Orb (Software)

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Orb MyCasting

Orb MyCasting Home page
Developer:	Orb Networks
OS:	Windows
Use:	Web application
License:	Freeware
Website:	http://www.orb.com

Orb is a free streaming software that enables users to remotely view their personal media files, TV and webcams from any Internet-enabled device, including pocket pc and smartphones. It is edited by Orb Networks of Emeryville, California. It was mentioned as one of the 11 Killer Freebies for Your Pocket PC ^[1]

Often referred as the free alternative to the slingbox ^[2], Orb also allows the user to stream live TV from her home computer if it has a tuner card.

Orb recently released the beta of its 2.0 version (called Orb MyCasting) which is AJAX based.^[3]

1 How it works
2 Streaming
3 Sharing
4 Web-based DVR
5 Orb 2.0
6 References
7 External Links

[edit] How it works

You download and install Orb on your Windows or Media Center PC and create your account. Then you can log into your account remotely, browse your media files and stream them. It's important to note that the media files never leave your home PC, they are transcoded and streamed directly from your PC.

Orb is different from the Slingbox solution because it doesn't require to install any software on the client side. It uses any web browser and the available player.

[edit] Streaming

Orb will detect the type of device you're using, and adapt the stream according to your player availability and the network quality.^[4]

Orb supports streaming to Windows Media, Real Player and 3gp format, supporting a wide range of 3G cell phones.

For example on the Nokia N80, Orb will use the native web browser and Real Player^[5]

All your music, pictures and video files stored on your home computer are made available for streaming. If you have a tuner card then live TV is also available for streaming, and if you have a webcam, you can also stream it (there's also a webcam surveillance feature^[6])

[edit] Sharing

Orb also allows the user to share photos and videos without having to upload them to an online service. You just have to select the files you want to share, and enter the email address of the people you want to share with. They will receive an email with a link to view your files.

[edit] Web-based DVR

If you have a tuner card on your home PC, Orb offers a DVR functionality, like a Tivo. You can schedule TV recordings and stream the recorded video files remotely via the Web-based interface.

[edit] Orb 2.0

Orb 2.0 beta is Ajax-based and offers a home page similar to Google Personalized Homepage or netvibes. It is organized into tabs, with each tab containing user-defined modules, such as TV guide, personal media files, RSS/Atom feeds such as YouTube videos, the local weather forecast, etc...^[7]