# DLNA servers - what a PITA!



## lparsons211367066133 (Oct 22, 2011)

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I didn't see anywhere else that made more sense.

As IPTV becomes more prevalent, and it is a very long way away from that imo, getting all that content on the TV easily is still a big issue. We have a slew of hardware products from specialized boxes like the AppleTV; Roku; etc, other boxes that do it as an adjunct, including the TV itself, and then we have the HTPC of all kinds of configurations.

But we don't have a single place to go to get all those channels of IPTV that are out there. No hardware that is easily controlled from the couch across the room is available that will do it all. Every single item or software has many limitations as to what it can bring to the big screen. And that includes the DLNA software.

I love Playon/Playlater - but it isn't good enough when you want to use them for something like HBOGo (just a for instance, anything not directly offered within Playon is the same), making the DLNA solution pretty half-assed. Every single DLNA product suffers from the same issue, just different sources they don't support.

I suppose much of the problem is that each video source protects their product in a slightly different way, making it difficult. And of course, there's places like Hulu that don't want it on the bigscreen unless you are using their paid-Hulu+ product.

Frankly as long as it takes multiple-boxes or multi-software to get each of these services to the bigscreen, IPTV will not go very far. The bulk of the TV viewers like it simple!


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## Athlon646464 (Feb 23, 2007)

I agree with much of what you have to say.

From what I know, the Roku boxes have the most 'channels'. The WD Live Plus boxes will handle most every file-type if you want to stream local content, and they have a few channels as well. (I have two WD boxes.)

Perhaps a HTPC would be the best hybrid choice for now. However, as you say, it's not a simple solution for most folks.


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## lparsons211367066133 (Oct 22, 2011)

As I do more research into how to cut the cord someday, I keep running up against the various limits involved. Here's just a few that makes getting everything you want to watch for less than cable/sat LEGALLY! Note torrents are not considered at all.

1. Live sports - almost none available for low or no cost. Even Boxing 
2. Various channels and their newly (or old) implemented login/tie-in with cable/sat providers. This means via web browser for the most part, is the only thing that works.
3. Shows that are just not available via streaming for whatever reason. Heck there are even shows that don't show up in any form, although it is a short list.

Because of #2, DLNA servers like PlayOn, cannot manage the stream for sharing on your network. Note this is not a Playon limitation as much as it is a general DLNA server issue. Odd ball logins with the tie-in to the cable/sat provider are there so you can't get them without also having a sub to the particular channel. Which kind of reduces the need for the DLNA server to begin with.

Unless/until we get to the point of one app to get it all, then cutting the cord seems not very doable unless you really don't want to watch TV anyway...

Athlon, the HTPC seems to be the best choice at the moment. But it is fraught with problems, biggest one being that you have to use a web browser for way too many channels and web browsers on a TV across the room are not fun at all!


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## oldschoolecw (Jan 25, 2007)

Lloyd said:


> As I do more research into how to cut the cord someday, I keep running up against the various limits involved. Here's just a few that makes getting everything you want to watch for less than cable/sat LEGALLY! Note torrents are not considered at all.
> 
> 1. Live sports - almost none available for low or no cost. Even Boxing
> 2. Various channels and their newly (or old) implemented login/tie-in with cable/sat providers. This means via web browser for the most part, is the only thing that works.
> ...


1. GoFightLive.tv has live boxing IPPV's and I'm sure there are other providers as well
2. I am finding a ton of shows and movies for free on my Boxee Box using the Navi-X app Repository
3. read 2, I'm talking TV shows and movies not found on NetFlix, crackle, HULU and Amazon


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## lparsons211367066133 (Oct 22, 2011)

Thanks for the gofightlive link, I'll do a bit of looking around on that one.

I got the Navi-X app and tried to install on both Boxee and XBMC software. No joy...


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## lparsons211367066133 (Oct 22, 2011)

My bad, my versions of XBMC and Boxee were well out of date as I hadn't been using them much. got the newest versions and all works fine, got Navi-X installed and working.

That said, the quality of video just isn't there with these software apps/add-ons for the most part, or I should say not there from the sources they get the video from. Not all, but most were well less than DVD quality and not even good SD. That is still an issue in the IPTV world I suppose. There are many sources that are very good from a quality of video/audio standpoint. Hulu, HBOGo, MaxGo and the apps for iPad from the various stations seem to be overall quite good, as is Netflix. Others such as Crackle and FearNet are very poor imo.

One of the things I've noticed is that while there are a ton of channels out there, with all kinds of video on them, my own personal preference is for shows from the cable sources like FX, USA, TNT and so on. Much of the freely available is a bit out there for me and the quality of the video/audio detracts.

Bottom line for me, is that while I will use IPTV of one sort or another, it isn't ready for me to cut the cord yet. Not by quite a large margin.


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## oldschoolecw (Jan 25, 2007)

Lloyd said:


> My bad, my versions of XBMC and Boxee were well out of date as I hadn't been using them much. got the newest versions and all works fine, got Navi-X installed and working.
> 
> That said, the quality of video just isn't there with these software apps/add-ons for the most part, or I should say not there from the sources they get the video from. Not all, but most were well less than DVD quality and not even good SD. That is still an issue in the IPTV world I suppose. There are many sources that are very good from a quality of video/audio standpoint. Hulu, HBOGo, MaxGo and the apps for iPad from the various stations seem to be overall quite good, as is Netflix. Others such as Crackle and FearNet are very poor imo.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I love the new and improved Navi-X, I am watching shows I haven't seen in more 30+ years.


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## oldschoolecw (Jan 25, 2007)

Lloyd said:


> Thanks for the gofightlive link, I'll do a bit of looking around on that one.
> 
> I got the Navi-X app and tried to install on both Boxee and XBMC software. No joy...


I have been using GFL.TV for about 2 years, the very cool thing about it is once you purchase an event, you own it, meaning you can stream it when ever you want and as many times as you want. Enjoy


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## sledgehammer1367066128 (Jun 19, 2011)

I may be a little off-base, but I can do most of that with my PC and Windows Media Center, a TV tuner card and a DVD drive/player. Nearly everything is (or can be) controlled with the Media Center remote.

Several 'channels' display on the Guide for free streaming content including some network programming. My ISP has a TV & Videos tab on their website that offers full episodes from a variety of networks. So far they haven't imposed any form of bandwidth caps or limits.


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## lparsons211367066133 (Oct 22, 2011)

I suppose it is determined by what we individually define as 'normal TV'. In my case, the commercial channels fit the bill quite nicely even if my blasted sat bill keeps going up. With IPTV, at this stage of the game, I have to re-define what I want to watch. I'm not ready to do that yet.

While I do have a Windows box or two, I'm primarily a Mac user and we do have some slick stuff too!  But Windows Media Center is very nice, but unfortunately it doesn't quite do the job for me. I'm in the boondocks, and have a few broadcast channels that I get straight to the TV, but more often than not, I get them via SAT too for the convenience. And I have not caps I'm aware of here either. But it isn't the internet, it is that too much of what I want to watch isn't available without switching to one app or another. That is not a solution to cutting the cord, imo.


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## sledgehammer1367066128 (Jun 19, 2011)

They both have their pros and cons. 

With Cable/Sat/OTA you choose between whatever they happen to be running at the time, or you choose what to record so you can watch later. Right now, I probably have a couple of hundred programs recorded from OTA onto the hard drives to watch sometime after I decide to drop satellite due to rising costs.

With IPTV, you can pick and choose what you want to watch at the moment from a selection of available programming. Your personal preferences can widen or limit those choices. Problem here is that you can't always download/record a program for later. Some services allow it, others don't.


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## lparsons211367066133 (Oct 22, 2011)

Other than MediaMall's Playlater product, I wasn't aware of any other legal way of recording any IPTV. And that is limited to the channels they support.


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