SlingBox

[ddamron]

Has anyone looked at the Sling Media Slingbox and SlingBox Pro?

I think it's proprietary, but if possible, these would be awesome to 'implement'..
www.slingmedia.com

[1audio]

They are proprietary and they are now property of Echostar. I don't know if an SDK is available but it seems a lot of their capability is already in MythTV. And Hava does the same and claims to be opensource or at least available. Sling is promoting its new HD model. it seems the old HD model isn't (and it really is not even SD) so they are spinning a new box. if the new one is really HD then it could be used to capture HD and bring it into LMCE.

[ddamron]

1audio,

Thanks for the hint about Hava, going to hunt them down now..

Dan

[totallymaxed]

Has anyone looked at the Sling Media Slingbox and SlingBox Pro?

I think it's proprietary, but if possible, these would be awesome to 'implement'..
www.slingmedia.com

Hmmm... the problem with Slingbox is that they encrypt the stream so that would need to implement use their client (no implementation for Linux as far as I know) or reverse engineer the encryption (I'm sure thats possible... but is it worth it?). On plus side the Slingbox can be remotely controlled so they must have an IP based remote command set... but it would be possible to IR blast it too.

[ddamron]

The Hava seems to be a MUCH better fit..
it can stream RTSP (Standard protocol) and we can use VLC as a client..
We should be able to implement that fairly easily...
Basically the same as a Slingbox, but open standards, cheaper (less expensive)
and, it can stream a complete TS stream to the local network!  Perfect!

[totallymaxed]

The Hava seems to be a MUCH better fit..
it can stream RTSP (Standard protocol) and we can use VLC as a client..
We should be able to implement that fairly easily...
Basically the same as a Slingbox, but open standards, cheaper (less expensive)
and, it can stream a complete TS stream to the local network!  Perfect!

Hava look like strong competition to Sling I agree

...but our vdr implimentation already does everything HAVA does... TS streaming to any PC on the home network and you can use VLC as the client or an MD. You have to be in a DVB region though

Problem is yo

[ddamron]

Yeah, but I'm thinking of using this as a CAPTURE device to capture HD content from a STB..
(I have a few StarChoice HD receivers that I'd like to capture the HD content...)

[ddamron]

Using VDR, how would you CAPTURE a Component Signal?
(That's where the Hava would come in handy)

[totallymaxed]

Using VDR, how would you CAPTURE a Component Signal?
(That's where the Hava would come in handy)

We have a vdr plugin for that in development (you obviously need a card with component-in on-board too) that would be used to capture the output of a UK Sky TV STB or any other external video source. That source then appears as a special channel in the TV channel list. Then a PC or an MD on the network can request a stream from that source and watch it (or record it). All recording is done at the Core. Multiple PC's or MD's can watch the stream concurrently.

[ddamron]

Do you have any specs on that card?  I've been looking for a Component IN card for a while...

[tschak909]

as have I. The Slingboxes are terrible.

-Thom

[totallymaxed]

Do you have any specs on that card?  I've been looking for a Component IN card for a while...

No I don't... but if there is one then we'd be able to use it

[totallymaxed]

as have I. The Slingboxes are terrible.

-Thom

I agree Thom

[colinjones]

Totallymaxed - if that "input" presents as a single channel on the TV list, does LMCE then use ir blasting to change the feeding STB's channel? And if so, how does that control present itself in the GUI - presumably LMCE is just going to think that it has changed channel... end of task. But we would then need to choose the actual channel on, for instance, the UK Sky TV STB... I am thinking for Foxtel cable here in AU, who are frustratingly arrogant about not letting you decode their pay TV service or provide any other way of getting the content in digitally, seemingly unlike any other decent pay TV service in the world! Don't get me started on that one!!

[totallymaxed]

Totallymaxed - if that "input" presents as a single channel on the TV list, does LMCE then use ir blasting to change the feeding STB's channel? And if so, how does that control present itself in the GUI - presumably LMCE is just going to think that it has changed channel... end of task. But we would then need to choose the actual channel on, for instance, the UK Sky TV STB... I am thinking for Foxtel cable here in AU, who are frustratingly arrogant about not letting you decode their pay TV service or provide any other way of getting the content in digitally, seemingly unlike any other decent pay TV service in the world! Don't get me started on that one!!

Analog in will not be in the first release of vdr for lmce-0710. But when we release analog-in we will just support live viewing and instant/scheduled recording of the analog input. It is unlikely we will have integrated blasting the first release of analog-in.