Sonos but for video

[whitecrook]

i just got a sonos connect and having the abilty to stream the line-in input in the living room to my other play 1’s in the kitchen and cinema room is Freaking Awesome. Loving the sonos system.

Is there anything comparable that i can use to do the same with video i.e plug a video input (maybe the video out from my hdmi switch) and then stream this to other tvs in the house?

 

[lucid]

Video Senders do that, but they're generally a bit rubbish unless you spend a lot (circa. £200+ for a point-to-point HDMI-equipped HD1080i/p-capable TX/RX pair). Even then, you're at the mercy of the quality of your indoor Wi-Fi coverage because you're trying stream a live uncompressed video stream with no buffering capability at the RX end.

Where you have the video data sitting on a file server somewhere, which could be a home NAS drive, the Cloud, or somewhere else on the interweb, then things become far easier. Letting the RX box buffer and decode means that video on demand (VOD) and wireless connectivity become much simpler.

Coming back to the idea of streaming a raw video feed, a product called Slingbox with take composite video (yellow RCA connection) or Component video* (Y, R-Y, B-Y on green, red and blue RCAs) and compress and stream it as an IP signal to a Slingbox player app or suitable smart TV using your home internet connection to upload the data stream. Folk use this to watch the Sky box in their British home when holidaying abroad. It's not VOD because it's only streaming what is playing now, but there's a parallel with what you're doing with the Line In on the Connect.

Where a house has an existing RF (TV aerial) distribution system, it's possible to take a HDMI feed direct from a splitter or HDMI-equipped source and feed that through a device that converts it to a DVB-T2 (Freeview HD) signal. All TVs in the house connected to the aerial system and that have Freeview HD tuners can then see this signal as a new Freeview HD channel.


* This requires an extra 3rd party box to convert HDMI to Component video and to strip the HDCP from the signal.

 

[RoyMi6]

Just as a possible alternative to a hardware solution, depending on your actual use case, using Plex as a media server works great for viewing content in multiple rooms simply because it allows you to resume where you left off.

So if I start watching a film in the bedroom on my Nvidia Sheild, then I can go up stairs and just hit resume on my Amazon Fire TV in the bedroom.

Again in a different slant, and without know specific uses cases, another thing is the using the Sonos play bar as I think it let's you use the HDMI inputs audio to be streamed around the system. Not a video solution but might be a feature you're interested in (although read up on it as I'm not 100% you can actually do that

 

[whitecrook]

Video Senders do that, but they're generally a bit rubbish unless you spend a lot (circa. £200+ for a point-to-point HDMI-equipped HD1080i/p-capable TX/RX pair). Even then, you're at the mercy of the quality of your indoor Wi-Fi coverage because you're trying stream a live uncompressed video stream with no buffering capability at the RX end.

Where you have the video data sitting on a file server somewhere, which could be a home NAS drive, the Cloud, or somewhere else on the interweb, then things become far easier. Letting the RX box buffer and decode means that video on demand (VOD) and wireless connectivity become much simpler.

Hmm yes, But I have a PC in cinema room, living room,(so need for routing that kind of data is limited) but My use case (for example, one of) would be for example the kids are playing in the cinema room on the PC, maybe it's on switch, maybe it's a PC game, maybe PS3 maybe it's youtube, or watching a movie. Point is I would like to be able to just 'tunein' to what they are doing while I work in the living room, or in the kitchen or whatever. (TV in kitchen)

Secondly example use case. Maybe I'm in the cinema room watching some youtube stuff, or suddenly found an 'awesome recipe' online. I want to go to my kitchen and just 'continue' in that room while I put the washing on or make that recipe etc etc Maybe I started in the living room.

With sonos you can do all this with audio.

Coming back to the idea of streaming a raw video feed, a product called Slingbox with take composite video (yellow RCA connection) or Component video* (Y, R-Y, B-Y on green, red and blue RCAs) and compress and stream it as an IP signal to a Slingbox player app or suitable smart TV using your home internet connection to upload the data stream. Folk use this to watch the Sky box in their British home when holidaying abroad. It's not VOD because it's only streaming what is playing now, but there's a parallel with what you're doing with the Line In on the Connect.

Yes i remember hearing about these ages ago -- quite old now? Anything for 1080p hdmi feed ?

Where a house has an existing RF (TV aerial) distribution system, it's possible to take a HDMI feed direct from a splitter or HDMI-equipped source and feed that through a device that converts it to a DVB-T2 (Freeview HD) signal. All TVs in the house connected to the aerial system and that have Freeview HD tuners can then see this signal as a new Freeview HD channel.

Ha yes I know what you mean. Problem there for me is I have no TVs! All my screens are monitors and projector ... i.e. commerical panels, not PC monitors. So no tuners. I would need to get a RF modulator and convert at each end... wow.

Just as a possible alternative to a hardware solution, depending on your actual use case, using Plex as a media server works great for viewing content in multiple rooms simply because it allows you to resume where you left off.

So if I start watching a film in the bedroom on my Nvidia Sheild, then I can go up stairs and just hit resume on my Amazon Fire TV in the bedroom.

Yes this is pretty neat, I played with plex a while a go, but for me I don't really want the admin of running plex and these kind of services. I like to be able to double click my movies and they play fine. I always found with plex that it would pfaff around with box art and get confused if I had multiple versions of the same thing. It's an unnecessary abstraction layer that I have no use or need for. I tend to watch and delete so having a 'big media library' is also not really a benefit to me. I'm really looking for something further up the chain - i.e. a video feed, no matter where it comes from to be routed at a physical kind of layer irrespective of source




So maybe a really nice HDMI matrix box - but then I have to have all my sources (which are split between 2 rooms currently (cinema room / living room) feed them into this, and then feed it all back to each display. My house is networked, if there was some kind of small device (e.g. sonos 1 type thing) I could just put in what ever room and it does the rest (maybe sits in right before the TV input) then could be jamming.

I'm thinking something like a theoretical HDMI capture box (twitch streamers use these right? ) that makes the data available on the network, then another box for each display device (rasppi e.g.) that can read this data and display it on the connected screen. And then a nice app to control ipnut sources and output feeds. If someone hasn't made this yet I think there's a significant gap in the market here.


edit maybe this sort of thing is where I need to be looking

https://www.gefen.com/technology/av-over-ip

 

[lucid]

The Gefen kit is £1200 for a single IP transmitter and receiver kit.

How many source and how many rooms do to service?

 

[RoyMi6]

I don't kbow how long it's been since you used plex but I can't remember the last time I manually tinkered with a y of the scraped information, images or anything. Does everything you had issue with automatically...so yeah, complete non issue for me.

So maybe a really nice HDMI matrix box - but then I have to have all my sources (which are split between 2 rooms currently (cinema room / living room) feed them into this, and then feed it all back to each display. My house is networked, if there was some kind of small device (e.g. sonos 1 type thing) I could just put in what ever room and it does the rest (maybe sits in right before the TV input) then could be jamming.

I'm thinking something like a theoretical HDMI capture box (twitch streamers use these right? ) that makes the data available on the network, then another box for each display device (rasppi e.g.) that can read this data and display it on the connected screen. And then a nice app to control ipnut sources and output feeds. If someone hasn't made this yet I think there's a significant gap in the market here.

Look for network "broadcast": https://www.epiphan.com/solutions/stream-hdmi-dvi-vga-over-network/#1493393201616-974bb7d1-c3e1

Consider that your biggest limitation with a "dumb" device like that is you need something to be able to control your source in the other room though.

Still think you're missing out by not considering a plex setup. I can literally stream anything anywhere (live TV, ripped movies, YouTube content) inside and outside my house (currently rewatching game of thrones on holiday from my plex server) and control it all with ease (phone, or remote)

 

[whitecrook]

I don't kbow how long it's been since you used plex but I can't remember the last time I manually tinkered with a y of the scraped information, images or anything. Does everything you had issue with automatically...so yeah, complete non issue for me.



Look for network "broadcast": https://www.epiphan.com/solutions/stream-hdmi-dvi-vga-over-network/#1493393201616-974bb7d1-c3e1

Consider that your biggest limitation with a "dumb" device like that is you need something to be able to control your source in the other room though.

Still think you're missing out by not considering a plex setup. I can literally stream anything anywhere (live TV, ripped movies, YouTube content) inside and outside my house (currently rewatching game of thrones on holiday from my plex server) and control it all with ease (phone, or remote)

i'll look at plex again but it does it send my web browser to another device ? Does it send my PS3 to the living from the cinema room ? What about my nintendo switch ? Yes it might be great when i'm out the country etc, but when I'm out the country i'm usually not that bothered about watching TV... I'm not sure it solves my use cases above.

Re gefen yes probably very expensive but the must be something in between for less money ?

I want 2 rooms of sources - living room and cinema room each room has hdmi switch. But ideally would like 4 rooms of display cineam, living room, kitchen, bedroom.

that link looks interesting. Will look in to it more. keyword broadcasting.

 

[RoyMi6]

i'll look at plex again but it does it send my web browser to another device ? Does it send my PS3 to the living from the cinema room ? What about my nintendo switch ?

Nope, you're right. won't work in those use cases. But how do you plan on controlling those devices from other rooms? Run a USB extension as well or are the rooms close enough that the controllers just work through the walls?

Or you just literally wanting to allow family to watch you play games from other rooms?

 

[whitecrook]

Nope, you're right. won't work in those use cases. But how do you plan on controlling those devices from other rooms? Run a USB extension as well or are the rooms close enough that the controllers just work through the walls?

Or you just literally wanting to allow family to watch you play games from other rooms?

No control needed, but mainly second case(actually me watch what the kids are doing on the PC/game)

I also thought of the actual thing that prompted me to do this post ...

Having the sonos group audio between rooms so when i move from one room to the next (mainly kitchen to living room and back) It Freaking awesome. No lag, perfect sync and I never miss anything.

I want the same for video. The other day I was watching grand tour on amazon video (in my browser) I go back and forth from living to kitchen (making dinner, sorting kids stuff etc) I was able to have the audio synced on the sonos between the 2 rooms (using the line in - awesome) so I could hear it but I wanted to be able to SEE it as well. Why can't I just pipe a video into the kitchen as well and have it synced like I can for audio ? Does plex do this ? is there a 'mirror the living room player' option that I can use ? And can plex do amazon prime video ? Do I have to start it in plex , I like using the browser I like using the PC as a PC I don't necessarily want to dumb it down/app-ify it.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Hmm yes, But I have a PC in cinema room, living room,(so need for routing that kind of data is limited) but My use case (for example, one of) would be for example the kids are playing in the cinema room on the PC, maybe it's on switch, maybe it's a PC game, maybe PS3 maybe it's youtube, or watching a movie. Point is I would like to be able to just 'tunein' to what they are doing while I work in the living room, or in the kitchen or whatever. (TV in kitchen)

Secondly example use case. Maybe I'm in the cinema room watching some youtube stuff, or suddenly found an 'awesome recipe' online. I want to go to my kitchen and just 'continue' in that room while I put the washing on or make that recipe etc etc Maybe I started in the living room.

With sonos you can do all this with audio.



Yes i remember hearing about these ages ago -- quite old now? Anything for 1080p hdmi feed ?





Ha yes I know what you mean. Problem there for me is I have no TVs! All my screens are monitors and projector ... i.e. commerical panels, not PC monitors. So no tuners. I would need to get a RF modulator and convert at each end... wow.



Yes this is pretty neat, I played with plex a while a go, but for me I don't really want the admin of running plex and these kind of services. I like to be able to double click my movies and they play fine. I always found with plex that it would pfaff around with box art and get confused if I had multiple versions of the same thing. It's an unnecessary abstraction layer that I have no use or need for. I tend to watch and delete so having a 'big media library' is also not really a benefit to me. I'm really looking for something further up the chain - i.e. a video feed, no matter where it comes from to be routed at a physical kind of layer irrespective of source




So maybe a really nice HDMI matrix box - but then I have to have all my sources (which are split between 2 rooms currently (cinema room / living room) feed them into this, and then feed it all back to each display. My house is networked, if there was some kind of small device (e.g. sonos 1 type thing) I could just put in what ever room and it does the rest (maybe sits in right before the TV input) then could be jamming.

I'm thinking something like a theoretical HDMI capture box (twitch streamers use these right? ) that makes the data available on the network, then another box for each display device (rasppi e.g.) that can read this data and display it on the connected screen. And then a nice app to control ipnut sources and output feeds. If someone hasn't made this yet I think there's a significant gap in the market here.


edit maybe this sort of thing is where I need to be looking

https://www.gefen.com/technology/av-over-ip

Buy a yi camera for £20

And YouTube can be cast from phone to pretty much anything

 

[whitecrook]

Buy a yi camera for £20

And YouTube can be cast from phone to pretty much anything

Thanks for your message but not really sure how either thing helps me out? Did you post to the wrong thread?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Thanks for your message but not really sure how either thing helps me out? Did you post to the wrong thread?

point camera at screen? you can then see what is on their screen anytime, anyplace from your phone. this will cost £20 otherwise the solution you want in your spec will cost £2000 so it helps you out by not bankrupting you.

you said you also watch recipes in 1 place and then want to continue watching it elsewhere. well use youtube app on your phone and cast it to whatever device is in the room. again this will save you £2000 than the solution you really want.

 

[whitecrook]

point camera at screen? you can then see what is on their screen anytime, anyplace from your phone. this will cost £20 otherwise the solution you want in your spec will cost £2000 so it helps you out by not bankrupting you.

Oh right OK yes, i mean that is possible yes.

you said you also watch recipes in 1 place and then want to continue watching it elsewhere. well use youtube app on your phone and cast it to whatever device is in the room. again this will save you £2000 than the solution you really want.

OK, but this misses the point I would need to know in advance that I want to do this. The point is, I want to do it anytime without having to do it backwards. If I cast it from my phone (I mean how do I do this when I click on a youtube link in a forum post, for example, whilst browsing on my PC?) Yes yes I can copy paste, send a message, search for the video on the phone an then recast to another screen (also no simultaneous casting, right?) But the idea is to AVOID having to do all that pfaff. Have you used a Sonos system ? I don't want to sound evangelical, but the way that Sonos does things, is very, very good. It's so good that you can easily miss how good it is.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Oh right OK yes, i mean that is possible yes.



OK, but this misses the point I would need to know in advance that I want to do this. The point is, I want to do it anytime without having to do it backwards. If I cast it from my phone (I mean how do I do this when I click on a youtube link in a forum post, for example, whilst browsing on my PC?) Yes yes I can copy paste, send a message, search for the video on the phone an then recast to another screen (also no simultaneous casting, right?) But the idea is to AVOID having to do all that pfaff. Have you used a Sonos system ? I don't want to sound evangelical, but the way that Sonos does things, is very, very good. It's so good that you can easily miss how good it is.

My mate has sonos and I know what sonos is.

However there is no such thing for video because it's stupidly expensive to do and therefore nobody would buy it.

I know the smart home, speaker and home cinema market very well.

I use yamaha music cast personally as I find sonos to be overpriced. Plus I find the quality of yamaha to be better

 

[whitecrook]

My mate has sonos and I know what sonos is.

Cool, then you'll appreciate your suggestion hits a little left of centre.

However there is no such thing for video because it's stupidly expensive to do and therefore nobody would buy it.

Not Yet....it seems

I know the smart home, speaker and home cinema market very well.

I use yamaha music cast personally as I find sonos to be overpriced. Plus I find the quality of yamaha to be better

But it doesn't do video ... Give it a few years. How many years from the inception of the Slimp3 until we had what we have now. It wasn't overnight was it, but they were there, doing it way back then. I'm suppose I'm looking for the current day video version of Slimp3

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Cool, then you'll appreciate your suggestion hits a little left of centre.


Not Yet....it seems



But it doesn't do video ... Give it a few years. How many years from the inception of the Slimp3 until we had what we have now. It wasn't overnight was it, but they were there, doing it way back then. I'm suppose I'm looking for the current day video version of Slimp3

audio is simple as it's literally low bandwidth and next to zero processing power any cpu can handle it.

video needs a lot more bandwidth and millions more power it would need it's own separate network or big advances in wi-fi routers. you would then also need lots of processing power especially for things like sky, plex already does what you want from a media point of view.

to do on the fly video (like sending sky to any tv in the house wirelessly) your talking needing a server and everything hooked up to it or a seperate server at each point in the home.

it's just not viable at all IMO. it will take at least 15 years before we see anything like that at a relatively good price.

 

[visibleman]

The closest you'll get is to go down the HDMI-over-IP route, unless you have dedicated network runs between sources and TV/monitor locations in which case you could use HDBaseT based products (essentially HDMI baluns), and to throw some automation (Control4 etc) on top for ease of use.

But as you saw from Gefen (Just Add Power are another who do HDMI-over-IP), you're looking at hefty prices for the hardware to accomplish it - a J.A.P UHD transmitter (per source) is ~£500 and a 4K receiver (per TV/Monitor) is about the same.

If someone hasn't made this yet I think there's a significant gap in the market here.

Complexity (video, especially UHD, is worlds away from syncing low bandwidth audio) and hardware cost is the ultimate reason a PnP average consumer product doesn't exist.

 

[whitecrook]

Cool. I for one can't wait until our cheap-ish-video-over-ip-sonos-like-device-with-line/video-in overlords begin to takeover and make us toil in their underground sugar caves.