Streaming desktop

[mback2k]

I have already posted this on the issue tracker, but because I would like to know other peoples and zip's opinion on this topic I am posting this here, too.

https://bitbucket.org/xnejp03/serviio/i ... a-renderer

Using a modified ffmpeg it is possible to capture the Windows desktop and encode it into a stream or video file. I think it would be really great if Serviio could support this modification of ffmpeg and show a virtual folder where you can select the desktop or a window to stream through DLNA. Technically it would not be much different than transcoding from Serviios point of view.

Edit Note: This would not be useful for streaming video or games, because there really is a delay. At least in my tests while playing the mpegts file using VLC. Maybe this can be optimized using the correct ffmpeg options.

Linux support is already possible using x11grab and Windows support is enabled by the patch mentioned in the issue above.

What do you think?

[Illico]

I do not see what is the advantage of this feature! Please could you explain?

[mback2k]

For example I would like to use my big screen TV to show websites and documents, but the distance between TV and PC is too far to use HDMI.

The TV and the Blu Ray player are connected to the LAN and can already access my media using Serviio. Streaming my desktop would fulfill my need in this case.

Maybe there are more use cases I haven't thought about yet.

[tombert]

This would be very interesting for Servers which do not have a Monitor connected (just like mine) ...
I simply attach a bluetooth keyboard/mouse and administrate my server streaming the desktop via serviio ... sounds really cool!

[zip]

Why don't you use vnc or something?

[tombert]

Why don't you use vnc or something?

Thats how it's done now ... but it needs a second computer from which to connect to the server.

[mback2k]

Why don't you use vnc or something?

zip, what do you think about the other use cases?

[zip]

Sounds interesting. I think I'll first work on audio transcoding and then I'll see;-)
Does this work on Macs as well?

[mback2k]

Sounds interesting. I think I'll first work on audio transcoding and then I'll see;-)
Does this work on Macs as well?

There has been some discussion about it, but I don't think that any code was written to do it on a Mac except capturing X11 applications.

Discussion: http://web.archiveorange.com/archive/v/ ... njlxfRqlJf

Someone suggests to write a generic VNC wrapper, because that would be OS independent, but this was not done yet, too.

At least this is the information I got through a Google search. Dunno if there is something going on in the ffmpeg community.

[Cerberus]

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source ... XXadrugAAw

it has been tried and from what i understand of that thread will work...

[mback2k]

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fubuntuforums.org%2Farchive%2Findex.php%2Ft-901612.html&ei=ZAczTam2FtGLhQfbpKD3Cw&usg=AFQjCNEKpuH9FUj94RZpWMTUXXadrugAAw

it has been tried and from what i understand of that thread will work...

Sorry, but I don't see the relation to this idea. It's about capturing and streaming through a virtual camera using 3rd party software. Or did I miss something in there?

I have updated the Serviio issue with another patch, which is used by Flash Video Downloader to capture audio:
http://flashvideodownloader.org/mirrors ... avein.diff

[mback2k]

Any new plans on this topic since 0.5.1 including audio transcoding has been released?

[zip]

Streaming online feeds is now in plan and possibly rtmp streams too ....

[mback2k]

Streaming online feeds is now in plan and possibly rtmp streams too ....

So desktop streaming is not a priority right now?

[zip]

Apparently you could stream desktop via rtmp (VLC etc)

Hello guys,

interesting topic.

Here is some info I just came accross:
http://realmike.org/blog/2011/02/09/liv ... -gnulinux/

The Basic Idea

First off, how do we capture the desktop? Someone named Verb3k explains this in “How to do Proper Screencasts on Linux Using FFmpeg“. Here’s an example:

ffmpeg -f alsa -ac 2 -i pulse -f x11grab -r 20 -s 1024×576 -i :0.0+128,224 -acodec ac3 -ac 1 -vcodec libx264 -vpre fast -threads 0 -f matroska ~/Videos/capture.mkv

This command line takes sound from PulseAudio and screen images from X11 (at 20 fps) and combines them into a Matroska file using the H.264 codec for video and AC3 for audio. It grabs a rectangular area of 1024×576 pixels, 128 pixels from the left edge of the screen and 224 pixels from the top edge of the screen.

EDIT: Just to add some thoughts:

I think this could become a mighty and unique feature! I don´t like to have HTPC and other computers in my living room, that´s why I came to DLNA and Serviio. Since I´ve got a little Silex USB-via-ethernet device server standing right next to my TV, I can use mouse, keyboard and webcam via LAN - to start downloads or to use skype,.... The only thing that´s missing to make these components become something like an "ultra thin client" is my desktop...


Regards,
Stefan

[tombert]

This looks very promising, unfort. my TV doesn't support mkv natively ... and with MediaTomb I had other troubles ... but I feel delighted that there is progress

Addendum: It might be a little bit tricky to substitute x11grab on a windows pc efficiently.... http://www.elpauer.org/?p=261 and: http://lists.mplayerhq.hu/pipermail/ffm ... 04095.html

Now that Serviio does live streams, Is there an update on this?

I would like to be able to stream the whole of the PC desktop via DLNA to my TV.

This would then allow for any live stream to be sent over DNLA.

For example, on the PC I could view a Flash live steam and maximise the window to full screen and it would then be shown on the TV.

[jhb50]

See the Wiki How to.