[vdr] Re: dbox as VDR client

[Peter Siering <lists@siering.org>]

On Fri, 2003-06-20 at 16:45, Rene Bartsch wrote:
> Am Fre, 2003-06-20 um 16.34 schrieb Oliver Kuhl:
> > Hi!
> > 
> > > Would it be possible to shrink a VDR-only distro (static compiled kernel
> > > with nfs-client, DVB-driver, VDR, streamdev-plugin and full DBOX-hardware
> > > support) to fit into the 8 MByte Flash of DBOX2?
> > Some dbox-images use a "clip-mode" to stream the dbox-recordings back into the
> > box. I never tried it, but seems to be possible. Does any one know whats the
> > difference between dbox- and vdr-files?
> 
> VDR can be installed on DBOX2 (there has been a post on the list some
> days ago) - so you don't need Neutrino but only a NFS-client to connect
> to the server.
> 
> My question is, if it is necessary to boot from another machine or if
> the 8 MB are enough for a static VDR-image including kernel and drivers.
> 
> > 
> > > This way VDR-boxes could be used in any room and only one NFS-server for
> > > storing the recordings.
> > That would definetly be nice!
> > 

Hi,

indeed that would be nice, but there are a couple of problems
(after the announcement of VDR on DBOX2 I was playing around with it the
last nights):

- clip-mode to replay recorded material is far from perfect (only Sagem
and Philips are fast enough, people tell) - I've tried it yesterday:
playing a 001.vdr with the neutrino movie player and got lots of audio
and video dropouts - may be that's due to format differences or there is
some room for improvements.

- networking runs just with 10 MBit half duplex, that's close to the
limit one would need to stream mpeg2 into or out of the box (most
people, I've talked to, weren't satisfied with the recordings got from a
dbox2 - and that way around is much more popular). And it's tricky to
get the box up: It won't remote boot in an autosensing (10/100
MBit-)network most of the time (the network code times out while
autosensing and gets stuck into a flash boot).

- the project isn't that well organized (sorry guys) and much more
complicated. There are some missing pieces within the CVS head version -
the hole flash build process seems to be commented out. Everything has
to be cross compiled, but that is easy with the cross development kit
(CDK).

- the hole vdr part needs some more work. I've just seen live tv for a
few seconds. It did not enumerate nfs mounted recordings. Just the UI is
up and running. May be it's just a personal problem or one of my Sagem
box - may be Alexander Olk, who did the announcement, can shed some
light on what's working now?

On the other hand:

A dbox2 is a neat DVB tuner, much more colourfull ;-). Why not use it as
a remote frontend to a VDR system in the basement or somewhere else,
getting the analog signal through your sat cable with a modulator and
controlling vdr by the remote of a networked dbox2? 

BTW: a Sat-dbox2 isn't really cheap - they are sold for more than 200
Euro at - o.k. - ebay. Any bundling with a subscription for a
refurbished box from Premiere I've seen the last couple of weeks were
just cable boxes or even the older dbox(1).

Peter





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