eng TELE-audiovision 1305

FEATURE Self-made IpTv
Vitor Martins Augusto
It’s actually quite normal
to use Coax cable to
distribute digital TV signals
to a TV; it doesn’t
matter if it’s a satellite
signal from an LNb, a terrestrial
signal or a cable
signal. This method of
distribution has one disadvantage:
a coax cable
must be routed to each
and every TV and for
each TV a matching receiver
for digital signals
is needed.
An alternative to this is
IPTV. It has been available
for quite some time
now but up until now it
has only rarely been used
in a private setting.
With IPTV, digital signals
are distributed via a computer
network. Data is sent
in small packets whereby
the various network adapters
are connected to a
switch. The purpose of this
switch is to route the data
packets from a broadcaster
to the attached TVs. A
switch handles this task in
an intelligent way; it routes
the data packet to only one
TV. To that end, all of the attached
TVs have to link to
the switch.
Although most of the
switches used in the private
setting come with only 4 to
16 inputs, more than one
switch can be connected in
series. In this way up to 254
receivers can be provided
for (actually, the identification
numbers 0 – 255 are
available although they are
usually reserved for special
uses). The group of up to
254 receivers forms a subnet.
If a broadcaster’s data
packet in one subnet is to
be routed to a TV in another
subnet, then a router would
1
2
be needed. A router handles
the communications
between different subnets.
Private users, for example,
use a router to access the
Internet so that the computer
in the home network
(that itself forms a subnet)
120 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 05-06/2013 — www.TELE-audiovision.com
1. open the Ip address of your Linux receiver in the Firefox browser.
Depending on the installed firmware, a receiver’s web frontend
should open in which you can, among other things, have a look at
the EpG of various channels. In most cases you’ll see a small Tv
symbol on the right side. click on it.
2. Either VLC will open directly or you’ll be given a file to download.
Open the file in VLC so that the desired channel will be streamed in
its original picture quality to your pc. That’s how simple IpTv can
be even with this huge limitation: only one can receive the stream
on their Tv.