If enable GPU passthrough, how do u show display at remote monitor?

[jang430]

Sorry, am a bit confused about the gpu passthrough thing.  Can someone clarify if this is as I think it is?  I can have an unraid machine in the attic, with a few graphics card plugged in (in reality, probably 2 at most), then 2 users playing 3D games, or watching movies using Kodi connected to TV on 2 separate areas far away from Unraid machine?

 

My questions are:

 

If gaming, I assume all you need to have in a room is a monitor.  But how do you transmit the video signal over long distances?  How do you even connect a keyboard and mouse over long distance?  Is there a device that is needed?  Something that travels over Cat5e?

 

If watching movies via TV, how do you output Kodi movies to TV?  Similar to question above.  Moreover, how do you send remote signals to Kodi connected to TV when there's no IR to receive the signal?

 

Thanks

[itimpi]

Sorry, am a bit confused about the gpu passthrough thing.  Can someone clarify if this is as I think it is?  I can have an unraid machine in the attic, with a few graphics card plugged in (in reality, probably 2 at most), then 2 users playing 3D games, or watching movies using Kodi connected to TV on 2 separate areas far away from Unraid machine?

 

My questions are:

 

If gaming, I assume all you need to have in a room is a monitor.  But how do you transmit the video signal over long distances?  How do you even connect a keyboard and mouse over long distance?  Is there a device that is needed?  Something that travels over Cat5e?

 

If watching movies via TV, how do you output Kodi movies to TV?  Similar to question above.  Moreover, how do you send remote signals to Kodi connected to TV when there's no IR to receive the signal?

 

Thanks

If you are using GPU passthru then effectively you are simply enabling graphics at the PC that is running as the unRAID server.  For most users the reason for doing this is so that they can use the unRAID server box just as if it were a PC that was not running unRAID, so they would be sitting at a desk where the unRAID server is located.  This means that cabling is not an issue.  Any issues with passing video/keyboard/mice signals to a remote location are just the same as they would be for a normal PC that is not running unRAID.

 

There are definitely hardware solutions around that can do this, but I do not believe that they are particularly cheap, so may well not be cost effective for a home user.  I may be wrong about that and others may well chime in with specific products they know about to fill this role.  I suspect that mouse/keyboard are probably relatively easy to resolve but I am not sure. I have been playing video remotely using an Airtame dongle plugged into the VM - but for that you do not need GPU passthru (and the latency is too high to be suitable for gaming).

 

Regarding controlling Kodi remotely, I believe that it supports being controlled over the network so that is probably easy enough to resolve.  Again I am going by what I have read as I do not use Kodi.

[jang430]

Thanks. I may have misunderstood the meaning of gpu passthrough.

[jang430]

A follow-up question.  I thought it was possible to run steam os as a virtual machine,  kodi, and another pc working on another thing all at the same time. I assume this should be done with the VMs all running with different monitors,  and different graphics cards, and different persons using them all at time.  Sort of like 1 machine for everyone at home. Is this a misconception?

 

[itimpi]

A follow-up question.  I thought it was possible to run steam os as a virtual machine,  kodi, and another pc working on another thing all at the same time. I assume this should be done with the VMs all running with different monitors,  and different graphics cards, and different persons using them all at time.  Sort of like 1 machine for everyone at home. Is this a misconception?

That is possible - but unless they are all close to the machine it is probably not practical.  The limitation is not the ability to run multiple VMs but the ability to connect to the different monitors etc over any distance.  Having said that I believe video signals can carry quite a way if you are prepared to lay appropriate cables and there are definitely ways to remote a keyboard/mouse over your local network.

 

Note that if you do NOT need to use hardware passthru then multiple VM's being accessed remotely is very feasible.  Hardware passthru is only required when you need really good graphics performance and for many purposes a RDP type connection over your home network will do the job of accessing a VM.

[jang430]

I think the product for remote keyboard,  mouse, USB is kvm extender? But the price that I can see is around 100 USD at least. And it uses d-sub only. I guess my assumption isn't realistic. I agree,  if no heavy graphics,  it can work. Thanks itimpi

[GHunter]

There are options available to use hdmi and usb over longer distances.

 

Active HDMI cable

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=102&cp_id=10255&cs_id=1025501&p_id=12609&seq=1&format=2

 

usb extension over cat5

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030313&p_id=6042&seq=1&format=2

 

Have a look at meep's blog. I think you'll find some options on his site (Great site!) too.

http://mediaserver8.blogspot.ie/

 

Gary

[jang430]

Will check it out Gary.  Thanks

[landS]

Use Unraid to host NAS File store, Gaming Rig OS VMs.

 

For Media use OSMC (Raspbmc successor – OS hosts KODI) on a Pi2 tucked behind the TV.  Uses TV's CEC to control – no other remotes/keyboards are needed

 

For Streaming games to TVs, setup Windows VM to use Steam Stream with NVIDIA GTX cards (and have an inexpensive Steam Stream device at the other end).  Setup 1 Windows VM/ Stream Client.  Use your choice of Keyboard/mouse or xbox 360 controller / client. 

 

May I suggest, 1 install of Windows 7/8 VM and 1 install of 10 Technical preview which will be updated to full blown, legally owed Windows 10 in a couple of months at no charge

 

Basically… 1 Steam Instance / Steam Client --- be it in separate VMs (easier, but needs 1 GPU/VM)  or 1 VM hosting multiple steam instances (harder, but uses 1 GPU)

 

May Also setup each Windows VM with Limelight/Splashtop for remote gaming to Android Devices (fun for SBS/3D on LG G3 panel)

 

Doing all of this, you can even keep the machine fully headless   Just have a cheap chromebook and use the Guacamole docker to RDP into the Windows VMs for system updates/maintenance.