I have a Panasonic PVR that is a few years old. It has the abilities to act as a DLNA client and/or as a DLNA server.
If I use VLC running on my Mac on the same network, I can see the Panasonic server and stream recordings off the PVR HDD to be saved as files on my Mac. I don’t use any removeable recordable media in the PVR, so can’t comment on that.
However, certain recordings simply will not stream. Or they will start, stream to a certain point, and then stop, and I haven’t done sufficient research yet to determine why this is.
There are lots of directories and files on a DVD and even more so on Blu Ray disk, particularly around security and anti-copy.
The m2ts files are the actual data.
But it could be that the disk created by your Panasonic simply didn’t create the menu and title and index metatdata directories and files because these are usually created by disk content authors.
I did have a look around. I believe that some appropriate metadata did get created i.e. I can read it, the PVR itself can read it (to produce a ‘directory’ listing if you put the BD back in the drive of the PVR) but VLC can’t. There certainly were other directories and files besides the .m2ts files.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the problem is the difference between BDAV and BDMV, the latter being what a commercially produced BD would contain and the former is what my sample BD did contain. However I am saying that without rigorous investigation.
Some BluRay menus are implemented as Java programs, and at one point I received an error message from VLC about that (which is a bit odd because Java is installed on that computer) but that was definitely from a commercially produced BD. I don’t expect a few random programs recorded off FTA TV to come with a Java program for a menu.
You could well be right. The former is just the basic required. The later is more bells and whistles for commercial movies.
So see what VLC supports at the latest release version on your particular computer system. And see what the Panasonic supports.
You are way ahead of me. I’ve never even used the DLNA server function of the PVR.
However that is certainly an alternative approach, as compared with what I am advocating (BluRay removable media).
Using the network is going to be cheaper (no media cost) but may be much slower because via the network the PVR may insist on streaming out at the average rate for that type of content i.e. in strictly real-time. Maybe you can comment on that?
I only installed it the other day for testing purposes. Should be the latest and greatest (3.0.16). I couldn’t find the release date to be more sure of that.
The source Panasonic PVR is ancient , so is unlikely to be using any standards that are too recent for VLC.
I’ve only just started to look into this but thought I might as well report interim results for the benefit of the forum user who originally asked the question.
The money behind the streaming services (ASTRA*) has started a campaign accusing government of wanting to take over the TV.
Apparently it’s all a question of fairness.
The streaming services on one hand accuse the Govt proposal of treating them and all Smart TV owners unfairly. On the other hand it’s apparently a Smart TV owners right to let the manufacturers chosen OS determine which services take pride of place. Self evident who has taken over.
No comments from ASTRA on how that might affect the cohort of Aussies or choose to or have few technical interests. IE understanding and interest to fix the menus to be arranged how they would like to see them.
ASTRA has spoken!
[ * (ASTRA) The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association ]
P.S.
Is it worth asking whether ASTRA’s longer term interests would be best served by the demise of all Free to Air related services? It may be a very clever or stupid strategy to try and turn the debate which should be about commercial dominance into one of TV owner freedom. Shades of thinking from the homeland of several of the most prominent players?
We have 4 devices that can be media servers. They all support full play-stop-pause-fast forward-fast backward at multiple speeds regardless of the original media. They are all on 1000baseT.
My TV has a dedicated button on the remote control for Netflix but not for any other streaming service, free or paid. How good is that? (for Netflix). Not that I would ever try to use Netflix.
, so is unlikely to be using any standards that are too recent for VLC.