Breaking the media parcel limitation

EML Entertainments have just released its version 2 of the ITE 2007 award winning media controllers The Proximity Server. Version one saw the breaking of the '1 movie per parcel' limitation which allowed you to show up to 7 different movies on the same parcel... have now released version 2.. the Silver Stream Network system.

Now, you can install a single prim server anywhere on a SIM and use a Silver Stream Network media Screen controller, anywhere on that SIM, even if you don't own the land! You can load your favourite url's into the screens playlist and have complete control over what you want to watch or hear (it controls music as well as movies/TV). It is not limited by parcel divisions, or land ownership (as long as the owner allows you to rez objects) or even have media rights. The system will not override or interfere with existing media systems, so your landlord can still watch his favourite media. Great for appartments or rented land.

And there is more... anywhere there is a Silver Stream Server located in SL, you can rez your Screen media contoller and show your friends your favourite movies/wedding shots/holiday snaps etc.

For business's, the server comes ready enabled for collaborative tools such as Whiteboard, Blackboard and Powerpoint simulations. All projects can be saved and retreived directly through the internet links, to your own servers. With the system, you can also introduce media content to the group meetings including sound.

Like the very successful Proximity Server System, the Silver Stream Network can support upto 7 Screen per parcel, or up to 30+ per SIM, and comes with configurable range sensors to automatically turn on the media stream, when an avatar comes into range. It also has the added feature of allowing you to use an auto alignment for mixed format media.

The media controller includes Play, Stop, Next, Previous, Looped, Sequencial and a Random feature.

Soon we will be releasing a Personal HUD screen that you wear, that will play media anywhere in Second Life, where there is a Server 'Hotspots'. As the Silver Stream Network grows, that feature will reach the four corners of Second Life.

Worried about editing Note Cards inside Prims and messing things up? Well the Silver Stream Network offers you the ability to sign in to a secure registered account, on the internet website and enter the url's there, and they will be automatically ported right into your very own screen.

Have we covered everything?... Oh the Price...
What does a system like this cost? Well the servers are only 5L$ each (only one needed per SIM) and a Media Screen controller to show your content, costs only 500L$ each!!!

This has to be the most sophisticated system available in Second Life, yet made with simplicity and cost in mind.

EML-Entertainments are proud to announce the release of the Silver Stream Network technology systems to Second Life now shown and explained on their website.

http://www.eml-entertainments.com

For those of you that marveled at the power and flexibility of the Proximity Media Server technology (award winner at the International Technical Expo 2007), breaking the parcel limitation of 1 movie per parcel to an astounding 8 movies per parcel, will now see the awesome power of the Silver Stream Network.

A single server can control over 30 individual media controlled screens in a SIM irrespective of any parcel/land boundary configurations. Each Screen comes complete with its own intergral media controller, so you can add up to 125 media sources to each screen. The system coexists with existing systems already in place and will not interfere with other media streams.

Installing a system has been made very flexible and simple, no more deeding permissions, joining groups and getting media permissions. Once the single prim server is deeded somewhere on a SIM, you can start adding your own screen/media players, even if you don't own the server!! Need to share control with other members of your group? Each individual screen/media player can be sole controlled or shared with your group. No one else can control your media, without your permission.

Each screen/player comes with all the normal media control feature you would expect, Stop/Pause, Play, Next, Previous, Normal (squencing of the playlist), Loop (plays one url over and over) and even Shuffle (plays the media randomly).

The fully secure system uses passive broadcasting to reduce lag, and off game internet servers that do most of the work. Each screen is coded to maintain security of your media to reduce the likelyhood of someone hijacking your stream and installing trojans, keyloggers and virus's on to your system while you innocently watch a movie or listen to music. Fully adjustable range sensors detect an avatar coming into range, and triggers the media to play (assuming they have media enabled in preferences). A great asset to Malls, Learning facilities, business meetings and next to the pool .

Worried about messing with editing note card playlists ingame? The system comes complete with a secure server database on the internet. You register an account, gain access rights to your player(s) in game and enter the information there. Once done, the information is automatcially ported directly to your player(s) in game.

Have you got media you want to share with your friends? With your player loaded with your content, and a server deeded anywhere on their SIM (you can get your friend to deed one so you can all share), you simply rez your player/screen combination, click a HUD menu to let the system know where you are, and your creations will be shown right there and then. (note you still need permissions to drop objects on the land and run scripts)

Need additional features? The Silver Stream Network comes ready incorporated with the ability to run collaborative tools (purchased seperately) such as Whiteboard, Blackboard and even powerpoint simulations, combined with media controls, a tremendous suite for the education training, business conferencing and interactive activities normally associated with the 2D internet. All projects can be saved and retrieved directly from your very own servers, including company intranets through internet links. Full installation, training and support is provided within the contract, for peace of mind.

Checkout the website for more information, see the exciting up and coming new releases, or drop by EML Entertainments in game to see the system actually working, bring friends and each watch more than a single movie (located on the 2nd floor), IM me ingame.

I went to the EML location at Innocence 90,218 and there were a lot of movie screens all showing the same movie.

I went to the EML location at Innocence 90,218 and there were a lot of movie screens all showing the same movie.

Hi, thanks for your feedback.

There are 3 floors to the EML building.

On the ground floor (which is probably where you visited) there are 'traditional' media player systems including screens of various sizes, media player/controllers and accessories and speakers. All the screens are based on a 'traditional' Second Life media setup (all screens showing a single media stream).

On the 2nd floor is the Silver Stream Network system, we have showcased 6 screen/player combinations, each with it's own movie stream. As you walk in front of each screen, it will play a different movie. Take 5 friends with you and each stand in front of a different screen, and each of you will watch a different movie, all within the same parcel! All coexisting with the land media.
The screen/player combination units come complete with its own media playlist and can contain up to 125 urls for media content (movies, pictures and music) and have all the normal media control functions found in players (play, stop/pause, next, previous, normal play, loop play, and shuffle).

What we discoverd is, the parcel limitation is not one movie per parcel, but one movie per avatar/viewer. This unique system actually plays a movie to each avatar untilising off game servers to control the broadcasting to each client. Each screen/player combination is controlled by a sensor built into each screen, that detects the presence of an avatar in range and 'contacts' that avatar, giving the information of the media stream to play from its playlist.

On the 1st floor, is a stock of a range of screens/players, starting with the basic setup, up to some very stylish modded versions we have created, along with the single prim servers and installation manuals.

Despite the power and flexibility of the system, the installation could not be easier. One single server can control up to 30+ unique screen/player combination units over the whole of that sim, irrespective of parcel and land borders. No media or deeding rights are required to install a Screen/Player combination unit(s), all you need it the ability to drop an object and run local scripts. Great for rented land or land you do not own.
Once dropped, you simply click the screen and click setup, the screen/player unit will register its presence to the network and begin playing the media content included within its playlist.

You leave the server on that sim, so you and anyone else with a Silver Stream Network screen/media player unit, can visit that sim at anytime later and do the same setup proceedure and continue to enjoy your/their media anytime. Whats more, the system does not interfere and can coexist with the land media settings, so the owner can continue to view their media.

Any sim that has a server placed on it anywhere in Second Life, will become a 'hot spot' for anyone owning a Silver Stream Network compatible screen/player combination. The servers will create a SLIntranet covering Second Life.

Concerned about security?
Not with the Silver Stream Network, each screen/player combination unit is securely coded and will only play the owners media content, this prevents hijacking of the streams and the potential of anyone using the stream to introduce trojans/keyloggers and viruses onto your PC!

We have already sold many of these units to land owners who rent out appartments/houses all located in the same peice of land (not parcelled) and they have given each tennant to ability to control their own media in their own appartment/house, instead of the previous system, whereby everyone has to watch the same single media stream fed onto the land.

If this system does not do exactly what we have stated here, we will give you your money back, with a no quibble 100% guarantee. This is not a 'trick', it's technology working seamlessly within Second Life.

Is it possible to make a video stream that provides a composite display of multiple individual streams, then have different viewers display different portions of the composite stream by using different texture offsets?

I think there is confusion here..

There is a system that allows for a video wall, which is stacked prims each with a different texture, that can show up to 6 seperate movie streams per avatar (client). The method uses stacked and compressed streams into a single stream (Only QuickTime format), which is them split back into each seperate stream. However.. the load on the client is increased enormously as in has to render each stream, on top of which the OS has to decompress 6 streams in realtime. We have tested such a system, and providing the sum total of the streams is beneath 100kbps, and the sum total of the render update area of the formats does not exceed a 4.800x4.800 using low resolution media, it does work. The load on both the Client and the Sim server is expotential when looking at the effects this has on UpdateTexture element.

What you describe as being the same texture spread over a large set of linked prims, using offsets to make them into one large screen, is already a 'standard' feature in SL and has been for quite sometime.. we experimented with a 200x200mtr screens and the results looked great at a very long distance even with high resolution media, with that long viewing distance, it was of no real benefit over and above viewing a much smaller screen close up. However, in any event this would only show the same movie over a larger screens, and not multiple movies over each prim, simply because they all use the same texture.

The Silver Stream Network system, like its previous version the Proximity Server System, works differently than the 'standard' SL method. It does not use any exploit, or bug, it is based on the reality of exactly how movie media is dealt with. A lot of people have assumed, based on there only being present, a single entry for a texture and a url in the media tab, that you can only play a single movie stream at a time, and everyone in that parcel would have to watch the same movie. If you expand on that and look at what exactly is happening with the client, 2 people arrive at different times into a parcel with a fixed stream (not live broadcast). For the first person who arrives at say 1pm, the movie begins to play, the second person arrives at 1:05pm will watch the movie not, at the same point as the first person, but from the actual begining of the movie.
This is simply because the stream for each client has been turnned on at different times, much the same way as going to a website and watching a downloadable or progressive downloadable movie. On that basis, if the 2nd person was looking at a different screen and you gave that person(client) not only a different url, but also a different texture, they would both watch different movies.

Develop that further and only feed a single texture, but different urls, and both people (and more) can watch different movies on the same screen. The delivery mechanism used to deliver multiple urls throughout a single parcel is the key to how the system works... if you wish to know how that works, IM me ingame, and I'll forward this information, along with my bank details and the deeds to my house . The Silver Stream Network goes beyond simple parcels, and can control multiple media streams to multiple avatars, over a whole sim, irrespective of parcel/land borders.