Streaming music over network?

LeperousDust · 02-10-2007, 16:01

Not really sure if this should be in Audio or here since its quite technical.

I need a program (don't think VLC will do this out the box anyway) to stream whatever i'm playing on this computer music wise over a network. So whatever music program i use that uses directsound i want to be picked up and multicasted or however.

Also i wouldn't really like any lag, so i was thinking i could mute the default audio player and have a copy of VLC running in the background minimised playing directly to my soundcard bypassing directsound? So the main computer also experiences the network "lag".

Any idea if this is possible? I'm fiddling around with VLC and i can obviously have that mutlicast its own playlists and files (norton on a few PC's is being the usual PITA though). But i can't get VLC to use the directsound a an input...

//Edit: Or any other method of duplicating whatever is played on WMP or iTunes on one PC over about another 2-3 over a network (wireless unfortunately but it shouldn't be that bad, it's only audio anyway)... Long story short we've got a party coming up and me being a bit of a (failing) geek i want to have the music all co-ordinated instead of a mishmash around the house...

Mark · 02-10-2007, 16:41

If it's just music, then the ShoutCast server plugin for Winamp will do the job, though it can be a little pedantic to set up.

LeperousDust · 02-10-2007, 16:45

Haven't got winamp installed, i'm not really a fan of the winamp setup, but i might just go ahead with it anyway if its easy enough.

I seem to be having severe network problems at present though, if i set up VLC to multicast i can recieve it via the ip on my computer but so far the other 2 computers i can test can't. One does and one doesn't run Norton. I can't imagine why, it seems like maybe something to do with my router?

Burble · 02-10-2007, 16:55

Assuming the other 2 computers are on the same subnet as yours then the router doesn't come into play.

This is something I want to play with myself, I've jsut never found to time to do it.

Mark · 02-10-2007, 16:57

Incompatible router/network hardware possibly. Multicast support is one of those things that often gets left out to save on development costs.

LeperousDust · 02-10-2007, 17:14

Wasn't a cheap router, Linksys WRT300N I was hoping it was multicast compatible!

Oh and i've just installed winamp and remember how much i don't like it, and it'll noly confuse everyone else, i'm not babysitting at this party, thus why i want either WMP or iTunes...

Daz · 02-10-2007, 17:18

Multicasting within a subnet will not even reach the router, it's a switching thing. I'd be surprised if that was your problem though.

If you have a cross-over cable, a simple test would be to just connect 2 boxes up and make sure they work before doing anything else.

LeperousDust · 02-10-2007, 17:31

No crossover cables, i've got about a million normal cables that come with routers etc... I could try plugging mine into the router over ethernet, and another that won't work currently cover ethernet too, see if i can at least get it working like that? Would that tell me anything?

Either way i still need to be able to feed directsound into VLC for multicasting too thats a big problem atm...

leowyatt · 02-10-2007, 18:10

I had an app on the old windows box that streamed music, need to boot the box up and check what it was. I think it had a web interface, will have a look and report back. I streamed music from there and listened to it on the iBook upstairs.

LeperousDust · 02-10-2007, 18:23

That sounds pretty good cheers

02-10-2007, 16:01	#1
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	Streaming music over network? Not really sure if this should be in Audio or here since its quite technical. I need a program (don't think VLC will do this out the box anyway) to stream whatever i'm playing on this computer music wise over a network. So whatever music program i use that uses directsound i want to be picked up and multicasted or however. Also i wouldn't really like any lag, so i was thinking i could mute the default audio player and have a copy of VLC running in the background minimised playing directly to my soundcard bypassing directsound? So the main computer also experiences the network "lag". Any idea if this is possible? I'm fiddling around with VLC and i can obviously have that mutlicast its own playlists and files (norton on a few PC's is being the usual PITA though). But i can't get VLC to use the directsound a an input... //Edit: Or any other method of duplicating whatever is played on WMP or iTunes on one PC over about another 2-3 over a network (wireless unfortunately but it shouldn't be that bad, it's only audio anyway)... Long story short we've got a party coming up and me being a bit of a (failing) geek i want to have the music all co-ordinated instead of a mishmash around the house... __________________ Last edited by LeperousDust; 02-10-2007 at 16:18.

02-10-2007, 16:45	#3
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	Haven't got winamp installed, i'm not really a fan of the winamp setup, but i might just go ahead with it anyway if its easy enough. I seem to be having severe network problems at present though, if i set up VLC to multicast i can recieve it via the ip on my computer but so far the other 2 computers i can test can't. One does and one doesn't run Norton. I can't imagine why, it seems like maybe something to do with my router? __________________

02-10-2007, 17:14	#6
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	Wasn't a cheap router, Linksys WRT300N I was hoping it was multicast compatible! Oh and i've just installed winamp and remember how much i don't like it, and it'll noly confuse everyone else, i'm not babysitting at this party, thus why i want either WMP or iTunes... __________________

02-10-2007, 17:18	#7
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	Multicasting within a subnet will not even reach the router, it's a switching thing. I'd be surprised if that was your problem though. If you have a cross-over cable, a simple test would be to just connect 2 boxes up and make sure they work before doing anything else. __________________ apt-get moo

02-10-2007, 17:31	#8
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	No crossover cables, i've got about a million normal cables that come with routers etc... I could try plugging mine into the router over ethernet, and another that won't work currently cover ethernet too, see if i can at least get it working like that? Would that tell me anything? Either way i still need to be able to feed directsound into VLC for multicasting too thats a big problem atm... __________________

02-10-2007, 16:41	#2
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	If it's just music, then the ShoutCast server plugin for Winamp will do the job, though it can be a little pedantic to set up.

02-10-2007, 16:55	#4
Burble Rocket Fuel Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 7,826	Assuming the other 2 computers are on the same subnet as yours then the router doesn't come into play. This is something I want to play with myself, I've jsut never found to time to do it.

02-10-2007, 16:57	#5
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Incompatible router/network hardware possibly. Multicast support is one of those things that often gets left out to save on development costs.

02-10-2007, 18:10	#9
leowyatt Chef extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Infinite Loop Posts: 11,143	I had an app on the old windows box that streamed music, need to boot the box up and check what it was. I think it had a web interface, will have a look and report back. I streamed music from there and listened to it on the iBook upstairs. __________________ "Dr Sheldon Cooper FTW!"

02-10-2007, 18:23	#10
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	That sounds pretty good cheers __________________