Streaming

[Beenieman]

What sort of setup would I need to send video (avi/dvd) to 2 seperate rooms upstairs (kids rooms) from downstairs (livingroom) main computer? (My computer) and where the internet connection is.

I'm already thinking my computer as a Server?.. Here's how I see it in my head..

My computer (Main Computer) downloads the files in question, then sends the files/films onto another computer which then using svhs/audio cables goes upstairs into a tv in kids room? but I have 2 kids rooms and they both would be watching seperate things so we are looking at ANOTHER pc to run a feed to that room?

So thats Main PC plus 2 smaller computers for streaming the movies into the kids rooms?

Any easy way of doing this?


Anotherway is they both have dvd players and jobs done but I'm already doing it this way and they are forever scratching disks or fighting over the same film! lol

Please any suggestions would help, is what I said doable or is there a simpler way?

[4play]

setup a simple network wired or wireless and then share the folders you download your media to. works for me my sister and brother normally watch films off my computer without me having a clue they are doing it.

edit:

sorry i misread your post.
still might be worth thinking about using an older machine with a video out on it to display the films or a modded xbox in each room might also be a decent option.

[lynx]

I'll start by assuming that you have a single internet connection point which is accessible from both machines. If that's the case then they should also be able to talk to each other.

Best option is to use VLC as the client on the machine you want to play them on, and as the server on the machine they are stored on. I believe you can have more than one copy of the server running, using different ports, which should satisfy your requirement.

You can set up the client to play whatever is streamed, and control the streaming from the server side - this means you have full control of what your kids watch.

If you want to be able to control the streaming from the client side I think you'll need some additional software.

Lots of documentation here (http://www.videolan.org/doc/), and more accurate than I could hope to give.

Edit: BTW, it's not really as difficult as it first looks.

[Beenieman]

In an ideal world my kids could be trusted with a pc in thier room but thats not gonna happen anytime soon but thats not saying they cant have a tv/monitor in room and the unit stays downstairs or in the landing running on a extended svhs cable and then networked to my computer downstairs where hopefully I can remote access them and start the films playing, This seems like the easiest option so far.

thanks for the suggestions.

[dotcomsimon]

Do you have dvd players in your kids rooms? May I recommend purchasing 2 divx compliant dvd players?? They cost under £30 from Argos and I know what you say about scratching the discs but with a divx/dvd player you only have to burn the avi file as a data disc so no converting. It only takes 2 -3 mins unless you put 6 films on 1 disc (7-8 mins), with the price of discs so cheap nowadays - they sell them in 4 packs in poundland -its a better alternative than having cables running around the house or trying to stream, Hope this may have helped , Simon