Streaming HD content TO the hummy from PC

T

Tron

New Member
Hi

Using the standard firmware I have been streaming from my computer SD content using xbmc to my humax using mp4 with AC3 (5.1 sound) which works not to bad.

I don’t have any large HD content to try at the moment. But I have tried small HD files which also seem to stream well to the humax from the PC

I notice that in hand brake if I have the “large file size” box ticked which is meant to be support for 64bit and file sizes above >4GB and try to stream, the hummy is unable to read these small HD files.

Does anyone know how to get around this so I can stream HD (including 5.1 sound AC3 passthru) content from my PC to the hummy.

The reason for this is a temp stop gap as I have a small usb drive (self powered) on the hummy which is getting full so I wanted to use the PC’s larger hard drive as a stop gap of getting any HD content I use from now on. (And send to the new HD larger TV rather than watching it on the PC)

At least until I get a NAS storage device if the hummy will work with that. But that is another question :eek:)

Thanks for any help anyone can give.
 
Update:

After loads of reading and making my head really hurts, the things I know are (please tell me if I am mistaken) :-

As I have read before there is a >4gb streaming limit at he moment which the beta firmware seems to clear up.

The DNLA streaming standard seems to be what is restricting my streaming playback not the hummy.

NAS network storage device does not seem to the answer to my problems, Or to help to making things easy in the long run because of the >4GB files size streaming problem. Unless the can map a drive to USB

So I guess the only answer is to buy a lot larger USB drive 2TB which will have to be powered and connect it to the hummy. This should then be able if formatted correctly with either ext3 to be fully read write from hummy with files >4GB BUT not windows direct readable. Or NTFS which will do >4GB but only be readable on the hummy but have both read & write on windows.

Question now is can anyone recommend a usb powered drive which will work with the hummy which is 2TB in size and will power down when the hummy goes to sleep to save power. And is also reliable.
Or tell me any drive that they know that does not work correctly.

Thanks
 
I have not commented previously because I don't know Handbrake. You said it all worked OK until you clicked the 64-bit option - do you have a 64-bit processor?

You seem intent on not coming over to the custom firmware. Without it you are limited to DLNA for network playback, or playback from USB with the file system limitations you have stated. It is true that DLNA restricts the file formats that can play, and 1.02.27 fixes the 4GB limit problem. However, even within the DLNA limitations (4GB notwithstanding) you should be able to get HiDef content into a suitable format to play back - I will leave it to those with experience to say more.

If you take the plunge with the custom firmware project, you will be able to mount external network-accessible drives as if they were attached by USB, and all DLNA limitations vanish. Media NAS drives have DLNA capability, but with a mounted share you won't need it. Also, a USB-mounted NTFS drive becomes writable.

I can't recommend any 2TB external drives because I don't have any, but I think it is unlikely you will find one that detects the USB has gone down and shuts down itself. I also have misgivings about the present state of miniature 1TB+ technology (awaits storm of protest).
 
What do you anticipate encoding with Handbrake that would result in a file larger than 4GB? Handbrake's help pop-up advises that 64-bit mp4 files are compatible only with Apple TV, but I've never got anywhere near 4GB using Handbrake's 'Normal' template.
 
Black Hole said:
I can't recommend any 2TB external drives because I don't have any, but I think it is unlikely you will find one that detects the USB has gone down and shuts down itself. I also have misgivings about the present state of miniature 1TB+ technology (awaits storm of protest).
Click to expand...
A 2TB Western Digital Elements drive does shut down when the USB goes down. I would have thought that other drives would also have power management circuitry. This works fine once it has been correctly formatted but the price has increased from about £85 a few months ago to around £130 now. My only real issue with it is that the drive activity LED and the cable sockets are all on the same side of the box. If like me you wish to hide away the cables then you can not see the LED.
 
Thank you for all the replys

When I encode now with handbrake I use the high profile and also select the 5.1 sound pass-through (which is untouched 5.1 sound rather than pro-logic which would be a smaller file size)

So at the moment with SD the output size can be for large files around 2.2GB for an MP4 file. In handbrake if the file size goes over 4GB for MP4’s it will corrupt, So that why you have to tick the large file size 64bit.

From handbrake help file large-file: when used with the MP4 file format, this permits creation of files larger than 4GB. But to do so, it uses 64-bit chunk offsets. These make it incompatible with some devices (like the iPod, except the iPod touch and iPhone) -- and that incompatibility happens whenever the feature is enabled, whether or not the output reaches 4 GB. On the other hand, if you do not enable it, and your MP4 is larger than 4 GB, the output will be unplayable and unrecoverable

So my thinking ahead with HD content/blu-ray which I will later own, Recording with MP4 would make it go over the 4GB mark, so I would have to tick the box, but this would make it unable to stream to the hummy but it will play correctly if it goes through my USB hard drive connected to the hummy on my small test file I completed.

So far my little portable drive has been great and easy to work with, but it is getting too small, not sure what problems you have been having blackhole?

I can get a Seagate 2tb mains powered drive including delivery for £99. with 2 years warranty. So I would guess that drive would shut down as well when it looses the 5v signal through USB

Getting back to the custom firmware I have looked at using it and I like the idea of some of the things it can do, but there are just too many things that I feel might put me off. But I might be wrong with my thoughts of how it works????

I know my way around windows well but linux and commard prompts I know little about. (I had a go on a Mac once and hated it as it was not the same as windows :)

I also do not want to make changes to the hummy as from reading on forums it can have enough problems on it offical firmware.

Another thing from bits that I have read about the hummy it is pretty well locked down (which I feel is good and a bad thing).

I feel this lockdown is also there to protect the box from user error and the internet/dangerous changes. I feel that there might be a greater risk with infecting the home network with allowing third party software running on a box with no monitoring what is being uploaded or downloaded. As because of the hummys small CPU it has no firewall or virus checker protection. Which I would never do a PC on my home network which is connected to the internet with out a FW & VC.

I may be worrying to much but I have not had the time to go through all the in’s and outs but I do as I have said like the idea of it.
 
It's your Humax, so it's your call, but by the sounds of things I think you are being a bit over-cautious. The stock firmware has been very good since 1.02.20 with gripes being only minor details. 1.02.27 got rid of a major problem (4GB) and an annoyance (auto retune). You don't actually need to get your hands dirty with the CF, it's all on a web interface unless you want to get into the nitty-gritty. Have a quick read of the link in my signature panel.

As far as security is concerned - where would the threat come from? Unless you are mistrustful of the team here of course.
 
I have had a look at the custom firmware pages and I have to say that I am impressed what it can do and how good and easy it looks and i am interrested to know more.

But it’s the security side that really is a worry for me. And I need to feel happy with that before I go any further.

Also I know you have to put some trust into the firmware team as this is not official.

But it's with the added functions/programs to the box which I need to get my head around, if these may open my network up to problems I have read http://hummy.tv/forum/threads/network-and-web-security-with-customised-firmware.1030/ and this was interesting and I have some questions from it and I am not sure whether to ask them in this post or the other post .... but for now i will ask here.

What internet address can/need, does the hummy now access after the firmware is update? As i was thinking I could just add these ip addresses into the router if I find them ok, and block all others just for the hummy's internet connection.

Can any part of the package be removed on its own if I feel it might be a risk?

Thanks
 
Have a look at the WiKi HERE it will answer most of your questions. You will note that the firmware page of the WiKi is only writeable by one person af123 who is the designer of the Custom Firmware Packages, all downloadable files have SHA1 checksums so you can confirm that they haven't been altered before they get to you. It is possible to add / remove individual packages from the Web Interface package management screen, Examples HERE
 
Ezra i have read that page and i dont think I read anything about what web addess the hummy will be able to connect to, apart from hummypkg.org.uk to download the packages.
I have read it updates the time clock from the internet, and the remote portal, with proberly more items connecting?, I just would like a list of the ip address this box can connect too, so I could filter them if needed.

Tks
 
The IP for hummypkg.org.uk is 89.248.55.76, the remote schedule portal is rs.hummypkg.org.uk so is also 89.248.55.76, I'm not sure about setting time I assume this is taken from freeview transmissions as the Humax doesn't have to be connected to the internet to get the current time, just a TV aerial
 
Installing just the custom firmware will not cause the box to access the Internet any more than the standard firmware does. The custom firmware does not require an Internet connection to operate.
If you install the web interface through the initial bootstrap web server, then it will connect to hummypkg.org.uk to download the initial package list and the web interface packages and dependencies. You can however install the web interface (and any other package) from a USB drive using a bundle - http://wiki.hummy.tv/wiki/Manually_loading_Features_from_USB. It's obviously a lot easier to just click install from the web interface but the option is there.

Every time you ask the Humax to update its list of packages from the Internet, or to install or upgrade a package, then it will talk to hummypkg.org.uk.

If you install the auto-update package then it will periodically do this on your behalf.
If you install ntpclient or one of the other time packages, then the box will update its time from the Internet, otherwise it doesn't.
If you install remote scheduling then the box will periodically connect to rs.hummypkg.org.uk.
If you install...
 
One thing to be aware of is that installing the custom firmware results in the Humax having a telnet daemon and a web daemon with no authentication. Not ideal if you don't trust everyone on your LAN :-(
I installed dropbear-ssh, set up public key authentication, disabled password logons on ssh and then disabled utelnetd.

To add authentication to the web daemon:
http://wiki.hummy.tv/wiki/Password_Protect_the_Web_Interface

I don't know if the kernel has been built with Netfilter, but there's no iptables command ...
 
Andrew Benham said:
One thing to be aware of is that installing the custom firmware results in the Humax having a telnet daemon and a web daemon with no authentication. Not ideal if you don't trust everyone on your LAN :-(
I installed dropbear-ssh, set up public key authentication, disabled password logons on ssh and then disabled utelnetd.

To add authentication to the web daemon:
http://wiki.hummy.tv/wiki/Password_Protect_the_Web_Interface

I don't know if the kernel has been built with Netfilter, but there's no iptables command ...
Click to expand...

Good points that I should have included.

In general, if you don't trust everyone on the LAN, then I'd suggest that it isn't the place to be connecting your consumer devices with or without custom firmware!

The kernel was not compiled with Netfilter.
 
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