[curtis104]

Do anyone have any experience with this?

http://www.sinderon.com/software.htm


Play To and DLNA in Windows 7 is a good step forward in distributing content around digital homes but it doesn't offer simultaneous playback. SinCast 3 is a new application that does offer simultaneous playback of music, videos and TV. It works with VLC, iTunes and Windows Media Player, no mention of Windows Media Center that I can see but I would imagine there is a way to get it working. Using a HDHomeRun you can also stream live TV, so it looks an interesting application. I have not tried it out yet but there is a 21 day trial version and the full app costs $9.99, if you try it out let me know how you get on with it.




Full details:


SinCast 3 is an audio/video/TV distribution app that enables simultaneous play back of music, movies, video, and television to multiple PC endpoints. It uses VLC as a streaming engine and provides the following key features:

* Broad range of media sources

- File/folder/playlist/optical drive

- HDHomeRun TV Tuner

- URL

- Webcam

- DVB-S, C and T cards

* Compact easy to use tabbed User Interface

- Browsers for File System and HDHomeRun TV Channels

- List Managers for maintaining URL and DVB Channel Favorites

- Remembers Most Recently Used media sources, destinations and settings

- Command line and silent mode launch options

* HTTP Streaming server for on-demand (pull) access

- Can be accessed using VLC, iTunes and Windows Media Player

- Can be used concurrently with push-streaming

- Allows remote access to media and TV

* Tools for testing and debugging input source and stream output

- Stream output editor

- URL and DVB table viewers

A few other things to mention:

1. DVB and Webcam support is beta in this release.

2. UPnP extender devices are not supported.

3. VLC contains it's own codecs

and does not require anything additional.

 

[t-c]

Hi,


I'm the author of SinCast 3. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about the software including how it functions, what type of AV/TV distribution framework that it enables, and any other aspects of the product that may be of interest.


To summarize: SinCast 3 is an all IP based digital AV/TV distribution system that works over an Ethernet LAN where PC's are directly connected to room AV systems. SinCast 3 uses VLC as a streaming engine to create concurrent, multi-unicast streams which are played back in time-synchronization at each PC endpoint.


A new release of SinCast 3 was made available this evening.


SinCast 3 version 3.1.2.7 includes significant new features as described below. It also includes bug fixes, minor updates to the UI, and a general "shovel and broom" of the documentation

New features:

- Win7 Home Premium, Ultimate support

- VLC 101 support

- Detachable Remote Control app

- Automatic Wake On LAN

- Automatic Listener Reset

- Improved HDHR interface using signed tuner locking

- Selectable audio codecs for Media and URL transcoding


Regards,


t-c

sinderon.com

 

[curtis104]

Any chance of making a Plug-in for WMC for Windows 7? I am also trying to get a feel on how I can set this up in a Whole House audio solutions running off my WHS.

 

[t-c]

Answer to question #2:


As long as you have PC's connected to your room AV systems, just install VLC on all the PC's per SinCast 3 readme, and then install SinCast 3 on the PC(s) that you will be using to initiate the AV/TV distribution. That PC also needs to have the HDHomeRun setup app (and channel scan performed) to be able to distribute HDHomeRun TV. Thats pretty much it

It takes about 5 minutes per PC to install and configure VLC, and a bit longer to configure SinCast 3 itself since you will need to enter the host name or IP address of each of the destination PC's.


The destination PC's can be small, low-cost Atom/ION units. This new class of PC really enables the new AV/TV distribution framework that SinCast 3 promotes.


Finally, although WHS OS is not in our QA test yet for SinCast 3 and VLC, I would be surprised if it did not work since WHS (AFAIK) is a deritive of Windows server which we include in our QA testing.


Answer to question #1:


With regard to integrating VLC into Windows Media Center, this was actually attempted some years back, and there was some partially working code for Media Center 2005, but I don't think it was ever progressed by the author. As you can imagine, PC media players are really not designed to integrate into one another.


For now at least, consider SinCast 3 and VLC in their native implementations as a vertical solution for AV/TV distribution.


t-c

 

[t-c]

Hi,


A new release of SinCast 3 and SinCast RC are available

This release adds features to the Remote Control app that provide for query and display of the current stop/play status and volume stepping of the remote VLC listeners, and a capability to reset the listeners to volume default value.


Here are the relnotes


3.1.2.8 Released 2009-09-02


- NEW: SinCast RC version 1.0.1.5

- NEW: RC stop/play status indicators for destination VLC listeners.

- NEW: RC Volume step indicator for VLC listeners.

- NEW RC reset destination listener volume to default.

- NEW: RC query for stop/play status of VLC listener.

- NEW: Registry based ICMP and Socket send/recv timeout values.

- FIX: RC not picking up destination host "enabled" state from SinCast 3.

- UPD: Minor SinCast 3 and RC UI tweaks.

- UPD: Documentation including datasheet, readme and FAQ.



Regards,

t-c

 

[t-c]

Hello,


A new release of SinCast 3 and SinCast RC are available

This release adds support for displaying DVD menu prior to starting Simulcast so that alternate audio track and/or subtitle track can be selected before playback/streaming to destinations. SinCast RC provides a new control feature that allows selected subtitle track to be shown or hidden.


Here are the relnotes:


3.1.4.2 Released 2009-10-09


- NEW: Option to display DVD menu before starting Simulcast. This allows alt audio track and subtitle to be selected prior to play.

- NEW: SinCast RC version 1.0.2.4

- NEW: SinCast RC Show/Hide subtitles on destination VLC listeners.

- UPD: Documentation including datasheet, readme and FAQ.


Regards,

t-c

 

[curtis104]

t-c,


I heard you on Ian Dixon's podcast and I really like what your doing here. I haven't taken the time yet to download the software and try it out but I am anxious to do so. I think this will really be a great piece to my Home Automation puzzle. Hopefully I can add it in to some of my integration projects. Keep up the good work and keep us informed of the new releases.

 

[curtis104]

t-c,


Any chance of getting some type of Iphone/Ipod Touch control through the VLC apps on the App store?

 

[t-c]

Hi,


That would require a Mac, some Objective-C and XCode. I have an iPod Touch and I'm always looking for a good excuse to buy a MacBook Pro

What would you envision an iPod Touch doing as far as remote control?


Is it something like what SinCast RC does to control each of the destination VLC players (i.e., play/stop/volume/subtitles)?


Or would it be something like controling the source VLC player that is doing the streaming?


t-c

 

[t-c]

Hi,


A new release (3.1.5.7) of SinCast 3 is available for download at sinderon.com.

This release includes a new Slide Show + audio streaming feature, support for x64 Windows 7 OS, and improvements to the HDHomeRun channel list dialog including sort by guide number.


Slide show streaming allows a collection of jpg image files contained in a folder or playlist to be simulcast to destination PC's. Each image is displayed for 10 seconds. A separate audio track or collection of tracks can be simulcast to the same destination PC's using the new SinCast VLC SA (Slide show Audio) Listener. Having separate slide show and audio streams provides flexibility in that either can be changed on the fly without disrupting the other.


Details about setting up and using the new Slide Show feature are posted in the FAQ at sinderon.com.


Refer to the release notes below for other changes and improvements.


Regards,


Tim


SinCast 3 Release Notes


3.1.5.7 Released 2009-11-24


- NEW: Slide Show streaming of jpg images plus seperate audio track. See FAQ.

- NEW: SinCast VLC SA Listener shortcut. SA stands for Slide show Audio.

- NEW: Support for x64 Windows 7 OS.

- NEW: SinCast RC version 1.0.3.2 support for x64 Windows 7 OS.

- NEW: Media path is now stored per Simulcast group.

- UPD: SinCast VLC Listener shortcut that disables deinterlacing. This prevents

stutter on playback of dvr-ms files and does not noticeably degrade PQ on other media types.

- UPD: SinCast VLC Client that includes http-reconnect capability to enable

play back of slide show streams.

- UPD: Improvements in media path analysis and automatic UI settings.

- UPD: Automatic audio desync for dvr-ms files is now partially working. See FAQ.

- UPD: HDHomeRun channel list dialog improvements including sort by guide number.

- UPD: Documentation including datasheet, readme and FAQ.

 

[t-c]

Hi,


A new release (3.1.6.2) of SinCast 3 is available for download at sinderon.com

This release includes some shovel and broom work on the code, a new control on the Network Tab that allows the file cache buffer to be adjusted, hover-help for the UI, and a major fix to a bug that caused new items added to the active playlist to play back locally instead of playing back at streaming destinations.


Refer to the release notes below for other changes and improvements.


Regards,

Tim


SinCast 3 Release Notes


3.1.6.2 Released 2009-12-16


- NEW: Adjustable file cache size for improved buffering of audio files.

- NEW: Hover-help for UI controls.

- UPD: Audio-over-video desync control now only enabled for video file types.

- UPD: Minor tweeks to wording and control alignment on UI.

- UPD: Documentation including datasheet, readme and FAQ.

- FIX: Bug in routine that derives IP address from hostname.

- FIX: Regression bug that caused new items added to the active playlist to

play back locally instead of playing back at streaming destinations.

 

[t-c]

Hi,


A new version of SinCast is available at sinderon.com. This version fixes a regression bug in command line processing and provides additional command line switches that enable silent mode launching for URL sources. Release notes are below.


And

the initial version of Sinderon Media Player (SiMP) is available for download.


SiMP is a desktop media player built from the ground up for 4-way simultaneous playback of any mix of HDHomeRun TV, Media file or folder, URL streaming source, or SinCast 3 push-stream.


Regards,


Tim


Sinderon Media Player (SiMP) Release Notes

------------------------------------------

1.0.1.48 Released 2010-03-08


- Initial release


SinCast 3 Release Notes

-----------------------

3.1.7.5 Released 2010-03-08


- NEW: Command line switches -su (silent mode url) -trans (url transcode audio).

- NEW: Option to turn off/on the help text that appears when the mouse hovers over controls on the UI.

- UPD: Only include file-caching and audio-desync params in the sout chain if they are different than VLC default values.

- UPD: SinCast VLC Listener shortcut that reenables linear deinterlacing. This is to improve PQ on HDHomrRun TV, but it may cause stutter on playback of dvr-ms files.

- UPD: Changed command line switch -s (silent) to -sm (silent-mode media-path).

- UPD: Improve Wording in hover-help for various UI controls.

- UPD: Documentation including datasheet, readme and FAQ.

- FIX: Regression bug in command line interface (CLI) and silent mode processing.