play rar files (movies) while downloading...

[testing123]

H!

I don't know if its possible with sabnzbd but there is a rar player that plays rar files while downloading.
http://ds6.ovh.org/drp.html have made something.

It would be very very very cool when something like this below work.
- I choose some demo movie to download (let's say something about 4GB)
- then in the queue list I choose a option like 'try to stream this'
- then I see in the variable directory for example /downloads/streams/stream1.mpg (1stream at the time)

Then I can see the movie by clicking /downloads/streams/stream1.mpg in windows and I don't have to wait till the 4GB is downloaded. (now its even possible to see what you get, before download the rest)

In my situation I can go to step 2 and that is.
- share the /downloads/streams/stream1.mpg (in windows)
- go to the living room, turn on my xbox 
- start xmbc and play the share /downloads/streams/stream1.mpg !

or
- put the 'stream'  on my nas disk and play it with xmbc or on other pc's while downloading.

This will not work for slow connections (they have to wait longer, before the stream will work) but the fast connection will get this cool feature.

-----
I tested http://ds6.ovh.org/drp.html and it plays the movies , but its not possible to create a file to share.


Greetings,
M 

[switch]

The fact that sabnzbd is put on machines both locally and remotely and on different operating systems makes the implementation of some sort of streaming a challenge.

So far I have looked at:

• Auto-playing items in xbmc using their web-api to start playing a rar set. Failed because they do not allow rar sets to be played over the api, only finished files such as .avi. Also requires a specific setup (folders correctly shared and need to enter in the specific share path)
• A +Stream option that puts the file in their final location as they as each file had been downloaded. Not added because it breaks post-processing code. Could be made to work, but leaves the playing of rar files up to the end user.
• Streaming already downloaded files over the web-ui using divx web player. Failed because the divx web player would not play files served by cherrypy2 for some unknown reason. Possible to stream files as they are downloaded if I can get this to work; waiting for cherrypy3 before I try however.

[huleboeren]

NZBPlayer is dedicated to streaming NZBs - it can also play a rarset (if you were downloading from FTP etc)
Perhaps sabnzbd and nzbplayer could team up and share knowledge?

[nzb_leecher]

It would never ever work. One broken / not complete file while downloading and you have a problem.

[huleboeren]

It would never ever work. One broken / not complete file while downloading and you have a problem.

True
Depending on the NSP, incompletes are becoming a thing of the past

Cant remember the last time SABnzbd had to repair something :p

giganews here

[shypike]

I see plenty, mostly the error is in the upload of the poster.

[testing123]

It would never ever work. One broken / not complete file while downloading and you have a problem.

broken / not complete files ? I download very much and the only thing that was broke was a 170 days old file.
For the dutch readers:
I use http://www.tweakdsl.nl/?page=news/home 115 days retention 60 Mb no download limit. !
That makes downloading fun

[testing123]

• Auto-playing items in xbmc using their web-api to start playing a rar set. Failed because they do not allow rar sets to be played over the api, only finished files such as .avi. Also requires a specific setup (folders correctly shared and need to enter in the specific share path)

Maybe I must work the other way ?
- sabnzbd download the articles in this way I hope:
file.r00
file.r01
file.r02
in the cache directory.

- then I share the cache directy.
- and try to make a python plugin for xmbc (its possible to write your own python scripts)

I will ask in a xmbc forum if there is a script to play rar file while downloading the rest.

[switch]

There is no need for a script, you can currently share your incomplete folder and stream an item through xbmc as it downloads, however once the download has finished it will move all the files to the complete folder, stopping your current file playing in xbmc.

Setting your incomplete folder to be the same as your complete folder is a way of stopping this, but it is pretty nasty and could cause bugs, it also won't let categories work either.

[testing123]

mmm, playing incomplete rarfiles in xmbc is not working at the moment, maybe must I upgrade xmbc.
Thanks for your time, I don't ask more now 

[nzb_leecher]

It would never ever work. One broken / not complete file while downloading and you have a problem.

broken / not complete files ? I download very much and the only thing that was broke was a 170 days old file.
For the dutch readers:
I use http://www.tweakdsl.nl/?page=news/home 115 days retention 60 Mb no download limit. !
That makes downloading fun

Hi i have tweak too. But in 10% of the dloads there is some repairing needed.

[Neilx]

hey.. long time lurker here, sharing my 2cents on streaming:

if sab could sort rars into proper download order (rar before r00, mostly) and delay par2/unrar/post processing until none of the files in the working directory are in use, sab would more-or-less support 3rd party streaming programs.

I've used a couple things to get sab to stream, but they arn't without pitfalls.

vlcraar or the linux command "unrar p | vlc -" will play fine until post-processing removes the rars, then fail. This is really the best solution because the unrar/playing are all done on-the-fly.

RARplayer plays the rars fine, and allows seeking, but its windows-only and leaves extra copies of the movie to be deleted. Never tried it, but it may help to set its AVIs directory to the recycle bin

I know it goes against the client/server design, but if sab had an option to set a "stream file" command, and would leave the rars alone until that command had finished, streaming on a local machine would be easy.

[adamsuail]

i was going to request a similar feature, but since its already here...let me spit it out 
i had an nzb software that came alone with my usenext account...and what i really reeeelly miss about it , is getting a sample preview of the file am about to downlaod..Koool.
it just required VLC to be installed and it took about 10 sec ~ 1 minute to return the sample file.

i don't want to stream the whole movie.....just a sample.

[shypike]

One day we may support that.
It requires a complete overhaul of how we now handle
the download and post-processing queues.
This is something we want to do anyway, but it will take
a long time. So don't count on it for this year.

BTW: the rar files are already sorted unless the poster has made
a complete mess of the article titles.

Another remark: SABnzbd is an automation solution not meant for
intensive  interactive use (apart from some queue management).
When allotting time for features we prefer automation
over interactive features.