# How To: Play Music/Video Simultaneously on Multiple Computers



## purdueman

How To: Play Music/Video Simultaneously on Multiple Computers

This is a guide to stream music/video across your local network. It can be used to stream to one computer or multiple computers. The program works on Windows, OS X, as well as Linux. You could stream from a Linux box to a Windows or OS X box without any problems, or vice versa. It Works on wired as well as wireless router, or multiple routers.
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[#] mark notes*

1. Download VLC media player *[1]*

2. Install VLC on each computer you plan on streaming to or from.

3. Open VLC on the main computer (the computer which has the files you want to stream). This computer will control all the streaming and file playing.

4. Click File, then Wizard. Select Stream to Network, then click next.

5. On the input screen you can either use what is currently in the playlist or a saved file. You can select music files, video files, discs, or even playlists. I chose to use a playlist. *[2]*

 

6. On the streaming screen select RTP Multicast. Next fill in the address you will be using. I used 239.255.100.100. Click next.



7. On the Encapsulation format use whatever is already selected, and then proceed to the next screen.

8. On Additional Streaming Options in the Time-to-Live option put the number of how many routers you have. For example I have two routers, one wired, and one wireless so I would put 2 in.

9. Click Finish to start streaming. Note you will not hear the file playing, because we need to connect to the stream, which is the next step.

10. Open another instance of VLC. (You can do this on the same computer or different one.)

11. Click File, Open Network Stream, and then choose UDP/RTP Multicast. Enter the address from step #6 (239.255.100.100) and leave the port numbers alone. Click Ok and then you should hear/see the music/video being played (may take a few seconds). Do this step for each computer that wants to watch/listen.



13. Congratulations you should have successfully setup your video or music stream. It should look like this on the main computer. You can only control the stream with the Streamer. *[3]*



Notes:
1. VLC can be run on multiple platforms at the same time including Windows, OS X, Linux, BSD, and others.
2. The playlist must be in a VLC compatible format (M3U or XSPF). Use VLC to create the playlist, or use Itunes Export to export your playlists from Itunes.
3. To change the track use the VLC player on the main computer.

If anyone has any problems or any suggestions feel free to post them.


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## eurostyle360

cool guide. this seems very like it would be very useful. +rep


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## purdueman

Anyone try it? or have any thoughts/suggestions?


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## Lige

I will in a second.







\\

I got it to work with singlecast stream, but not multicast.

Maybe just how I set up my network, mainly because I don't use a 239.255 address. Would be interesting to see if anyone else can get multicast to work that has a 10.10.10.* address.


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## TheSubtleKnife

Ive done this at LANparties, at it is a really cool thing to do...
+1 for the guide, and getting it out to the OCN community


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## Steelers99

When I get to this part:

4. Click File, then Wizard. Select Stream to Network, then click next.

I can not find it. Can someone give me a hand.


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## naroslife

Hi!

Is this method good to sort of extend a speaker system? Here's what I mean by that:
I have my 5.1 connected to my PC in my room and I have a soundbar connected to a HTPC in the living room just next to my room. I would like to _connect the 2 systems_ in order to get music in the whole house at the same time but I'm worried about delays and that the music will sound a bit off if I'm between the 2 sources for example and can hear both of them.

This might be solved by setting a delay in VLC but that should be set everytime, shouldn't it?

Regards,
naroslife


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