[ILUG] Streaming video

[Niall O Broin]

On 21 Sep 2005, at 08:44, Andres Jimenez wrote:

> I don't think "Streaming video" is an accurate title for the thread,
> because you are only exporting a Samba share....

I did actually think about that, and you're possibly right - but from 
my POV as a watcher of said video, I'm having problems streaming them 
from the server, even though reading may be a more correct term. But 
what is streaming but reading anyway? And what's in a name?

> Anyway, I have done that before on windows networks and everything
> worked properly. Using regular PCs (IDE HDs and ethernet 100) it can
> be done for not a lot of clients (tested with 8). No specific
> equipment used: PCs, network switch and CAT 5 cable. The server was
> dedicated to file server only.

As I said, I have problems also with a wired connection (though 
contrary to what I said in the OP, they are fewer with wired). The 
server isn't dedicated to fileserving - it's also my IBB gateway - but 
it's really not very busy.

> I don't think problem is related with media players {unless media
> player is loading TOO much the computer, that happens to mee too often 
> using VLC (0.8, not sure) on OSX (G3 ibook and MACmini usin
> OSX10.3.9)}

No, nor do I, as I have no problems with a local copy of the file.

>> This was over a wireless connection, but it was just as bad
>> with a wired connection. I did a very unscientific test by copying a 
>> file from the Samba share and got a rate of 500KB/s which is
>> atrociously slow BUT is still more than 3x that needed for the avi 
>> file concerned (350MB, 40 minutes =~ 150KB/s).
>
> I would focus on checking the ACTUAL HD's speed reading different
> media files "simultaneously"

My testing has only been with ONE client but anyway, raw disk speed 
tested with hdparm -t is WAAY more than fast enough (and an equally 
unscientific test with cat mediafile > /dev/null gives about the same 
30MB/s read speed from disk)

> and how much data the network cards are sending.

A network card made from old clock parts and sellotape should be able 
to send > 150KB/s. And anyway, testing shows that on a straight copy, 
I'm getting ~ 500 KB/s over the wireless LAN and 2-3MB/s on the wired 
(which is also crap, but should be more than enough)

> I am not happy with my wireless network's performance (USB on
> MAC OSX). I dunno if that is your situation.

Neither am I TBH but AIUI real world throughput on wireless LANs is 
only about 50% of "wire" speed, which equates to the throughput I'm 
seeing on an 802.11B network of ~500 KB/s. This is fine if all you're 
using the wireless for is sharing an internet connection, but 
sub-optimal :-) for file serving. As a matter of interest, what USB 
wireless device are you using on OS-X? I have access to an old iMac 
which might become useful if I could get a WiFi connection to it.


Niall