would imagine it would allow you to set recordings remeotely.
 
Thanks to you both Black Hole and MymsMan, you guys have given me food for thought however I think in the end it maybe easier and more cost effective for me to just run an HDMI and IR cable under the house, its about 12 meters. I already have a powered 3 way HDMI splitter which is currently working on a 5 meter run to the next room. The question is will 12 meters of HDMI cable work. Also this way there is no need for a compter as it can plug directly in to my TV. :)

MymsMan said:
Do you have the Foxsat cutomised firmware installed? I am not familiar with since I have never had a Foxsat but I would imagine it would allow you to set recordings remeotely.
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Yes the custom firmware allows me to stream recorded programs and change channels.
 
sohlinux said:
The question is will 12 meters of HDMI cable work.
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The HDMI specification limits the length to 10m. This to provide a maximum limit on the signal delays for handshaking. There are no guarantees that 12m won't work, but neither are there any guarantees it will. And you'll need good quality cable.

The better option is to site the splitter more centrally, so that all the star connections (including the input from the Foxsat) are no more than 10m each. (You do realise the splitter doesn't have to be next to the Foxsat, don't you?)

sohlinux said:
I think in the end it maybe easier and more cost effective
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Yes.
 
I will try a quality 15m cable and see if it works, if not I will look into shorter cables and perhaps moving the splitter more centrally. Thanks

Black Hole said:
The HDMI specification limits the length to 10m. This to provide a maximum limit on the signal delays for handshaking. There are no guarantees that 12m won't work, but neither are there any guarantees it will. And you'll need good quality cable.

The better option is to site the splitter more centrally, so that all the star connections (including the input from the Foxsat) are no more than 10m each. (You do realise the splitter doesn't have to be next to the Foxsat, don't you?)


Yes.
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Kind of possible to stream live TV from the HDR.

Using Mediatomb or Twonky on the HDR you can play the buffer file over your network.
The file is just called „0“. 0.ts actually.
The likes of VLC and Kodi et al can play it.
The fudge is, upon changing channel, it takes about a minute till the new channels buffer is playable. You have to restart playing the 0.ts from the beginning as well.

So not quite live tv, but within a minute, and operable remotely. Probably not good for a World Cup as you might hear the cheer/groan from next door before you actually see the goal/save.
 
Peso said:
Kind of possible to stream live TV from the HDR.

Using Mediatomb or Twonky on the HDR you can play the buffer file over your network.
The file is just called „0“. 0.ts actually.
The likes of VLC and Kodi et al can play it.
The fudge is, upon changing channel, it takes about a minute till the new channels buffer is playable. You have to restart playing the 0.ts from the beginning as well.

So not quite live tv, but within a minute, and operable remotely. Probably not good for a World Cup as you might hear the cheer/groan from next door before you actually see the goal/save.
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Oh yes I remember trying this a few years ago but as you say not quite live TV. I might have another bash at it. Thanks for reminding me.
 
But on-screen menus and such like would not appear on that feed, making it difficult to operate the Foxsat remotely.
 
David500 said:
The Foxsat WebIf has a “Remote” plugin.
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I thought it might, but I wasn't sure on that point. Better than trying to set up an IR back-channel, assuming the user is OK with browser-based remote control (it could be a direct link to the WebIF virtual remote from a smart phone home screen).

The (limited) feedback it provides might also be sufficient for basic blind operation, such as changing channel, as would be the need if streaming 0.ts instead of using a HDMI link. I presume recordings could be set through the WebIF the same as we can on HDR-FOX, so there's no need for visual feedback.

If going the 0.ts route, there would (I presume) be a restriction that the maximum time you could go without changing channels is 2 hours, because I doubt Mediatomb (or whatever you're using to stream the 0.ts) would understand the wrap-around of the 0.ts circular buffer. Or it might just be a case of having to restart the stream. But it's not "live TV" as originally stated in the requirement, the best it can do is delayed TV.

This was something we regarded as a "holy grail" on the HDR-FOX, but never cracked because of the encryption.
 
An expensive DVB-T HD modulator would do it and allow IR remote control back over a coax cable.
Or hdmi over ethernet, running dedicated cables.

I believe there's an issue with streaming 'unconverted' HD files unless the TV/media player can select the correct audio. One gets NAR found first. That should include 0.ts I think?

I never found streaming even the converted files using the free Twonky much use as any attempt at trick play messed things up and would throw me out of the player. I moved files to my NAS for Plex to play them with far greater success.

MediaTomb, I believe, can only stream SD content?

YMMV of course.
 
I presume recordings could be set through the WebIF the same as we can on HDR-FOX, so there's no need for visual feedback.
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Yes recordings can be set through the WebIf.

If going the 0.ts route, there would (I presume) be a restriction that the maximum time you could go without changing channels is 2 hours
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You can turn off Auto Standby on the Foxsat.

There are 2 remotes, screenshot from mobile. Remote Control is the first screenshot and Mobile Remote Control is second which only shows a portion and you scroll it up/down
 

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SemiRamis said:
Would it not be much simpler to run the sat cable to your other location and move the box there?
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The sat box is in my living room, at the moment it has an HDMI splitter with a 5M HDMI cable and an IR cable run to the bedroom and all works fine in both rooms with channel changes, recording etc.
Also I want to be able to view and control the box from another room which is 12-15M away. So in this case moving the coax will not help. Also video senders dont really work well if you have 3 walls between so I think the easiest and by far the cheapest way would be to just run a 15M HDMI and IR cable.
 
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