[Malvern] Video Networking

[Chris Eilbeck]

On Fri, Mar 17, 2006 at 09:33:37PM -0000, Ian Pascoe wrote:
> Evening all
> 
> Following on from the conversations at Geoff's on Wednesday - apple cake and
> quiche very much up to standard thanks Geoff.
> 
> A question for those of you involved with networks.
> 
> If you have a LAN with a server and a number of PCs off of it, what is the
> limitation to how many people could view the same video source if stored on
> the servers HD?  Would this be limited by the server's hardware, network
> bandwidth or something completely different.  The source would be fall blown
> DVD material.

You'd have trouble doing this over most cheap networking technologies. 
You'd definitely have to have a switch rather than a hub.

> I presume that within any network the Tx and Rx have a small buffer on the
> network cards that once filled is downloaded into the PC?

Yep.

> Does anyone know what the transfer rate is for data coming off of a DVD data
> file?  ie CD Audio is something like 128k/bps.

CD audio is 1.5mbps.  DVD video can be upto 10mbps but is usually around
6-7mbps.

> Why am I asking - for no other reason than would it work at home - ie you
> load your DVD onto a HD and you can take your laptop / PC in which ever room
> to watch your favorite film whilst someelse is doing the same in another and
> so on.

That'd be cool.  Have a look at http://www.videolan.org/

Chris
-- 
Chris Eilbeck
MARS Flight Crew                              http://www.mars.org.uk/
UKRA #1108 Level 2                                                UYB
Tripoli UK Member #9527                                          LSMR