Ok. There are different ways to do it, but this is how I do it:
In order to set up a streaming video server, you need 5 things:
1. Broadband connection
2. pretty much any ol ordinary computer
3. Video capture card
4. windows media encoder (you can download it free)
[Link: microsoft.com]5. video source (examples- cable box, camcorder, VCR, TV w/video out connection, xbox, etc)
Hardware setup is not complicated (plug in TV capture card to computer, load neccesary drivers, plug video source into capture card using rca/coax cables, see if it works, etc)
Using windows media encoder is pretty easy too. When you start it, it takes you though a wizard that sets everything up for you. It will ask you things like-
-- how large of a bit rate you want to use. you probably want to use 282 kbps unless you have super high speed broadband- then you could use a higher rate
--what port you want to stream to. Any number will do- doesn't really matter. Use 1023 if you can't make up your mind. I have a firewall for my broadband connection, so what I usually do is forward the port wme is using to that computer's local IP address.
--broadcast method. I use "pull from the encoder"
After its all setup, all you do is click on the 'start encoding', and you now have a working video streaming server.
To test it out, just go somewhere remote (local internet cafe, friend's house, etc), and connect to mms://yourhome's.public.ip.address:openport, and windows media player will boot up and connect you to your home television.
Again, there are different methods of setting it up, but that's how I do it. Now- if only I can figure out how to remotely change channels :(
