UMS configuration for different video file types and online video streaming
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UMS configuration for different video file types and online video streaming
My set up is this:
iMac with OS Sierra 10.12.6/Macbook with OS High Sierra 10.13.6
Celluon PicoPro laser projector
UMS 9.3.1
VLC 2.2.8
I am delighted to say that UMS works at least some of the time in this set up in DLNA wifi mode. I had to work my way through many different options to configure UMS correctly and the main option that had to be selected correctly is the media renderer selection. I selected only the Miracast and Celluon options in the list.
Streaming of .avi video files from the iMac to the projector works perfectly. However if I try to stream an .mkv video file, UMS appears to find and detect the video file correctly on the iMac, connects to the projector, but then the streaming is never initiated and just keeps on trying to start up. I have not yet tried to stream any other kind of video file other than .avi or .mkv. Could someone please advise me how I can stream .mkv and other video file types and where and how I can configure UMS to do this correctly.
I use VLC to look at movies on the iMac and it can open and play .mkv movie files faultlessly. I keep movies in a folder called movies and can set that as the default folder for UMS. However, I would also like to be able to simply mirror the iMac or Macbook screen to the projector. Can UMS do this? And how?
A final question is whether UMS could mirror live video streaming (from the internet) on either of the Mac's screens to the projector. The context of the question is that the Mac has a wifi connection to the router and thence to the internet to get the video stream and therefore the Mac cannot at the same time make a different wifi connection to the projector. Might this problem be solved by turning "screen sharing" on in System Preferences/Sharing and or by somehow ensuring that the Celluon projector is somehow "talking" directly with the router? I do know something about configuring and managing the router.
A less elegant solution to solve this latter problem, but nonetheless possibly viable, might be to connect either of the Macs by RJ45 ethernet cable directly to the router so as to leave the its' wifi connection free to connect directly to the projector, or to use a cable connection between the Mac and the projector.
With many thanks for any tips.
Nick
iMac with OS Sierra 10.12.6/Macbook with OS High Sierra 10.13.6
Celluon PicoPro laser projector
UMS 9.3.1
VLC 2.2.8
I am delighted to say that UMS works at least some of the time in this set up in DLNA wifi mode. I had to work my way through many different options to configure UMS correctly and the main option that had to be selected correctly is the media renderer selection. I selected only the Miracast and Celluon options in the list.
Streaming of .avi video files from the iMac to the projector works perfectly. However if I try to stream an .mkv video file, UMS appears to find and detect the video file correctly on the iMac, connects to the projector, but then the streaming is never initiated and just keeps on trying to start up. I have not yet tried to stream any other kind of video file other than .avi or .mkv. Could someone please advise me how I can stream .mkv and other video file types and where and how I can configure UMS to do this correctly.
I use VLC to look at movies on the iMac and it can open and play .mkv movie files faultlessly. I keep movies in a folder called movies and can set that as the default folder for UMS. However, I would also like to be able to simply mirror the iMac or Macbook screen to the projector. Can UMS do this? And how?
A final question is whether UMS could mirror live video streaming (from the internet) on either of the Mac's screens to the projector. The context of the question is that the Mac has a wifi connection to the router and thence to the internet to get the video stream and therefore the Mac cannot at the same time make a different wifi connection to the projector. Might this problem be solved by turning "screen sharing" on in System Preferences/Sharing and or by somehow ensuring that the Celluon projector is somehow "talking" directly with the router? I do know something about configuring and managing the router.
A less elegant solution to solve this latter problem, but nonetheless possibly viable, might be to connect either of the Macs by RJ45 ethernet cable directly to the router so as to leave the its' wifi connection free to connect directly to the projector, or to use a cable connection between the Mac and the projector.
With many thanks for any tips.
Nick
Re: UMS configuration for different video file types and online video streaming
UMS only offers content in two ways: 1) Via UPnP AV/DLNA 2) Via the web interface in any browser. You can forget all about "screen sharing" and "mirroring" when it comes to UMS. The fundamental logic for such a media server is that is should merely serve. That means that it doesn't control playback, and that "clients" have to manage browsing and actually requesting the media. As such, it is obvious that "sharing/mirroring" is outside the scope.
I see that the projector supports DLNA, but it's not entirely clear to me how it allows you to browse and playback content, since I assume it doesn't have a remote control...? To be able to request media for playback, the device needs to have a way of accepting user input. Some devices, like Miracast and Chromecast is built around a different logic, where another device controls playback it the display device/renderer is merely a slave. This is a different concept, but it can also be done (partially) using UPnP AV/DLNA by using a third device as a controller. The third device must then also support UPnP AV/DLNA so that it can speak to both the server and the renderer, and manage browsing and playback. There are applications for mobile phones that will do this like BubbleUPnP for example. It does however have some limitations in the way it negotiates media compatibility, so you can experience "additional challenges" to get playback to work using this model than using a renderer that can contact the server directly.
While it is possible to get UMS to stream sources from the Internet in some circumstances, this is a patchy field since there's not really a standard way to deliver content from the internet, and getting the metadata needed to negotiate playback is especially challenging and completely undefined by any relevant standard. As such, think of UMS as a server for serving local content first and foremost.
I see that the projector supports DLNA, but it's not entirely clear to me how it allows you to browse and playback content, since I assume it doesn't have a remote control...? To be able to request media for playback, the device needs to have a way of accepting user input. Some devices, like Miracast and Chromecast is built around a different logic, where another device controls playback it the display device/renderer is merely a slave. This is a different concept, but it can also be done (partially) using UPnP AV/DLNA by using a third device as a controller. The third device must then also support UPnP AV/DLNA so that it can speak to both the server and the renderer, and manage browsing and playback. There are applications for mobile phones that will do this like BubbleUPnP for example. It does however have some limitations in the way it negotiates media compatibility, so you can experience "additional challenges" to get playback to work using this model than using a renderer that can contact the server directly.
While it is possible to get UMS to stream sources from the Internet in some circumstances, this is a patchy field since there's not really a standard way to deliver content from the internet, and getting the metadata needed to negotiate playback is especially challenging and completely undefined by any relevant standard. As such, think of UMS as a server for serving local content first and foremost.
Re: UMS configuration for different video file types and online video streaming
Thank you so much Nadahar for your detailed, constructive and helpful reply. I have solved the screen mirroring problem by just connecting the Mac to the laser projector with an HDMI cable. This does not require the use of UMS. (See more below).
It is the UMS application on the Mac, which is effectively working as the remote control, that allows the browsing and playback controls.
In my case the Mac [through the UMS application when the Mac connects via wifi to the Celluon PicoPro] is the controlling device and the Picopro is the slave (and the media renderer).
I have now tried with an .mpg file and it was served perfectly by UMS to the PicoPro laser projector. So the DLNA protocol works perfectly for both .avi and .mpg files via wifi.
I have now separately used an HDMI cable to connect the Mac to the PicoPro and successfully served live television and an .mkv video from the former to the latter.
Are you able to give me any configuration tip for the wifi serving of an .mkv file and where and how that can be configured in UMS? Or is there any reason why this would not stream? I have only waited a couple of minutes or so to try and do that. The .mkv video is quite a big file, about 6GB. Is it possible that I just need to be extra patient whilst it is "buffering" or "spooling" to the renderer?
Many thanks again. N
It is the UMS application on the Mac, which is effectively working as the remote control, that allows the browsing and playback controls.
In my case the Mac [through the UMS application when the Mac connects via wifi to the Celluon PicoPro] is the controlling device and the Picopro is the slave (and the media renderer).
I have now tried with an .mpg file and it was served perfectly by UMS to the PicoPro laser projector. So the DLNA protocol works perfectly for both .avi and .mpg files via wifi.
I have now separately used an HDMI cable to connect the Mac to the PicoPro and successfully served live television and an .mkv video from the former to the latter.
Are you able to give me any configuration tip for the wifi serving of an .mkv file and where and how that can be configured in UMS? Or is there any reason why this would not stream? I have only waited a couple of minutes or so to try and do that. The .mkv video is quite a big file, about 6GB. Is it possible that I just need to be extra patient whilst it is "buffering" or "spooling" to the renderer?
Many thanks again. N
Re: UMS configuration for different video file types and online video streaming
I don't think it has to do with buffering or size. If your network bandwidth is bad that could lead to problems, but in that case I would expect that playback would first start and then stop or lag/freeze. If it doesn't play at all, it's very likely caused by the wrong combination of formats/codec.
The way this works is that UMS tries to identify the renderer using either UPnP metadata or HTTP headers. This information is used to match a "renderer configuration" file, which then tells UMS what the renderer supports. UMS will then transcode formats that's not supported to one that is.
The problem probably lies somewhere in this "chain of events". I don't quite understand how you use UMS to control playback? Does that would mean that you click on the renderer on the "Status" tab in the GUI and then use this to tell the renderer what to play? It is theoretically possible, but very buggy and a feature that has never really been fully implemented. I think of it mostly as an experiment left there to confuse users. If you do this, I advice you to use something like BubbleUPnP to control it instead.
Regardless, there are two things that can really cause failure of format/codec resolution: 1) The renderer is misidentified or not configuration exists for it. 2) The existing configuration is wrong
To know what is the case, debug files are needed.
The way this works is that UMS tries to identify the renderer using either UPnP metadata or HTTP headers. This information is used to match a "renderer configuration" file, which then tells UMS what the renderer supports. UMS will then transcode formats that's not supported to one that is.
The problem probably lies somewhere in this "chain of events". I don't quite understand how you use UMS to control playback? Does that would mean that you click on the renderer on the "Status" tab in the GUI and then use this to tell the renderer what to play? It is theoretically possible, but very buggy and a feature that has never really been fully implemented. I think of it mostly as an experiment left there to confuse users. If you do this, I advice you to use something like BubbleUPnP to control it instead.
Regardless, there are two things that can really cause failure of format/codec resolution: 1) The renderer is misidentified or not configuration exists for it. 2) The existing configuration is wrong
To know what is the case, debug files are needed.
Re: UMS configuration for different video file types and online video streaming
Hello and thank you again Nadahar. I hope that this file is openable and readable, but I am not quite sure how to attach files. There is also an option to attach screenshots of the different options I am being offered in the UMS GUI, but again, I am a bit of a newbie with this forum, and have read only that I have to assign a URL to images and maybe even text files if they are to be sent correctly as attachments.I am trying to work at how to do this.Nadahar wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:02 am I don't think it has to do with buffering or size. If your network bandwidth is bad that could lead to problems, but in that case I would expect that playback would first start and then stop or lag/freeze. If it doesn't play at all, it's very likely caused by the wrong combination of formats/codec.
The way this works is that UMS tries to identify the renderer using either UPnP metadata or HTTP headers. This information is used to match a "renderer configuration" file, which then tells UMS what the renderer supports. UMS will then transcode formats that's not supported to one that is.
The problem probably lies somewhere in this "chain of events". I don't quite understand how you use UMS to control playback? Does that would mean that you click on the renderer on the "Status" tab in the GUI and then use this to tell the renderer what to play? It is theoretically possible, but very buggy and a feature that has never really been fully implemented. I think of it mostly as an experiment left there to confuse users. If you do this, I advice you to use something like BubbleUPnP to control it instead.
Regardless, there are two things that can really cause failure of format/codec resolution: 1) The renderer is misidentified or not configuration exists for it. 2) The existing configuration is wrong
To know what is the case, debug files are needed.
debuglog.txt- (68.92 KiB) Downloaded 303 times
Re: UMS configuration for different video file types and online video streaming
Attaching screenshots is of little use. If you follow the description in red on the top of this thread, you will generate the proper debug files. The file you posted was readable, but contained no information about the problem at hand. It did however contain a lot of warnings about some network problem, but until the full log is posted it's hard to judge it's relevance.
Re: UMS configuration for different video file types and online video streaming
Thank you Nadahar for your patience.
I have followed the procedure to try and upload the full debug file as instructed at the top of the thread. I zipped the file as part of the instructions but for some reason it had a .dat suffix attached to it that I changed to .zip. I hope it may be of more use.
I have followed the procedure to try and upload the full debug file as instructed at the top of the thread. I zipped the file as part of the instructions but for some reason it had a .dat suffix attached to it that I changed to .zip. I hope it may be of more use.