# Streambaby - new streaming application



## kearygriffin

(I've restarted this thread in the Tivo Home Media Features & TiVoToGo to forum. Please use that thread.)

I wanted to let everyone know about a new streaming video application, StreamBaby:

you can find it at:
code.google.com/p/streambaby/
(Sorry, I couldn't put in a clickable-link. tivocommunity says I don't have enough cred to post a link ;-)


It is originally based off of tivostream, and has the following main features:

* Random access streaming of video files. Able to seek to anywhere in the video. Also removes need for qt-faststart.
* Attempts to work around the 1.1G limit for streaming videos on the TiVo. If you reach the 1.1G limit, the video you are watching will be paused and restarted with a fresh buffer at the position you were in before.
* Ability to FF/RWD to points in the video that have not been buffered yet. When outside of the buffer, a "preview" of the movie (low-quality static images) will appear, and when play is pressed the video stream will be repositioned to start streaming at that point (ala Netflix/TiVo)
* Realtime preview generation for most file formats. Others (mpeg in particular) use autogenerated thumbnail files.
* Ability to transcode and stream video that is not inherently TiVo compatible. Supports most wmv, avi, and mkv. Preview mode and random-positioning work with most transcoded files.
* Remembers your position in the video when you stop watching and automatically starts at that position next time you watch. Works even when exiting playing via the "TiVo" button.

Please let me know what you think, or if you have any bugs/suggestions, etc.

Also I just wanted to make sure I thanked moyekj here for his work on tivostream, as well as his efforts in testing/debugging/code suggestions on Streambaby. Thanks! Thanks also to Steve C who also helped with suggestions and testing. Their efforts have hopefully helped make Streambaby a better application.


Keary


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## moyekj

Here's a direct link: streambaby

Keary, it may be more appropriate to start a thread in Tivo Home Media Features & TiVoToGo forum.

For any of you who are using video streaming application or tried one before and wasn't happy with it this is a must try. Keary did an excellent job adding new features, especially the random access anywhere in a video (even for mpeg4) and the workaround for the 1.1GB limit - stream is automatically restarted at the point where buffer ends while you are playing. The preview method ala Tivo/Netflix implementation is also a very cool feature.

This application obsoletes tivostream so I don't plan any more updates for tivostream.


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## kearygriffin

I've restarted this thread in the Tivo Home Media Features & TiVoToGo to forum. Please use that thread.


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## tbear334

Would someone please tell me the best format (both video and audio) to use to convert DVDs to a format that TiVo HD will not have to transcode? and the best tool to use? I've used handbrake to convert my DVDs to .mkv with XVid, but these get transcoded. 

Awesome program btw... exactly what I was looking for!


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## Judremy

Thanks for posting this thread. This program is great and I'm able to play most of my library from my PC.

Things that don't seem to work:
AC3 audio
MP4 files using x264 (not h264). Example site to get a test file: http://www.kaizoku-fansubs.com/

These are the only things that have not worked for me so far.


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## kearygriffin

Judremy said:


> Thanks for posting this thread. This program is great and I'm able to play most of my library from my PC.
> 
> Things that don't seem to work:
> AC3 audio
> MP4 files using x264 (not h264). Example site to get a test file: http://www.kaizoku-fansubs.com/
> 
> These are the only things that have not worked for me so far.


The files at kaizoku are are marked as "level 5.1" MP4 which TiVo does support. This is a known issue (there is some other talk in the other streambaby thread). Basically at some point to fix this I need to add code to "lie" to the TiVo and tell it that it is not a "level 5.1" MP4, but a level 4.1 mp4 that the TiVo supports (because more than likely it is not really a level 5.1 MP4 file, just that the encoder that wrote it marked it that way)


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## AussieMark

Hi Keary, from my rudimentary Googling I understand that you are the (or one of the) developer of Streambaby - thanks for your great application. Unfortunately, TiVo firmware was upgraded last week in Australia and New Zealand, and a side effect is that Streambaby has been "broken" (to quote a Tivo staff member downunder). Here's what he says ...

"Hi Everyone

With the latest release of Software the .tivo files that are moved from the TiVo to the PC and back now use transport streams instead of program streams. This was necessary for us to support H.264 in NZ for both MRV and TiVo Desktop.

This new format does break Streambaby  however this has occurred in the past when we have released new SW, and the Open Source community simply sniffs the new protocol and updates StreamBaby to make it work again. I can't give you a target date but it has been updated relatively quickly in the past.

Thanks
Craig"


I've got no idea what this means in terms of a potential fix for Streambaby, but thought I'd let you know just in case it's something that can be fixed easily.

Regards
Mark


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## wmcbrine

I simply sniff at Craig.

Given the lack of Aussie/NZ TiVos in the U.S., don't hold your breath for a fix. Assuming they bring the same changes to the U.S., you might see something then. Of course we could take a stab in the dark... I don't suppose you've tried pyTivo with the new software?

Transport streams should be a big win in the long term, since (as I understand it) they're already the native format for the S3/HD, and the need to remux to program streams is one of the big reasons transfers are so slow, as well as being an occasional source of errors. It also sounds like h.264 in transport streams is supported, maybe even for TTCB (!), and transport streams should be easier to deal with than MP4 containers.

Anyway, I assume at least that MP4 files still work. No?


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## sharmos

wmcbrine said:


> Anyway, I assume at least that MP4 files still work. No?


No I haven't been able to play files of any format with _streambaby_ since firmware update.
*sniff sniff*


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