The Video-Stream Cheat-Project & about iMovie'06 HowTo

[bobesch]

Today I had my private Easter-holiday PPC challenge and I tried again to max-out video options for my PowerBooks.
First I reviewed and fully understood @Dronecathchers *great* thread about TFF/Greasemonkey/CorePlayer-integration and video-download and got everything to work for the first time ...
Then the Netflix-streaming thing took me really some time until I gave up on this subject, since the depence on latest intel-versions of MS Silverlight kills all efforts to get streaming-video onto PPCs.
Remembering my iPhone/iFiles-cheat to get the Powerbooks fully connected to the Cloud I started to think about using the iPhone again - now as my cheating-device for streaming video to the Powerbook.
First finding was a rare semi-professional HDMI-To-FireWire-Converter, which is still sold for a little fortune. At least to much for this purpose, which is still a kind of proof of concept.
But then there was the idea to connect the iPhone daisy-chained via (1) Lightning-To-HDMI-adapter, (2) HDMI-To-AV-converter and (3) AV-To-USB-converter. Since I already have that Lightning-To-HDMI-adapter the overall costs for the rest are about 25$.
At "https://www.bentrask.com/easycap/" there's a mac-driver available for that USB-video-grabber I ordered.
I'm really excited if this project will be working - then giving the option to watch and capture the iPhone's Netflix/AmazonVideo-stream-signal on any PPC.
There's also similar hardware coming from elgato (https://www.elgato.com/de/video/video-capture/support) which compresses the video to 360p, but unfortunately drivers are only availible for intel-macs.
Another hardware-encoder from elgato is the EyeTV250plus, which was mentioned here: #4
Maybe I'm gonna give it a try too.

I'll let you know about any progress on this topic. Have to wait until the hardware arrives until the end of the week. Really looking forward to ...

 

[Lastic]

Glad to hear you are still trying to get Netflix running.

I've been installing (all i386/x86) ChromeOSLinux , Berry-Linux, Fedora 25 Workstation , Cub Linux on VPC 7 in an attempt to get Firefox 52 ESR or Chrome running to watch Netflix but no luck so far.

 

[bobesch]

Glad to hear you are still trying to get Netflix running.

I've been installing (all i386/x86) ChromeOSLinux , Berry-Linux, Fedora 25 Workstation , Cub Linux on VPC 7 in an attempt to get Firefox 52 ESR or Chrome running to watch Netflix but no luck so far.

Well, it wouldn't be simply Netflix-on-PowerPC, which won't ever work.
Basically it could be a better Netflix with the option to capture video.
The iPhone and the whole jungle of cables and adapters/converters would serve as a kind of high-price antenna. Kind of "one to rule them all" solution likewise the iPhone/iFiles-cloud cheat is.
The year, when the last PPC-Macs rolled out of the gate there had been no Cloud nor high-res internet-video-streaming. Why not use modern devices as a tool to enhance options of the old hardware.
As long as it comes to just consuming video-stuff etc., the PPC-hardware should do fine for years - if it comes to batch-production-procedures (scanning/OCR, video/photo-editing etc.) PPC do fall short in computing power compared to the latest intel-models.
I do really hope, that streaming stuff does work. The idea is so promising!
[doublepost=1492546296][/doublepost]Hu, things seem to get out of control ...
Just made bids for both an eyeTV200 (FireWire!!!) and eyeTV250plus(USB).
Don't miss a chance ...

 

[bobesch]

Work in progress... !
The Logilink aka EasyCap USB-grabber-card and the Mac-software unfortunately don't work on PPC-Macs so I'm gonna send the grabber-card back.
But today the eyeTV 200 arrived and I was surprise, everthing did work as expected!
The eyeTV 200 is connected with and powered by the Powerbook via FireWire400.
The video-in to the eyeTV200 comes from an iPhone 4s with HDMi-connector to an HDMI-AV-converter, which is powered by one of the Powerbooks USB-ports. The iPhone is powered by the second USB-port.
Two USB-ports from the PCMCIA-card are still available.
The video-quality is like from the end of the 20th century... and currently connection breaks after 30sec on the iPhones side. BUT: eyeTV200-software could be used to record the video input, so I'm really keen to get the thing seamless working ...

 

[pochopsp]

It is just awesome, this community can do everything on this unsupported platform! Great work @bobesch !
keep us informed!

 

[amagichnich]

Netflix doesn't require Silverlight anymore. Firefox and therefore T4F should be able to play Netflix. I tried it on my KaOS-Linux-Machine some days ago with a custom user agant and it works. Maybe a G5 is powerful enough to handle it?

 

[bobesch]

It is just awesome, this community can do everything on this unsupported platform! Great work @bobesch !
keep us informed!

Oh, it's just a cheat using an iPhone and some extra stuff... but it could *record* video-streams
(I'd probably won't get away with it at the next challenge ... )
[doublepost=1492886506][/doublepost]

Netflix doesn't require Silverlight anymore. Firefox and therefore T4F should be able to play Netflix. I tried it on my KaOS-Linux-Machine some days ago with a custom user agant and it works. Maybe a G5 is powerful enough to handle it?

Ha, too bad. I alway get stuck at the "NF requires Silverlight" screen, even with the latest TFF.

To be honest: I'd rather like to watch (streaming-)video on my mobile-phone lying on the sofa than watching with that eyeTV200-cheat.
But I like that cheat, just because it's possible ...

 

[amagichnich]

Ha, too bad. I alway get stuck at the "NF requires Silverlight" screen, even with the latest TFF.

Since I applied Erik's TFF tweaks I can't access NF at all, there's only the NF logo in the upper left. With Safari I can access NF but get the Silverlight message. Maybe someone with an almighty Quad-G5 may try that and be successful

 

[Lastic]

Since I applied Erik's TFF tweaks I can't access NF at all, there's only the NF logo in the upper left. With Safari I can access NF but get the Silverlight message. Maybe someone with an almighty Quad-G5 may try that and be successful

I can still access NF using TFF with the user.js that Hack supplied up to the moment I click a video I want to see and then "Oops something went wrong"

I got a dual-core G5 , will give that a spin but I don't think that the processor will be the issue.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742

Silverlight is out of the question on our machines since on 10.5 the maximum version is Silverlight 2.0 thus we need
HTML5.

• Google Chrome version 37 or later on Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.9 or later (Mavericks), or Linux*
• Mozilla Firefox version 47 or later on Windows Vista or later, Mac OS X 10.7 or later, or Linux*
• Safari on Mac OS X 10.10 or later (Yosemite)
  Supported on all 2012 or later models and select 2011 models

TFF is based on Firefox 45 and I don't know how well it does HTML5.
LWK should do HTML5 and I've been trying with Roccat linked against LWK and an UserAgent but it either falls back to Silverlight or "Oops something went wrong".

For the past 2 weeks I've been trying to get Debian/Ubuntu running on VPC7 so I could use Chrome/Chromium/Firefox from that virtual machine but no luck yet.

What is KaOS Linux and on which architecture are you running it ?

 

[QSDP-User]

"Stone Knives & Bearskins" - I love it!
When they see your efforts, Mr. Spock will arch his brow, Joan Collins will be puzzled, Bones will crap in his pants but Kirk knew you could do it.

The short version (0:07):

The longer version (2:21):

bobesch, you got me thinking about video-out from my hand-me-down iPhone 4 GSM.
I'm using it a la iPod Touch, wireless only, no data plan.
Just a wild idea to how well an iPhone4 can stream into any old PowerMac with RCA audio/video in. Not as complex as your NetFlix project but with the more basic online web-stream free apps that I did find on iTunes for iOS 7.

So looking on eBay's iDevice/30pin to RCA composite (yellow/red/white) options:
1) the cheapo (~under $10) but with bad feedback mainly on delivery problems from China altho USA-based listed seller.
2) Apple-branded used or opened box or new, ~$20 and up (not the component model)

and OWC has
3) Macally AVcable Audio/Video & USB Sync Cable that charges battery as you use it, $27.95 before shipping.

4) Amazon/Staples/OfficeDepot/Walmart/etc ~$8 & up, If available & not just an old listing.

EDIT 1:
Interesting old Apple Discussions thread (2010):
https://discussions.apple.com/message/18983469?start=30&tstart=0
Getting video out from an iPod/iPhone is problematic unless adapter-cable is first hooked-up/connected & then iPod/iPhone is turned on.
So, first connect cable between iDevice and say, TV. Then when iDevice is turned on it now senses via its 30 pin connection that TV (set to AV in) is accepting video.
Also video-out problems with YouTube app and/or certain iOS installed, but YouTube via Safari seems to work.
So here it is not simply, "It Just Works", even with the Apple-branded cable.

EDIT 2:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4415678?tstart=0
Dec 29, 2014 12:21 PM in response to joesla
"For anyone that didn't check/try this. In the General settings there is an option called TV out (once dock connector is connected to iphone). Make sure the correct video format is selected PAL or NTSC. (Widescreen is a second option there).
This did the trick for me. I had sound but no video."

 

[bobesch]

"Stone Knives & Bearskins" - I love it!
When they see your efforts, Mr. Spock will arch his brow, Joan Collins will be puzzled, Bones will crap in his pants but Kirk knew you could do it.

The short version (0:07):

The longer version (2:21):

bobesch, you got me thinking about video-out from my hand-me-down iPhone 4 GSM.
I'm using it a la iPod Touch, wireless only, no data plan.
Just a wild idea to how well an iPhone4 can stream into any old PowerMac with RCA audio/video in. Not as complex as your NetFlix project but with the more basic online web-stream free apps that I did find on iTunes for iOS 7.

So looking on eBay's iDevice/30pin to RCA composite (yellow/red/white) options:
1) the cheapo (~under $10) but with bad feedback mainly on delivery problems from China altho USA-based listed seller.
2) Apple-branded used or opened box or new, ~$20 and up (not the component model)

and OWC has
3) Macally AVcable Audio/Video & USB Sync Cable that charges battery as you use it, $27.95 before shipping.

4) Amazon/Staples/OfficeDepot/Walmart/etc ~$8 & up, If available & not just an old listing.

EDIT 1:
Interesting old Apple Discussions thread (2010):
https://discussions.apple.com/message/18983469?start=30&tstart=0
Getting video out from an iPod/iPhone is problematic unless adapter-cable is first hooked-up/connected & then iPod/iPhone is turned on.
So, first connect cable between iDevice and say, TV. Then when iDevice is turned on it now senses via its 30 pin connection that TV (set to AV in) is accepting video.
Also video-out problems with YouTube app and/or certain iOS installed, but YouTube via Safari seems to work.
So here it is not simply, "It Just Works", even with the Apple-branded cable.

EDIT 2:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4415678?tstart=0
Dec 29, 2014 12:21 PM in response to joesla
"For anyone that didn't check/try this. In the General settings there is an option called TV out (once dock connector is connected to iphone). Make sure the correct video format is selected PAL or NTSC. (Widescreen is a second option there).
This did the trick for me. I had sound but no video."

I used the Apple-Connector2-HDMI-adapter with an iPhone4s and a cheap 12$ HDMI2AV-box and an eyeTF200-box, which is connected via USB. Unfortunately I couldn't check, how it would do with a Lightning2HDMI adapter since mine got lost in the helter-skelter we call our home ...
Unfortunately the video-transfer stopped after 20-30 seconds with the iPhone 4s - so it's no good idea to spend time and money on this option.
BUT there is a very expensive all in one HDMI2FireWireSolution (Canopus ADVC-50 Converter)
an it's cheaper little brother (Canopus ADVC-55 AV2FireWire Converter ) which needs the HDMI2AV-converter, that is already built into the ADVC50. Don't know how and if it work.
Gonna keep you in touch ...

 

[spf2]

I don't mean to highjack the thread but...thanks to your post bobesch, I was able to get my SIIG JU-AV0012-S1 (Silan+SMI) working with the easycap mac driver you linked to in your OP. I had no idea there was a device driver for this device until I did a little research on the chipset. Looks pretty good with my NES hooked up to it. Unfortunately there is no audio.

 

[bobesch]

I don't mean to highjack the thread but...thanks to your post bobesch, I was able to get my SIIG JU-AV0012-S1 (Silan+SMI) working with the easycap mac driver you linked to in your OP. I had no idea there was a device driver for this device until I did a little research on the chipset. Looks pretty good with my NES hooked up to it. Unfortunately there is no audio.
View attachment 697392

How did you get that driver working?
The one I downloaded gave the error-message, the attached application wouldn't support PPC...

 

[spf2]

I used the Dev download below. This one works on PPC.

https://www.bentrask.com/easycap/EasyCapViewer-fushicai.zip

I didn't try the main download or install Quicktime component so I can't say if I would get the same error. I need to try it and see if I get audio or the ability to change the video parameters. *Update* - I get the same error and unable to run the program that was linked as v 0.6.2.

If that does not work, I might even try and install the kernel extension below to see if I can get audio to work. *Update* - The ECVAudio is for Intel and did not work.

https://www.bentrask.com/easycap/ECVAudio.zip

BTW. My device has the Chipset: Silan SC8113 + SMI-2021CBE . It shows up as SMI Grabber Dev . It is identified as Somagic according to https://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Easycap

*Update*- So my options of getting audio will have to be through the audio in on my G5 since it won't get audio from the device. Still happy to know I get some functionality in a device that was not meant to used on a G5.

 

[bobesch]

Today I gave the eyeTV200-box another try. - I 've been curious for a quite while, if that Klinke-To-Composite-cable that came with an iBook-G3-Snow a few weeks ago would do what I was hoping it could do: Video/Audio-Out off the Clamshell to an external monitor. Well, it does!
But quality of the "live-screenshot" via eyeTV200 is really abysmal.
Never mind - the connection is fairly stable and the problems of broken connection I encountered with the iPhone4s + HDMI-connector are obviously on the iPhone's side.
Now I even keener to find that muggle-artifact of Lightning-To-HDMI connector that is missing somewhere in our house ...



Nice side-effect about the AV-cable: Screensharing / DVD with the Clamshell...

 

[bobesch]

SUCCESS!
Today my 10$ eyeTV250-box with eyeTV2 arrived.
Same setting as with the eyeTV200-box but video plays without any interruption now.
Picture is a bit abysmal and distorted but it somehow resembles the kind of quality of those days...
Now Netflix and other video-streaming services are ready to be displayed on PowerPC.
(okay - only a cheat and I prefer watching on the tiny iPhone screen... )

 

[Cox Orange]

Bobesch, can you try recording from your TV with the eyeTV250 and EyeTV2-software? I had purchased this box (used off Ebay) back in I think it was 2008 or so and tried to record stuff on my 2005 ibook and Elgato back then said it works on every G4, but I had artifacts when recording a complete movie. I'd like to know, if this problem happens with every 250 box or if mine just has a defect. (Elgatos solution sugguestion was btw. to play with the IBP-frame settings...).
[doublepost=1494001641][/doublepost]

Netflix doesn't require Silverlight anymore. Firefox and therefore T4F should be able to play Netflix. I tried it on my KaOS-Linux-Machine some days ago with a custom user agant and it works. Maybe a G5 is powerful enough to handle it?

Since I applied Erik's TFF tweaks I can't access NF at all, there's only the NF logo in the upper left. With Safari I can access NF but get the Silverlight message. Maybe someone with an almighty Quad-G5 may try that and be successful

and did you get netflix to work with a G5 + Erik's tweaks? Also did it work on any Mac without Erik's tweaks?

 

[eyoungren]

Since I applied Erik's TFF tweaks I can't access NF at all, there's only the NF logo in the upper left. With Safari I can access NF but get the Silverlight message. Maybe someone with an almighty Quad-G5 may try that and be successful

That is because my tweaks disable most, if not all, media. Flash, Quicktime, etc, etc. The idea for that at the time was that if you landed on a page (say a news website) with a bunch of flashy, blinky clips then having all that stuff off would speed up page loading. Otherwise the processor is taking a huge hit trying to display all that content.

If you'd rather use T4Fx with those media options just for that kind of thing I'd suggest making a new profile and using that profile just for viewing. However, realize that Kaiser has disabled some media content simply because of security reasons past a certain version of T4Fx.

 

[bobesch]

Bobesch, can you try recording from your TV with the eyeTV250 and EyeTV2-software? I had purchased this box (used off Ebay) back in I think it was 2008 or so and tried to record stuff on my 2005 ibook and Elgato back then said it works on every G4, but I had artifacts when recording a complete movie. I'd like to know, if this problem happens with every 250 box or if mine just has a defect. (Elgatos solution sugguestion was btw. to play with the IBP-frame settings...).

I checked recording today with streaming Netflix from my iPhone4s: works fine and recorded clips are without any artifacts.Quality is likewise poor compared to the original stream that I could watch on the iPhone but I'm really happy, that the daisychained adapters and converters do work exactly how I wished they would do.

 

[bobesch]

The AppleTV 2nd Gen. - Netflix-Cheat:
thinks that do work with an iOS-device also work with aTV2.
You may even stream iPhone to aTV2 via AirPlay AND record all content to PPC.



BTW: here are some pictures and info, how the eyeTV250+ also serves me to rescue a couple of old Hi8-tapes ... https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/need-to-capture-composite-video-on-g5.2048420/#post-24638748

 

[reukiodo]

If you're just using your iPhone, couldn't you use this tutorial?
http://www.iphonehacks.com/2017/03/mirror-iphone-ipad-display-mac-free.html

Summary: use lightning cable and QuickTime Player
File > New Movie Recording
tiny right arrow near record button > select your connected device

 

[bobesch]

If you're just using your iPhone, couldn't you use this tutorial?
http://www.iphonehacks.com/2017/03/mirror-iphone-ipad-display-mac-free.html

Summary: use lightning cable and QuickTime Player
File > New Movie Recording
tiny right arrow near record button > select your connected device

Hi, thanks for that inspiration! It's great to know no that it's possible to view the iPhone's screen recordable within Quicktime!
Saves me the effort to get a replacement Lightning2HDMI-cable, when it comes to display iPad-content with a beamer (as long, as my late2008 MacBook alu is available...)
Unfortunately viewing Netflix videos doesn't work neither on my Powerbook-G4 (iPhone6s not recognized) nor on my intel MacBookPro (message: video-size of the iPhone doesn't match resolution of the mac).
Gonna check my iP4s later ...

 

[bobesch]

That Video-Cheat-Project endet lately in capturing all our >15yo DV-home-movie-tapes with iMovie'06 and planning to use the eyeTV250+box for capturing a few left very old analog Hi8 tapes too (only the camcorder for that project is still missing ...)
Since 1h DV-footage takes about 13GB everything turned out to take some space on two cloned external HDD.
iMovie offers some options to export video: there's a huge step in size and quality between the options "CD-ROM" (320x240) and "highest" (DV).

I'm wondering and look for advise, how to export/convert these native DV-videos without loosing quality and editing options but save a lot of space...

 

[Dronecatcher]

I'm wondering and look for advise, how to export/convert these native DV-videos without loosing quality and editing options but save a lot of space...

I'd use Handbrake and export to .m4v using h264 codec or MPEG-4 codec if you're intending the video to be played on low end Macs.
You should see a file size reduction of 15:1 maybe even more if you take the bitrate as low as you can.

 

[bobesch]

I'd use Handbrake and export to .m4v using h264 codec or MPEG-4 codec if you're intending the video to be played on low end Macs.
You should see a file size reduction of 15:1 maybe even more if you take the bitrate as low as you can.

Thanks!
I did exactly what you've suggested. Converted DV(720x576) to Fast 720p25 and size was reduced 10:1.
Great & i presume no loss of quality...