Streaming to iPhone or iPod Touch.

[norbs]

Can I stream video from my server via WiFi to the iPhone? Was asked today at work and didn't know.

Edit. He just SMS'ed me about airvideo. It works a treat. Watching the Cleveland show in bed after installing a server program on the MBP. Excellent!

[Robbo]

You're evolving way too quickly Norbs!!

How awesome is Air Video. Like many things with the iPhone, I had no idea it even existed until your post. I just mapped the server to my media player and showed my wife a few of her favorite TV shows on the iPhone!! Blown away!!

[wabbit]

You're evolving way too quickly Norbs!!

I agree, hes enjoying the device hes meant to hate

[DexterPunk]

whats the go with this?? I'd like to know what im meant to download and how it works?

[norbs]

I will get onto the hate thing in a minute.

Dex, go to http://www.inmethod.com/air-video/index.html and download the server software for what ever server will stream the video. You set that up to share out your videos and then grab the app off the app store. The freebie gives you 4 random folders from the share, or grab the full version for full access. Then you just sit back and watch any video you have on the computer, but on the iphone. It is very cool, but i dont know if I could watch hours of TV on the iPhone. But using the TV out doodad, you use the iPhone as a media centre for any TV within the range of your WiFi.

Back to the hate thing. As a phone, the iPhone is poor at best. I knew this when I bought it, especially with the coverage where I live on the outskirts of a large rural town. Where the Nokia would always have 3-4 bars of coverage at home, the iPhone is lucky to get 1 bar of coverage. I am not looking forward to my next road trip.

As a gadget, it is stunning. The shit I have learned how to do in the last 6 days since I got it has blown me away. I have been getting questions for months about the iPhone (the life of a telco tech) and have been unable to answer most because I couldn't try things myself. Now that I have it, I have been calling people up answering questions from as far back as last June. This video streaming was the perfect example.

The iPhone has been a steep learning curve but a positive one. I love it when it is streaming video, tracking my bike rides from inside my pocket or controlling iTunes on the computer using Remote. It shits me when calls drop out at home. And don't start me on fucking iTunes!

[Robbo]

Fair call. For me, it is a gadget first and phone second but I don't know any better so I will stay ignorant. Maybe you need an iPod Norbs and the phone of your choice. Are you going to be able to leave all this new found stuff behind when you get another phone?

[wabbit]

I will get onto the hate thing in a minute.

Nicely said I wonder what numbers your getting after punching this in, *3001#12345#* . Not to prove a point just curious.

[norbs]

I will get onto the hate thing in a minute.

Nicely said I wonder what numbers your getting after punching this in, *3001#12345#* . Not to prove a point just curious.

Well I am at work now with full 3G reception. What numbers were you after? I can try it when I get home.

[wabbit]

Well I am at work now with full 3G reception. What numbers were you after? I can try it when I get home.

I think perfect reception is meant to be represented as -100 figure. Then again mine has been over and under that number. Which confuses me and im not a phone/wireless tech maybe a bigger number is just better. Reception bars mean nothing really, as theres no standard to follow.

[norbs]

Well I am at work now with full 3G reception. What numbers were you after? I can try it when I get home.

I think perfect reception is meant to be represented as -100 figure. Then again mine has been over and under that number. Which confuses me and im not a phone/wireless tech maybe a bigger number is just better. Reception bars mean nothing really, as theres no standard to follow.

I will ask the tech heads I know. Both of them agree that the iPhone is rubbish as a phone though. Well, as far as reception is concerned.

[DexterPunk]

Hello Norbs.

Thanks for the info. Sounds very cool, specially as a media center type thing for a tele.... Any idea what res it outputs as? It's a shame you can't get reception on it where you are. I'm not that far out of Melbourne, so it works wonderfully. It's nice to have a great gadget that has a decent phone in it. I wouldn't mind betting they will keep improving it with the next gen.

[wabbit]

Both of them agree that the iPhone is rubbish as a phone though. Well, as far as reception is concerned.

I agree, I've been in places where it said there was reception yet Safari couldn't connect or load a page. Moments later it would be searching for Optus' network. On the flip side I've had no bars at all and the net access was nothing short of screamingly fast. I have no faith in reception bars from way back with my Nokia N70... the bars are just made up. Until theres a standard to follow you can't trust them.

[DexterPunk]

Have you considered 3 norbs?? I'm not sure how ya 3G would go. But it roams to telstra if you have little or no recpetion with 3. Not so good on the data front, as it costs a crapload to use telstras data without a plan. I turned data roaming off. But you should have good phone recpetion where ever you go. I seem to get better reception on 3 than those on optus around here.

[markus]

I will get onto the hate thing in a minute.

Nicely said I wonder what numbers your getting after punching this in, *3001#12345#* . Not to prove a point just curious.

-79 at home.

[DexterPunk]

-77 at my place.

[Robbo]

-91 at work - Windsor NSW

[w00dsy]

-113 at home. What is better, a lower -minus number i assume?

[norbs]

When I am getting a 3G signal, it is at -89. I thought it said -59 originally. When I have 3G reception, it is always virtually full strength like when I am in town.

When it isn't 3G, it ranges from -91 to -119.

I hope lower is better.


Edit. by the way, you can tap that little number to toggle between a number and the bars.

[Brett_S]

Nicely said I wonder what numbers your getting after punching this in, *3001#12345#* . Not to prove a point just curious.

Is that for 3G? cos when I try it all I get is "Error performing request, No Network Service"

[wabbit]

Armed with a tiny bit more info and then mucking around. It seems were talking about dBm wiki link. I was wrong before and yes it seems the lower the number the better, -30 might be the best possible number in theory... who knows.

Interestingly I found cleaning the SIM metal contacts can make a difference as well as how your holding the phone, the best though is plug in your iPhone USB cable and let it dangle... better again just looks really nerdy .

Is that for 3G? cos when I try it all I get is "Error performing request, No Network Service"

Yep for the 3G and 3GS. Nokias also use a very similar number.

[Brett_S]

Yep for the 3G and 3GS. Nokias also use a very similar number.

Sorry I meant 3G telco coverage - I have a 3GS phone with Optus and can only get 2G coverage when I'm at home

[wabbit]

Sorry I meant 3G telco coverage - I have a 3GS phone with Optus and can only get 2G coverage when I'm at home

Shouldn't be an issue Brett. I just disabled 3G (Settings > General > Network) on my phone and dialled the number again, it worked for me. I hate to say it but restart your phone? On a side note the Field-Test mode is depended on the current Network selection being either 2G or 3G with the signals numbers being very different.

[Brett_S]

Ahh, okay it must be optus then

Got AirVideo and it's pretty damn good. If it could stream live TV it would be even better

[plastik8]

It shits me when calls drop out at home.

Norbs, are you with Optus? Although the iPhone probably doesn't compare in terms of reception to the Nokia and therefore we can't blame optus, optus is terrible . I was on Optus for 12 months with my iPhone 3G and I'd constantly get drop outs, weird jumbled voices, internet drop outs etc. all the time. On three I haven't experienced one of these problems ever (maybe internet has dropped once or twice).

[norbs]

It shits me when calls drop out at home.

Norbs, are you with Optus? Although the iPhone probably doesn't compare in terms of reception to the Nokia and therefore we can't blame optus, optus is terrible . I was on Optus for 12 months with my iPhone 3G and I'd constantly get drop outs, weird jumbled voices, internet drop outs etc. all the time. On three I haven't experienced one of these problems ever (maybe internet has dropped once or twice).

Optus is really the only choice where I live. The bride has a Telstra phone, and I have a Telstra work phone and both drop in and out all the time. So many times neither of the Telstra phones have had service and the old Nokia on Optus has. Don't mention Voda.