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TV "Broadcasting" Over Wireless Networks?

Posted by Cliff on from the lower-barriers-to-entry dept.

nuggetman asks: "This year we're starting an in-high-school TV network. What we would like to do is be able to broadcast from anywhere in the building using our wireless 802.11b network. In doing some tests at home, I discovered 802.11b has enough bandwidth to allow me to send live video at VHS quality (320x240 29.97fps) w/ FM quality audio when using Windows Media encoder on the sending end, and Windows Media Player at full screen on the receiving end. When applied in school, the receiving computer would simply output the full screen display to a TV signal. Are there any other free (as beer) solutions that would let us do this, other than WMP?"

3 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. several options... by Pathwalker · · Score: 4, Informative
    You have all sorts of options:
    • If you have access to a Mac, then QuickTime Broadcaster would be an excellent choice, as it supports broadcast and multicast, so you can have several machines playing the same stream without duplicating data.
    • If you have access to a Unix like system (Linux, OSX, FreeBSD, Solaris, Irix, HPUX, etc...) then mpeg4ip should let you do much of what QuickTime Broadcaster does, with a bit more hassle.
    Some other choices would be: and probably many more.
  2. Use Shoutcast! by TermAnnex · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nullsoft developed NSV, nullsoft streaming video.
    It can use a regular shoutcast server and winamp to play it.

    It's a bit poorly documented, but any geek should be able to figure it out. It can play a set of files in a loop, do live feeds, etc.

    http://www.nullsoft.com/nsv/

  3. Re:This is not VHS quality by RzUpAnmsCwrds · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "A fresh, first generation tape in a good machine blows 320x240 away any day."

    Yeah, and a 128kbit MP3 may not hold a candle to a fresh, properly mastered CD. But most CDs aren't properly mastered: they have their dynamic range compressed so much that they are clipping almost constantly. When most people think of VHS, they think of their own personal recordings or old tapes from Blockbuster, not the full capability of the medium.