Network Topology

[pawnslinger]

I already stated about using it as a shortcut to enable or disable the "Switch to tsMuxer" function so you don't have to go to your PC and do it.

You could also try this with vids that don't want to work with my method:

1-Make sure the #Video Settings# folder is visible.

2-When you run into a PAL video that won't work, go into the #Video Settings# folder

3-disable (untick) Default H264 Remux with MEncoder

4-go down to Save Configuration

5-exit the #Video settings# folder and try to play the movie using "Play from the Beginning" option.

And there are other options in there as well .

Yes, I know. I was hoping for more information. I tried it on my bluray player and just got a bunch of errors. What is it? How do I use it? It seems like it is not working... I don't understand what I am to do with it. And you just repeat what I have already read... which amounts to "use it", I did and got nothing that seemed coherent or purposeful.

So I must be doing something stupid, and asked for more help.

[Val Killmore]

And how am I supposed to know you are trying this on your BluRay player. You never once stated that. All references I have made have been to get your PS3 up and running. After all, that was the goal from the beginning, was it not ?

Use your PS3 to find out what is in the folder. It's quite possible it doesn't even work with the bluray player, like how it is useless for the Xbox360. I would have stated that, but I assumed this entire time was geared toward getting the PS3 running.

The #Video Settings# folder has options in it that correlate with options in the GUI........you just don't have to get up and physically walk to the serving computer and open up the GUI. Or in the case of using PMS as a service, you don't have to shut the service down, open the GUI....etc. etc. you simply make the selections from the XMB. I'm not gonna list all the options in there when you can simply navigate to it on PS3 and see for yourself.

Good luck

[pawnslinger]

And how am I supposed to know you are trying this on your BluRay player. You never once stated that. All references I have made have been to get your PS3 up and running. After all, that was the goal from the beginning, was it not ?

Use your PS3 to find out what is in the folder. It's quite possible it doesn't even work with the bluray player, like how it is useless for the Xbox360. I would have stated that, but I assumed this entire time was geared toward getting the PS3 running.

The #Video Settings# folder has options in it that correlate with options in the GUI........you just don't have to get up and physically walk to the serving computer and open up the GUI. Or in the case of using PMS as a service, you don't have to shut the service down, open the GUI....etc. etc. you simply make the selections from the XMB. I'm not gonna list all the options in there when you can simply navigate to it on PS3 and see for yourself.

Good luck

Information I needed, was that this works only on a ps3?! (and therefore useless to me)

Information you needed, was that I am trying to setup a home media server... I have at least 3 different devices that need serving: ps3, Sony bluray player, and assorted tablets, mostly iPads... but a couple of Android based ones too.. and an odd iPhone for good measure. Quite a varied lan, and everyone must be served... but hopefully not simultaneously. Clearly not enough bandwidth for that!

[Val Killmore]

Information I needed, was that this works only on a ps3?! (and therefore useless to me)

I never said that. You need to slow down and research this program and actually read what is written. I said that it's quite possible it might not work, like how it behaves on the 360.

I don't own every device out there, and I'll be damned if I am going to research every device and see how PMS is behaving with them, on the whim you might change your focus from one device to another.
If you need help with other renderers like iPad and Android there are several threads on them in the Alternative Renderers forum. Perhaps your BluRay is in there too.
If you need to setup a custom conf file for each device.......
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3507&start=40#p57942

Streaming to these devices should be easy, as you already stated several times the files are in native format for them. Therefore they should just stream.

As I said before.............Good luck.

[pawnslinger]

Information I needed, was that this works only on a ps3?! (and therefore useless to me)

I never said that. You need to slow down and research this program and actually read what is written. I said that it's quite possible it might not work, like how it behaves on the 360.

I don't own every device out there, and I'll be damned if I am going to research every device and see how PMS is behaving with them, on the whim you might change your focus from one device to another.
If you need help with other renderers like iPad and Android there are several threads on them in the Alternative Renderers forum. Perhaps your BluRay is in there too.
If you need to setup a custom conf file for each device.......
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3507&start=40#p57942

Streaming to these devices should be easy, as you already stated several times the files are in native format for them. Therefore they should just stream.

As I said before.............Good luck.

You end with "Good luck", but somehow after reading your message, this sounds somewhat hollow. A shame we aren't talking face-to-face, so we could more easily understand the emotional responses we are generating in each other.

I don't own every device out there (my family does own a lot of them though). I am not asking you to research any of my devices. I was given some advice, which I tried, it generated an error message, and so I came back to ask for more information. You don't have more information, so I am not sure why you are becoming, what seems to me, upset.

Let it go. I have been working on this for quite a long time... I guess ever since I purchased the ps3, as it was the first device that I have owned that had the capability to participate in this type of setup. And I have owned the ps3 for quite a while now. My daughter told me last night, that it seems like more work than is worthwhile. It has become a hobby now.

When you first suggested the #Video Settings# folder as something I could use, my post had just announced that I had encountered a problem with playing a video with some sort of MEncode option. I think it was a PAL video... anyway, I had the problem ON my bluray player... I hadn't even tried it on my ps3 yet, as that is more of an effort (the bluray player being right here next to me). When I tried it, the player said the file I had clicked on was corrupt. Not a good response, nor the one I had expected. So my natural response was, what am I doing? How is it supposed to work? I really still don't know.

At first, I tried to research the #Video Settings# folder, I googled it, and read the PMS documentation. I found very little about it. Almost nothing, actually. That led me back here, to ask for help.

[Val Killmore]

Again..........Good Luck. And I wish you that, not to be snotty, or misrepresent what I actually mean. I mean, Good Luck. You have a massive network, that you are trying to get to work with every device you have mentioned. I am experienced enough, to know that PMS doesn't like Android devices. I know that it plays well with some BluRay players, and not others. I am unknowledgable of iPads and anything Mac, because I wouldn't piss on their warehouse if the shipping/receiving bay was on fire, and I refuse to give that bullshit company another dime of my money.

I read back and see your reference to your BluRay player. I apologize for not realizing your focus had changed. But you never stated in that post, that you were on your B.D. player. I still assumed you were on your PS3, as that's what all my posts were pertaining to. All the tips I was giving, were for your PS3.

I know, that MEncoder/tsMuxer behave certain ways with a PS3, so I was trying to give you tips on how to make it work better. Just realize, because I can get your PS3 working well, does NOT necessarily mean the server is going to work with all your devices. They all have different traits, and behave differently.

SO...........I wish you good luck, and step back. Perhaps someone with knowledge on all the devices can better help you.

[Raptor399]

I am unknowledgable of iPads and anything Mac, because I wouldn't piss on their warehouse if the shipping/receiving bay was on fire, and I refuse to give that bullshit company another dime of my money.

Had a good giggle over this line, thanks Val!

For the record: as one with enough dimes invested in all things Mac, I can add that PMS will work with just about all Cupertino-based devices (give or take a bit of version pain).

[pawnslinger]

We have a variety here, my son is like Val, he wouldn't give the mac folks anything. He nearly choked when I purchased my first Mac. I don't actually own a Mac at this time... my machine is a Vista box that my son put together for me (I picked the parts, he assembled them). I like it a lot, Vista is not as bad as its rep. Most other members of my family run Windows 7, but a few still run XP. We have several iPads in the family, my daughter got one as her graduation present, when she graduated from ASU last year. My wife has a Kindle Fire, an Android tablet, I have no idea if this media server will work with it at all... I was surprised when I found it would work with my iPad... kudos to an app called "GoodPlayer".

[Val Killmore]

I am unknowledgable of iPads and anything Mac, because I wouldn't piss on their warehouse if the shipping/receiving bay was on fire, and I refuse to give that bullshit company another dime of my money.

Had a good giggle over this line, thanks Val!

For the record: as one with enough dimes invested in all things Mac, I can add that PMS will work with just about all Cupertino-based devices (give or take a bit of version pain).

Don't get me wrong, they make great gear from devices to computers to the core of the operating system. But I think the whole company is a bunch or uppity, holier than thou, tattle-tale weenies. Let's sue everyone over any stupid thing we can patent. They would probably patent the squeak at the end of a fart if they could. I would be sued into bankruptcy for patent violations.

If I could get my Androids to work with PMS, then it would be the final hurdle I would have to overcome as far as what I can accomplish with them. The very diverse systems and hardware of the Android market that allow infinite customization, is the very, proverbial "shot in the foot" when it comes to consistent network streaming.......IE one program that works for ALL Androids is pretty much impossible to find. I just use other ways to stream network videos to them other than PMS (ES File Explorer combined w/MXVideo Player) with some success, and from them to my PS3 and 360 with iMediaShare (VERY cool app) ( it allows webstreaming from most popular sites including Revision HD, Vimeo, Discovery Channel, YouTube HD videos and tonnes more, and network streaming of videos that are on your Android phones and tablets to the PS3 or 360).

And another thing to check out with Androids....an app called OverSkreen. It breaks Android out of the "full screen" browsing era, and ushers in a whole new world of multi-window browsing with floating 'windows'. It costs about $2 but well worth it if you own an Android tablet.

my machine is a Vista box that my son put together for me (I picked the parts, he assembled them). I like it a lot, Vista is not as bad as its rep.

This is where I jump in and say............no.........it's worse. Just kidding.....

Personally, I can't stand Vista and my laptop now upgraded to Windows7 is a completely new, and infinitely better machine. The comparison........well there is none, really. But for some people it just works.....and works well. No point fixing what is not broken.

My wife has a Kindle Fire, an Android tablet, I have no idea if this media server will work with it at all...

That's what's funny. You will never know, with Android's, until you try it. Not like hooking up a PS3, and you know, possibly with minor tweaks it generally will work for you, or as Raptor stated even with Mac devices. Androids, not so much. As far as your situation, you most likely will fair pretty well, as you have most of your media in friendly format. In my situation, I am lucky if PMS successfully plays back more than 20% of my collection to my Androids. Most of my movies are multi-channel, and most of those have DTS for audio tracks. The only folder that plays back 100% via PMS, on my Androids, is my TV Shows folder in AVI format. Movies are very hit or miss, with the focus more on the latter.

Again, and not to be a dick, this is why I say good luck. I think you can get most working (iPads/iPhones, PS3 and possibly BluRay player) but don't be surprised if you pull out a few hairs with your Android devices. I will bow in admiration if you come back with all Android devices working well with PMS. And if you manage to write up a .conf file that works well for Android, please post it. I think alot of Android users are in the same boat as myself.

[pawnslinger]

I have discovered the solution to both of my problems presented in this thread. I thought it would be useful to others to read what they were:

1. The problem with the PS3 "seeing" PMS was solved by doing a factory reset on the PS3. Actually done for another reason, and then the PMS server popped in unexpectedly.

2. All problems with the bluray player solved by converting files to MPEG2. It seems that this device only offers MPEG2 support under DLNA. Even high bitrates are now easily achieved with MPEG2. Everything plays great now, and I do not know what the bandwidth limitation of my network is... because I haven't reached it yet.