CherryTV 0.1

CherryTV is a simple TV remote implemented as a Web page.
I have had a Bt878-based TV tuner for quite a while.
I have not made good use of it, though.
While it works great both in Linux and Windows, I have some hardware issues... my only PC that can take a PCI card is my file server. Which is tucked away in a corner, and lacks any kind of monitor (or mouse. or keyboard).
So, watching TV there was not possible. The obvious solution is a streaming video feed that could be accessed everywhere at home using my wireless network.
But... what could I use?
I decided that the simplest streaming server that could be accessed from windows and linux was VLC.
It is a bit tricky to get the right incantation, but here it is:
vlc -v --color v4l:/dev/video --sout
#transcode{vcodec=DIV3,vb=256,scale=1,acodec=mp3,
ab=32,channels=2}:std{access=mmsh,mux=asfh,dst=:9998}
Then you can access it from windows using mms://192.168.1.2 and from Linux using mmsh://192.168.1.2 (if anyone knows why I have to use different URLs, Id like to know).
It doesnt work from mplayer, which is my default video app, but well.. it works.
Then there is a snag... how can you change channels? Well, you cant, it seems.
So, I wrote a throwaway CherryPy app in an hour or so, and I called it CherryTV.
How does it work (currently nerds-only)?
- You use xawtv to build a list of your TV stations using the channel editor.
- Copy your .xawtv file as xawtv in CherryTV´s folder (one example included)
- Have v4lctl handy, and make sure it works like this:
- v4lctl setstation someStationName
- Start CherryTV
- Start vlc streaming as mentioned above (change IP as needed)
- Change stream URLs in cherryTV.py
- Start cherryTV.py
- Point your favourite browser to http://whatever:8080
- Choose whether your embedded video player works or not, and whether you use mms:// or mmsh:// URLs
- Open your external viewer if needed.
- Watch TV and be happy.