connect to Media Server with DVBViewer from an external network

[jarreau]

Hello! 
How can I connect to my Media Server which is located home  with DVBViewer from an external network?

Thank you!

[Griga]

vor 17 Stunden schrieb jarreau:

How can I connect to my Media Server which is located home  with DVBViewer from an external network?

 

Basically you need to set up port forwarding in your router, so that it directs incoming requests to the PC on which the Media Server is running. Please search the web for port forwarding to get more information about it. Please note that opening ports in your home network for access from the internet is a security risk and has to be done very carefully.

 

Only do this for the web server part of the Media Server, because it is the only server unit that can be password protected - see Media Server Options (svcoptions.exe) -> Web Settings. After having set up the user name and password make sure that "Allow access from internet" is ticked.

 

[YARD2]

or use a VPN running in your home to connect to your home.

Use Fritzbox with wireguard, or a Raspberry with wireguard.

This is a bit more secure

[jarreau]

On 7/21/2023 at 12:11 PM, Griga said:

 

Basically you need to set up port forwarding in your router, so that it directs incoming requests to the PC on which the Media Server is running. Please search the web for port forwarding to get more information about it. Please note that opening ports in your home network for access from the internet is a security risk and has to be done very carefully.

 

Only do this for the web server part of the Media Server, because it is the only server unit that can be password protected - see Media Server Options (svcoptions.exe) -> Web Settings. After having set up the user name and password make sure that "Allow access from internet" is ticked.

 

Thank you very much for your answer,

I did what you said and it's working fine with my phone (DVBViewer Controller) but my problem is how to set the DVBViewer on my PC?

[jarreau]

My problem is how to set the DVBViewer on the PC on an external network!

[Griga]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb jarreau:

My problem is how to set the DVBViewer on the PC on an external network!

 

The usual method is to download an M3U HTTP channel list from the DMS Web Interface -> Links page and import it with drag & drop into the DVBViewer Channel Editor. If the available upload bandwidth is too limited for delivering original DVB streams, you need to use "HTTP Channel List (Transcoded Streams)" and select a suitable bit rate. For DVBViewer as client TS is recommendable as output format. Please note that transcoding (which is done by FFmpeg) may cause a considerable CPU load on the server PC.

 

Maybe you have to correct the URLs in the M3U file with a text editor and search/replace before importing it in DVBViewer, if the Media Server doesn't know its own IP address and port as seen from the other network. Here again you should make sure that the web server unit is used, not the live stream server which is only suitable for transfers within your home network. There is a tweak for forcing web server URLs in M3U downloads. Launch DMS Tweaker.bat and search for the "Use Web Server URLs in M3U playlists" checkbox.

 

[jarreau]

9 hours ago, Griga said:

 

The usual method is to download an M3U HTTP channel list from the DMS Web Interface -> Links page and import it with drag & drop into the DVBViewer Channel Editor. If the available upload bandwidth is too limited for delivering original DVB streams, you need to use "HTTP Channel List (Transcoded Streams)" and select a suitable bit rate. For DVBViewer as client TS is recommendable as output format. Please note that transcoding (which is done by FFmpeg) may cause a considerable CPU load on the server PC.

 

Maybe you have to correct the URLs in the M3U file with a text editor and search/replace before importing it in DVBViewer, if the Media Server doesn't know its own IP address and port as seen from the other network. Here again you should make sure that the web server unit is used, not the live stream server which is only suitable for transfers within your home network. There is a tweak for forcing web server URLs in M3U downloads. Launch DMS Tweaker.bat and search for the "Use Web Server URLs in M3U playlists" checkbox.

 

Thank you very much, I will try, I don't know if I understand everything well!

I use a VPN for my phone and it works fine, I don't know if the M3U file will contain the VPN address.

The IP is changing after every restart so I must use a VPN.

Edited July 25, 2023 by jarreau

[pankov]

@Griga,
thank you for the detailed explanation.

I did try it and it does work but it sort of contradicts with the main idea of connecting DVBViewer to DMS.

If I have DMS configured in order to be able to get EPG, setup recordings, updating channel lists, etc. the manual channel import get's lost and again I get only black screen.

I think I did setup all port forwarding correctly (554; 52000-52100) and I've restricted it to my "external" public static IP (on the PC that I'm testing with) in order to be certain that I'll be only one connecting ... but still I only see black screen. DVBViewer does see and recognize the DMS and updates the channels list and shows EPG but simply can't play any live stream/channel.
What am I doing wrong?
Isn't the whole idea of DMS and RTSP to have the flexibility to connect from external networks? 

[Griga]

https://www.dvbviewer.tv/forum/topic/64497-rtsp-server-for-media-server/?do=findComment&comment=491013

[pankov]

OK
I understand that there are two approaches to finding a usable solution - one is VPN and the other one is HTTP(S) streaming.

1. So can you please help me a bit with the first one?

  Which VPN solution(s) would you recommend that supports RTSP/SAT>IP? Are there free ones? Are there any pure software ones?

2. On the topic of HTTP(S) would it be possible in a future version of the DMS and the communication between it and DVBViewer to continue getting the channel list, EPG, Recording timers, etc via HTTP but somehow use the HTTP instead of RTSP for the actual video/audio streaming? Like in having a "HTTP(S) Network device" similar to the current RTSP/SAT>IP one. Isn't it possible to just somehow add additional flags when DVBViewer requests the channel list from the DMS so DMS would know to return an HTTP(S) streaming .m3u with additional identifiers of the channels which will be used to link the EPG data with the stream ID?

 

Please don't get mad at me if all this sounds stupid - I'm just trying to find a solution how to have access to my TV channels (both cable and satellite) when on the go (on my laptop) or in my summer house.

[Griga]

vor 10 Stunden schrieb pankov:

Which VPN solution(s) would you recommend that supports RTSP/SAT>IP?

 

Personally I have no experience with VPN, so I can't help you in this respect. You may want to search with Google for site:dvbviewer.tv RTSP VPN or something similar to find more information (and use a translator if the topic is in German).

 

vor 10 Stunden schrieb pankov:

On the topic of HTTP(S) would it be possible in a future version of the DMS and the communication between it and DVBViewer to continue getting the channel list, EPG, Recording timers, etc via HTTP

 

This is already the case (and always was). DVBViewer is using the DMS API provided by the web server via HTTP(S). This is not part of the Sat>IP / RTSP specifications, but a proprietary solution. However, requesting TV/radio streams and receiving them is using the protocols prescribed by Sat>IP.

 

vor 10 Stunden schrieb pankov:

Like in having a "HTTP(S) Network device" similar to the current RTSP/SAT>IP one.

 

It already exists. It's called "TS Stream Device" and by default created on demand in the background, without appearing in the device list on Options -> Hardware. The same device type is used for IPTV. In fact, receiving a HTTP TV/radio stream from the DMS is nothing but IPTV. DVBViewer handles it in the same way.

 

However, the HTTP channels imported as M3U list into the DVBViewer Channel Editor don't match the channels and EPG data received from the DMS API, which refer to the original DVB channels. This reference remains valid when using RTSP / Sat>IP, but not when using HTTP(S) channels.

 

Getting EPG data for the HTTP channels requires DMS Options (SvcOptions.exe) -> Web/UPnP -> Live Stream Server -> Additional streams -> EPG to be ticked. It lets the DMS include the originally broadcasted DVB EPG data in the HTTP stream (not the EPG data already collected by the DMS!) Automatic updates of the M3U channel list can be achieved in this way.

 

[mitsu]

I have the same problem. I have DVB Media Server and I watch TV using my laptop, normally at home. When I am travelling, I connect home using VPN. VPN is running in my ASUS router.

 

My home network is 192.168.1.x

VPN assigns 10.8.0.6 to my laptop and DVBViewer cannot connect to Media server anymore. All 192.168.1.x home network devices are accessible from the laptop and all other services like network file servers are working thru VPN.

 

I tried port forwarding in the Asus router from 10.8.0.6 to MediaServer on 192.168.x.x, ports 554; 52000-52100.

 

Any idea what should be done?