UbuStream v2.0 - Beta

[jbyram2]

On another note, I'm finding that your CNN streams play fine with VLC but generate an error when I transcode. Any idea why? I've attached a VLC log but it looks OK to me. (VLC just pukes and gives you one of those error dialogs that lets you click "Details" so you can see some impenetrable M$ dump.) File:[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

I think it might be related to the capabilities of the ffmpeg transcoder, since it is used during transcoding but not during playback. I asked the experts:
http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=29968 Let's see what they say. I am not sure if ffmpeg fully supports windows mediaplayer 9 format, which is what CNN is using.

[ubu]

I think it might be related to the capabilities of the ffmpeg transcoder, since it is used during transcoding but not during playback. I asked the experts:
http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=29968 Let's see what they say. I am not sure if ffmpeg fully supports windows mediaplayer 9 format, which is what CNN is using.

Well, I've figured out what was causing this problem, at least. If you change the acodec=mp2a parm to acodec=mpga instead, it fixes it. It wasn't just the CNN streams being affected by this either. Suddenly a lot of streams can be successfully transcoded that caused VLC to crash before. I've added this info (along with my current take on what still won't transcode and why) in a post in the Using UbuStream with MediaMVPs thread.

[HTPCGB]

Heya ubu,

I've sent you the source code of both overlays. I haven't been able to work on anything over the last few days. Hopefully you can implement your desired features faster this way.

Well, I've figured out what was causing this problem, at least. If you change the acodec=mp2a parm to acodec=mpga instead, it fixes it. It wasn't just the CNN streams being affected by this either. Suddenly a lot of streams can be successfully transcoded that caused VLC to crash before. I've added this info (along with my current take on what still won't transcode and why) in a post in the Using UbuStream with MediaMVPs thread.

Excellent! How'd you figure it out?

[ubu]

I've sent you the source code of both overlays. I haven't been able to work on anything over the last few days. Hopefully you can implement your desired features faster this way.

Thanks htpcgb. Much appreciated. As we had discussed, I'm trying to create a single dll for playing network streams that can be used by UbuStream and other GB-PVR plugins that need to play streams. UbuNetStreamPlayer.dll will expose methods to play streams with your internal embedded players, to play streams with external players and to transcode streams to MEPEG-2 for playing with the GB-PVR internal player (so MVP users can play the streams too). I'd like to simply incorporate your classes into this dll class library (if that's OK with you) so we only have a single dll to distribute.

Talking of dll distribution (and all the pesky AX dlls that ActiveX requires - yet another seamless, elegant design from M$ :p ), I'm thinking that I could solve the VLC axvlc.dll registration problem by having a method that has code like:

Code:

if (VLC app exists in the registry && axvlc.dll registry entry is not found)
    Register axvlc.dll;

and then invoke it each time the UbuStream plugin is loaded.

Excellent! How'd you figure it out?

Brute force and ignorance? In frustration, I finally tried using VLC's transcoding wizard (which I've always avoided since I'd read on the VLC forums that it's really buggy) to transcode one of the CNN streams and it worked! So then I compared the VLC output log to the log produced from using our "standard" transcoding parms and looked for any differences.

[HTPCGB]

I'd like to simply incorporate your classes into this dll class library (if that's OK with you) so we only have a single dll to distribute.

You have my full permission to use, modify and distribute in any way the class libraries that I sent to you.

[ubu]

You have my full permission to use, modify and distribute in any way the class libraries that I sent to you.

I'll assume you've granted me a Copyleft licence then. And the class library dll will be free ("as in beer" and also "as in free speech").