G+_Keith Tucker Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Streaming Home Media Server help? I would like to have a Windows / Linux media server that multicasts to multiple computers. (preferably Windows). BUT, each computer would need to be able to pause / play the stream for all computers. Basically, I could start the stream in the bedroom, press pause. Then, walk to the kitchen, open the stream, and press play from where I left off. The other example is that I'd like have the stream playing on both computers at the same time. I could pause the stream for all computers from any room. So, if I walk into another room, I could pause or rewind the main stream playing on all computers. Seems simple? But, what's the solution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Eddie Foy Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 TiVo does this if I remember correctly, but that doesn't fit your bill. VLC, then possibly Plex. It might be easier if instead of PC Clients, you just used TVs/Monitors and used distributed HDMI. I do a similar thing via Roku. I have a single Roku, but drops to a HDMI matrix switch which feeds the living-room and bedroom TVs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Paul Miller Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Unless you're doing something besides watching video in each location, it sounds like you just need a media server, some sort of remote/phone/tablet to control it, and multiple TV's or monitors networked to the server. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I'm not sure about vkc since I only use it in a machine and not stream with it hut with olex, it will start your video where you left it off. I personally would say a Linux distro like Debian or Ubuntu with plex installed.I've had better luck with Linux over windows for servers. If you have an htpc you could use that for one client and if you had a fire stick or roku or something like that it'd be a bit more affordable to have multiple TVs hooked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Keith Tucker Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 This is for cord cutters with computers and servers to spare as each TV already has a full computer attached. I currently have 6 TVs with attached computers, plus stand-alone laptops. I've looked at VLC and Plex, and they don't seem to foot the bill unless I'm missing something. A tablet controlled mulicast system would be ideal. I don't want to have to RDP to the server to start / stop the stream. I have a Dell server with plenty of RAM, a massive processor, and an add-on video card for transcoding. Additional servers will be used as iSCSI targets to store the media collection. So, I would like to use my existing hardware. I just can't find an out of the box solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Stephen Bertoni Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Vlc can be a tablet controlled streaming multicast server Keith Tucker?. Unless things have changed. I haven't done it in a while but I have done this in the past with vlc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I like being a cord cutter and I've thought I had a good setup but dang, sounds like mine us blown out the water.haha.i have a Debian server with plex media server on it and only start and stop from desktop apps or android apps watching it on those devices. If I start watching something on my fire stick in a he living room and then turn that off and open plex on the fire stick in my bedroom, it'll start where the living room left off. Is that what you're talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Keith Tucker Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Yes, that's definitely what I want. Are you able to watch in both places at once, as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Yeah. If I start a movie say in the living room, my girlfriend starts it in the bed room and my roommate watches it in his room, we can all watch it at the same time. Whoever starts it first will have the beginning point for everyone else but when you're in the menu, you can click on start from beginning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Keith Tucker Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 That sounds like what I want. I read that you need to format your media library to Plex standards. I definitely don't want to go through that. Can I just use a directory structure to browse instead? I have my own naming conventions, and it would be time prohibitive to deal with restructuring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Keith Tucker Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 Stephen Bertoni That also sounds like what I want. I'll probably try both solutions to see which is the easiest for my needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Stephen Bertoni Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 The vlc client can start and stop the media. Again, if memory serves. Pretty sure I'm remembering correctly but apologies if I'm wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I just tell plex where my files are and it adds them to that library. pictures in pictures, videos in videos, movies in movies etc.everything has its own name and different file formats like wav,mp4, avi and such. Videos from my phone are labeled year,month day ie:20150826. As far as I can tell plex doesn't do anything but put your files in the library you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Steve C Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 >Basically, I could start the stream in the bedroom, press pause. Then, walk to the kitchen, open the stream, and press play from where I left off. Roku can do that with Netflix! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Stephen Bertoni Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Keith Tucker? if you have your own naming conventions, you may want to try vlc first. I've checked into Plex a couple times, and both times Plex tried to ID my movies. Did a terrible job of it, and pissed me off tremendously in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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