Web content will not stream

[hans_gregor]

DSL = Domain-Specific Language i.e. the scripts are written in a "mini language" focused on web video scraping.

I live to learn new things

I will probably add support for an additional command that allows an independent process to be launched (and killed). SopCast doesn't fit into the downloader -> transcoder paradigm.

that's what is missing, so it can be done as you said. launch and kill it every time you change the channel (eg get a new sop uri request)

There is no $EXECUTABLE. That was removed.

now I understand why was not working and could not find it in src

[chocolateboy]

I tried that too before, may be I'm wrong, but the problem could be here

On Windows, the downloader pipes its output into the transcoder like this (these are just examples):

Code: Select all

downloader.exe --input http://example.com/video.mp4 --output - | transcoder.exe --input -

i.e. the downloader writes to STDOUT and the transcoder reads from STDIN. (Windows doesn't have Unix-style named pipes.)

On every other platform, it's done with a FIFO (AKA named pipe) e.g.:

Code: Select all

mkfifo downloader.out
downloader --input http://example.com/video.mp4 --output downloader.out
sleep 1
transcoder --input downloader.out


So on (e.g.) Linux, the SopCast script works:

Code: Select all

sopcast sop://example.com/
sleep 1
transcoder --input http://127.0.0.1:8902/stream


But on WIndows, it becomes:

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sopcast.exe sop://example.com/ | transcoder.exe --input http://127.0.0.1:8902/stream

- which doesn't work.

[chocolateboy]

that's what is missing, so it can be done as you said. launch and kill it every time you change the channel (eg get a new sop uri request)

Yes, it can be done, and will be if that's the best solution. But is it? Is it not possible to just start the SopCast server manually and then request different channels with different (local) URIs?

Pseudo-commands:

Code: Select all

sopcast start --config channels.xml
mplayer http://127.0.0.1:8902/stream/channel1
mplayer http://127.0.0.1:8902/stream/channel2
mplayer http://127.0.0.1:8902/stream/channel3
sopcast stop


[DonVito]

This looks very promising but I can't get it to work.. There are a few questions I have;

- Where do I put the https://github.com/chocolateboy/pmsenco ... ast.groovy file?
- How can I get a Sopcast channel to work on the ps3?
- The .Groovy file says: change /path/to/sopcast to the path to the sopcast binary to use it, can you give me an example of the path? Does it need to direct to my Sopcast folder on Windows? I don't understand..
- Do I have to add the Sopcast URL to WEB.conf? f.e. adding the following line?

#Sopcast
Videofeed.Web, NVS 1=sop://broker.sopcast.com:3912/74177

Any help on this? I know there's no documentation available yet, but it would be awesome to have some sort of step by step guide to setup Sopcast Streaming on the PS3.

[Osiris X]

@DonVito

Regarding where to put the .groovy script file, I believe that this has been covered in this thread. Note particularly in the new pmsencoder 1.2.x you can can specify parameter pmsencoder.script.directory in PMS.conf.

Have you actually downloaded and installed sopcast?

If you have then you will be able to find it using
whereis sopcast
or
locate sopcast
on linux

or probably in an appropriately named sub-folder in the "Program Files" directory of a windows installation.
Regards

Os

[DonVito]

@DonVito

Regarding where to put the .groovy script file, I believe that this has been covered in this thread. Note particularly in the new pmsencoder 1.2.x you can can specify parameter pmsencoder.script.directory in PMS.conf.

Have you actually downloaded and installed sopcast?

If you have then you will be able to find it using
whereis sopcast
or
locate sopcast
on linux

or probably in an appropriately named sub-folder in the "Program Files" directory of a windows installation.
Regards

Os

Thanks for your reply Os, I've been using Sopcast for many years now, mostly to stream football matches etc.

Thing is I am not really into coding etc so I don't know the commands to add it to the PMS.Conf file.. I am using the PMSEncoder 1.2.4, what command should I add to specify the parameter pmsencoder.script.directory in PMS.conf? Can you give me an example?

About the Sopcast path in the .Groovy file, should it be something like C:\Program Files (x86)\SopCast?

btw I am using:

PS3 Media Server v1.20.409
PMSEncoder 1.2.4
Sopcast 3.2.9
Windows 7 x 64

[Osiris X]

@chocolateboy

Outstanding!

Please clarify the following for me:
1) $DEFAULT_TRANSCODER_ARGS is a generic set of arguments that are appended to any defined transcoder - correct?
2) The variable in which you define the transcoder executable is $TRANSCODER? (and it can be specified in .groovy script file?)
3) I have used '$DEFAULT_TRANSCODER_ARGS +=' to add a parameter to the transcoder arguments (inside a script context, but outside the profile context). How do I delete a parameter from the transcoder arguments list as part of a resultant action i.e. in a profile -> action contect.?

One unforeseen upshot of being able to specify a specific directory for the pmsencoder.log file, is that starting PS3MS as a variety of different users but with the same log file path can lead to log access errors due to permission problems.
I am facing a similar problem with the PS3MS debug.log file. The solution I am attempting to employ is to use an MDC (Mapped Diagnostic Context) to push a variable containing the name of the executing user to the configuration xml so that it can be appended to the log file name.
Could such a technique be used in pmsencoder for pmsencoder.log? (It was not clear to me if you are using slf4j or indeed whether that is necessary to leverage mdc)

Os

[hans_gregor]

Yes, it can be done, and will be if that's the best solution. But is it? Is it not possible to just start the SopCast server manually and then request different channels with different (local) URIs?

what if ones server is in the basemenent,? what about the bandwidth when starting multiple streams (I have to check this)?
you said that the $DOWLOADER_OUT thing will work on linux. I will give it a try if it's easier to implement.

in the actual configuration is working acceptable.
it starts the sopcast.
it changes the channels
is transcoding (here I have to use always the loooback, after changing channels.
Future work need to be done
I can not kill it
I need some temp file do play/transcode while sopcast is buffering for the first time after changing a channel

[Osiris X]

@DonVito

About the Sopcast path in the .Groovy file, should it be something like C:\Program Files (x86)\SopCast?

Your sopcast path for a Windows 7 machine sounds like it could be right, but I do not have a windows machine - so I cannot be certain. Clearly you can check for yourself using windows explorer , no?

I don't know the commands to add it to the PMS.Conf file.

PMS.conf is a text file, add commands to it using a standard text editor like notepad

I am using the PMSEncoder 1.2.4, what command should I add to specify the parameter pmsencoder.script.directory in PMS.conf? Can you give me an example?

I don't quite understand your question - all parameters in PMS.conf are specified in the same way
e.g. <parameter> = <value>
Thus you would insert something like
pmsencoder.script.directory = <absolute path way to the script directory presumably starting with the drive specification e.g. C:\ on a windows machine>

Regards

Os

[hans_gregor]

Thing is I am not really into coding etc so I don't know the commands to add it to the PMS.Conf file.. I am using the PMSEncoder 1.2.4, what command should I add to specify the parameter pmsencoder.script.directory in PMS.conf? Can you give me an example?

Code: Select all

pmsencoder.script.directory = PATH_TO_WHERE_YOU_HAVE_THE_SCRIPTS

About the Sopcast path in the .Groovy file, should it be something like C:\Program Files (x86)\SopCast?

On windows I edited/added into the Environment Variable Path the directory where sopcast is located eg C:\Program Files (x86)\SopCast;


For info and to understand how PMS is working, read the thread and check the source code here