Audio and Video over a network??

[Heapsy]

Hello,

For a Christmas production this year I've been asked to look into sending a video and audio signal to an overflow room on the other side of the building.

There is no easy route for to run cables without it being very messy.

However in each room are network points, which are obviously all connected back at a central patch bay.

I know its possible to send audio and video down cat 5 but what I'm asking is, is it possible to not just have a long piece of cable between the send and receive boxes but to have it routed through a network? And if so what do I need to achieve it!?

Hope that makes sense!

 

Mark

[dbuckley]

If the wiring all goes back to a central patch panel system, then all you need is the ordinary Cat5 converter boxes plugged into an unused Cat5 wallpoint at each end, and a patch cable joining the two together on the patch panel. No magic in the middle necessary.

 

if it's a bit harder, like the wallpoints go back to different patchrooms, it may still be possible, there may be Cat5 jumper cables (sometimes called "tie lines") between the rooms.

 

In any case, the local networking guys should be able to help you out.

[Heapsy]

Thanks for that reply David,

I should have said, there is only one network point in each room, which are both used already by PCs etc through a hub.

So the idea would be to plug the sender into the hub which would in turn go to the network point, back to the server room then back out to the other room into hub and then to the receiver.

I suppose you would need a units to which you could assign an IP address?

 

Mark

[bruce]

As David says, patching through and running analogue end-to-end with baluns is the simplest and by far the cheapest solution. Just temporarily disconnect the 2 PCs, patch the ports together at the distribution rack, and stick a couple of CAT5 baluns on the ends. Total cost less than 50 quid.

 

If you want to do it over the network, you'll need some way of digitising the audio and video and firing it out as an IP stream, then re-encoding at the other end. There are plenty of ways to do this, but none are particularly simple or cheap.

 

If I were doing this, I'd use a couple of videoconference codecs - just plug them in, connect audio and cameras, set up a call and bob's your mothers brother. But I happen to have a couple of high quality codecs, valued at about 20k each, available for this very task....

 

There are dedicated hardware encoders which would do the job very effectively, usually targetted at the CCTV market. But you're still talking about around 1k for a pair.

 

Or you could faff around with an encoder PC using VLC and a video/audio capture card, and a similar PC at the other end.

 

Or..... lots of other options. But none particularly simple or robust.

 

Bruce.

[Heapsy]

Thank you very much guys,

I'll call and check about the tie lines, sounds like the easiest way to go!

Once again BR has answered my questions in a matter of minutes!

Mark

[Floydey]

If you send the audio and video over Cat5 using thebaluns you CANNOT go via switches/routers etc, in other words - you need a straight run.

[bruce]

If you send the audio and video over Cat5 using thebaluns you CANNOT go via switches/routers etc, in other words - you need a straight run.

 

Isn't that what both David and I have just said?

[Fletch]

There is definitely software that can do this sort of thing over a network - can't tell you off the top of my head - will post again if I find out.

 

Although it would never be able to be real time. You would always get some sort of lag, although as it will be over an IP based system this is hard to determine.

 

Update - after checking a few things this software may be worth looking at www.videolan.org.

[bruce]

Update - after checking a few things this software may be worth looking at www.videolan.org.

 

Which is the VLC software that I mentioned in my first post.

[Fletch]

(Fletch @ 28 Nov 2006, 12:37 PM)

 

Update - after checking a few things this software may be worth looking at www.videolan.org.

 

 

Which is the VLC software that I mentioned in my first post.

 

Sorry didn't pick up on that Bruce! - it's one of those days....

[dbuckley]

With only one wallpoint, if it is needed at one or both ends for IP networking, so it appears "unavailable" for your use, you can get Cat5 splitters that allow additional things to be carried over the Cat5. Ethernet uses 2 pairs, so you have 2 pairs left, which is enough for composite video and mono audio :o Again, it requires some fun patching, and maybe a custom cable or two, but once again, your local networking bod is your friend.

 

If you gotta go proper networking, then Bruce has the easiest suggestion, just hire a couple of videoconference boxes, the video resolution isn't the best, but for carrying a camera relay it should be well good enough.

[Shez]

We had to do exactly that a few months back. We used Real Producer and their Helix server, both the free trial versions. Took a fair bit of work to get it working well, but worked perfectly on the night. Your IT guys need to be on the ball for this route though...

[henny]

windows media encoder is free and can work pc to pc without a server

[Simon Lewis]

Would not Soundweb be a suitable (albeit slightly pricey) possibility? maybe like this?

[Peter F]

Would not Soundweb be a suitable (albeit slightly pricey) possibility? maybe like this?

 

 

The Soundweb link is for a switcher that can be controlled over soundweb.

The distribution of video to and from each switched location is on BNC and as conventional video, be it composite,component or SVideo signals.

 

The control of the switcher is over the Soundweb network. The unit is a good way of integrating video switching into an existing Soundweb network. You would just see it as another device on your Soundweb network.

 

Hope this clears up any misunderstanding.

 

Peter