How to install a home media server. Installation and initial setup of DLNA Home Media Server (HMS) on Windows

Facebook

In this article we will set up a media server (DLNA) on a computer for a Philips TV. After setup, you will be able to watch movies, photos, and listen to music on your TV that is on your computer (laptop). All this according to DLNA technologies. This means that the TV can be connected to a computer via Wi-Fi. More precisely, the computer and TV must be connected to one Wi-Fi router. Via network cable or wireless network.

I'll explain in more detail. Do you have a Philips TV (in this article we will talk about these TVs), with the support (if you have a Smart TV, then there is definitely DLNA support). Your TV is connected to the Wi-Fi router (via Wi-Fi or cable). Also, a computer is connected to this router. We launch the DLNA server on the computer, open the necessary folders with videos, photos, or music, and simply start watching on the TV. Everything is over the air, without wires. It’s very convenient; you don’t have to write movies to a flash drive all the time. We simply access the computer, select the desired movie and watch.

Using the method described below, you can run a DLNA server on Windows 7, Windows 8, and even Windows 10. To launch and manage the server, we will use the free, simple great program"Home media server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)." I recently showed how, where we launched a server using a proprietary program. Since Philips does not have such a program, we will use the “Home Media Server”. The program is really very simple and cool.

We will need:

Philips TV with DLNA support. There must be a TV, or. I will point to Philips example 43PUS7150/12 with Smart TV (Android TV) .
A computer that is connected to the same router as the TV. It can also be connected via Wi-Fi networks, or via LAN.
The program "Home media server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)" for setting up a DLNA server.

You can do without third-party programs and configure everything using standard ones using Windows. I wrote about how to do this in the article.

In fact, a server launched in this way will be able to see absolutely any TV: Philips, Sony, LG, Samsung, etc. Sony, by the way, already has models on Android TV. So, the instructions for them should also be suitable. Unless access may differ before viewing the contents of the DLNA server on the TV itself.

Setting up a DLNA server for a TV using the Home Media Server program

First, download and install the program "Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)". I recommend downloading it from the official website: https://www.homemediaserver.ru/index.htm. Click on the button Download opposite the EXE version. The file size is approximately 35 MB.

Save the file, then run it and follow the instructions to install the program.

Launch the program using a shortcut on your desktop or from the Start menu. First of all, we need to configure access to files on the computer. We can open for TV only specific folders, all local drives, or even removable media.

In the program window, click on the button at the top Settings. We are interested in the first tab, Media Resources. There will already be three folders open there. These are standard. To open access to all local drives on your computer, check the box next to Local disks. To open access to removable drives, check the box next to Removable drives.

If you want to open, for example, only one local drive or folder, then do not check these boxes, but click on the button Add. And in Explorer, select the drive or folder that you want to open for viewing on your TV. The folder will appear in the list. You can delete a folder by simply highlighting it and pressing the button Delete.

I think the meaning is clear. You can open only one folder, which contains, for example, your movies. And you can open all disks. I recommend checking the box next to Local disks. Then, the My Computer folder will be displayed on the TV, in which you can view all files.

At this point, the setup can be completed by pressing the button Ok. If you want, you can also go to the tab on the side Server, and change the name of your DLNA server. It will be displayed on the TV.

Click the button Ok to exit the settings.

To start the DLNA server, click the button Launch.

If your TV is turned on and connected to the router, then in the program window, open the tab Playback devices (DMR), you will see your TV. This means everything is fine. If the TV does not appear, then check the connection, and see the tips at the end of this article.

The program can be minimized. You can proceed to setting up DLNA on your TV.

Watch DLNA movies on your Philips TV from your computer

Press on the remote control remote control button SOURCES.

On the menu Sources choose Network (media). Or run the program Media from the Android TV menu.

Select the server running on your computer from the list.

If you have opened all local drives, then you will have a My Computer folder. Select it, all the disks will be there. You can open the desired folders and start watching movies, photos, or playing music from them. If you open one of standard folders: Movies, Photos, or Music, then all available content will be there, sorted into different categories. To view content by folder, select Media Resource Catalogs.

Select the folder with your movies and simply start watching the desired file.

That's all the setup. We got it from TV full access to videos, photos and music that are on your computer. The program "Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)" will prevent your computer from falling asleep and interrupting movie playback. You can also control viewing from the program itself on your computer. There are a lot of settings and possibilities there, I think you’ll figure it out.

Why is the DLNA server (files) not displayed on the TV?

The most common problem when setting up such a scheme is the lack of a running server on the TV. When files are from a computer, they simply do not appear.

In such situations, the first thing you should always do is check the connection of the TV and laptop to Wi-Fi, or the connection via cable. Perhaps one of the devices simply turned off. Turn off and on the TV. You can also restart your computer and start the server again. You can also try disabling the antivirus, which may be blocking the TV connection.

If a DLNA movie plays with delays, it's glitchy

In such cases, you most likely started watching a very difficult movie. And the router cannot cope with transmitting information. Typically, this problem appears on cheap routers and when connected via Wi-Fi. Large movies, in high quality, that do not want to be played via DLNA, are better watched from a USB drive or hard drive.

If, when opening a video, the TV says "Format not supported"

There are times when the TV does not want to play a video file. Most likely, the standard player simply does not support the format, there is no codec. In this case, if you have a TV on Android TV, then from Google Play Store you can install VLC player. It can also play files from a local network. And most likely, it will play videos that were not opened by the standard player.

Many people have probably heard about DLNA technology, and some are already using its capabilities. DLNA technology implemented in the operating room Windows system, so everything is DLNA compatible devices can interact with a computer. Samsung (AllShare) and LG (SmartShare) proprietary technologies are implemented precisely on the basis of DLNA. What is DLNA and how can this technology be useful to you?

The following briefly describes how to use the functions and DLNA capabilities when watching videos and photos, listening to music from a computer and other devices with DLNA support on other video/audio equipment, which may have a better screen and speaker system.

How does DLNA work?

The initiators of the creation of the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) standard, which allows connecting various multimedia devices as part of home network, performed; Intel, Sony, Microsoft, Nokia, Philips, etc. Today, DLNA is supported by more than 230 manufacturers.

A local network is used as a medium for transmitting media content, which becomes a home multimedia network. Device connections can be wired (Ethernet) or wireless (Wi-Fi). The DLNA standard allows connected devices to automatically configure themselves and stream media content for viewing and listening. Sometimes this will require you to install and configure additional software. The visual center of such a media network, as a rule, becomes a large flat-panel TV.

For example, you can organize a transfer:

from computer to TV
from smartphone to music center
from network storage to a tablet computer.

The possibilities of devices that support DLNA technology are endless. You can post a selection of new photos on network storage, with the ability to be viewed by all family members on TV screens, smartphones, tablet computers. You can watch a movie recorded on the hard drive of your home computer in the bedroom.

Most new TVs support DLNA, incl. all smart models that can also access the Internet. If your TV does not support it, there is no big problem. You can purchase a DLNA-supporting media player or Blu-ray player, which will further expand the capabilities of your media network, often having more advanced codecs than those built into the TV.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, manufacturers may indicate device compatibility with this technology in different ways:

AllShare (Samsung)
SmartShare (LG)
Simple Share (Philips)
AirPlay (Apple's DLNA version).

Network creation

Before you start practical solution The problem you need to understand is that there are two types of DLNA devices. One of them is called a server and acts as a transmitter, the other type is a client, it receives a streaming signal. Network attached storage (NAS) with DLNA support can only act as a server, a TV can only be a client, but computers, smartphones and tablets, depending on the situation, can become servers or clients. To transmit a streaming signal from the server, you must install the appropriate software if it is not pre-installed by the manufacturer. Like, for example, on a DLNA-enabled TV or network storage. Installed software can be free or paid.

How to set up a DLNA server

Install, if necessary, a DLNA application. Select (or, as they often say, “share” from the English share) movies, music and other files that will be available to other devices on the network. If the files are stored on the computer's hard drive, they will have to be placed in the appropriate Windows Libraries(Video, Images, Music) on drive “C”. A TV connected to the network will look for them there.

When you turn on the TV for the first time, it must find paths to DLNA servers. In order to subsequently connect to select the material the viewer needs. If you cannot find the DLNA server, try using other software on the server. To start the automatic search function, you need to select the corresponding item in the TV system menu. Sometimes this function can be placed on one of the remote control buttons.

As software application on the server you can use: Plex, Twonky, TVersity, PS3 Media Player.

There are several popular DLNA applications For mobile devices on Android based And Apple iOS: UPnPlay, Twonky, Plex, AirPlayer.

Disadvantages and Limitations

Based on the unified DLNA standard, each manufacturer develops its own version of the technology, so there may be inconsistencies in certain options configurations. So, the following possible problems can be noted.

HD video support may not be available on some devices.

Not all codec types are supported by video and audio devices. There are the most popular ones, which include mpeg2, mpeg4, avi, wmv, DivX.

A wireless connection does not always allow you to transmit a high-quality video stream without delay; in this case, you will have to connect via cable.

Open standards, which include DLNA, are a great thing, but the consequence can be an incompatibility problem. Therefore, use software recommended by DLNA TV manufacturers for the server. So for Sony is better PS3 Media Server is fine, LG recommends Plex, Samsung TVs love their own software.

In this article, I want to once again talk about how to create on a computer (laptop, netbook) DLNA server. This will allow you to watch movies and photos on your TV, as well as listen to music that is on your computer.

You just need to connect the TV to your computer via a network cable, or simply to one network, start a DLNA server on your computer and start watching a movie or photo.

But, as it turned out in the end, with Smart app Share raises many problems. Either it doesn’t start, then it displays various errors, or closes on its own. You can read about this in the comments that visitors left on the article, the link to which is above.

There is a very good and absolutely free program “Home media server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)”, which is excellent analogue Smart Share from LG, or for example AllShare from Samsung.

“Home media server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” is something like this universal program, with which you can launch a DLNA server and connect to it from almost any TV that supports DLNA technology (and if your TV has Wi-Fi or a network connector, then it most likely supports this technology). In principle, a DLNA client can be not only a TV, but for example a game console.

This instruction is suitable for TVs from different manufacturers: LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, etc. Compared to branded applications such as Smart Share, “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” has a large number of settings.

We will not delve into all the nuances, but will only consider how to open shared access to the necessary folders or drives. How to create a server and how to start watching a movie using DLNA technology on your TV.

Connecting a TV to use DLNA technology

Before we start setting up the program, we need to connect the TV to a computer or laptop. If you already have everything connected, for example through a router, then you can move on to the next step.

We need to connect the laptop and TV to the network. If you have a router installed at home, then just connect your computer to this router, via cable or via Wi-Fi, it doesn’t matter. And you need to connect the TV to the same router. You can connect your TV the same way, or via Wi-Fi (see connection instructions ) .

Our task is to ensure that the TV and computer (in my case laptop), were connected to the same router. I have a TV connected to my router via Wi-Fi LG 32LN575U and laptop Asus K56CM. This instruction will be based on their example.

What to do if you don't have a router?

In this case, you can connect the computer to the TV via a network cable directly. Just take the required length of network cable (it can be crimped at almost any computer store), and connect the TV to the computer.

It looks something like this:

Connecting this way should work fine. But my TV refused to see the server created on the laptop. But, in the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program, the TV was displayed and I could start viewing photos from the laptop itself, and the photo appeared on the TV.

She also has an idea on how to connect them without a cable and without a router. But I’m not sure what will work and this method is only suitable for TVs that have the ability to connect to Wi-Fi.

You can try to create a computer-to-computer connection on a laptop, which I wrote about in the article ““. Then, connect the TV to the created access point and try to access files on the computer.

I think we have sorted out the connection. Let's move on to setting up the server.

Setting up the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program

First, we need to download and install the program itself. I recommend downloading from the official website: . There is always a new version and it is safer.

Save the archive to your computer. To install, simply run the setup.exe file, which is located in the archive. I will not describe the entire installation process, it is simple. Follow the instructions.

After installation, launch the program with a shortcut on the desktop.

Let's go straight to the program settings. We won't do anything special there. We will simply indicate local disks, flash drives, external HDD and, or folders, the contents of which we want to see on the TV. For example, you can open only a few folders with movies, photos and music.

A settings window will open. In the first category, Media resources, we need to indicate which drives or folders we want to see on the TV. By default, standard folders with photos, videos and music are open there.

The program is trying to sort everything. And in order not to get confused in all these folders on the TV, I advise you to open shared access to local disks. By default, if I'm not mistaken, access to them is already open. Check if the checkbox next to Local disks.

If installed, this means that you can open any file on your TV that is stored on these local drives (drives C, D, E, etc.).

You can also specify separate folders, or for example external hard disk. To do this, click on the button on the right Add, and select the desired folder, flash drive, or hard drive in Explorer.

We can see which folders and drives we have opened access to. We can delete selected folders. These are the basic settings, if you look, there are a lot of settings there, I won’t go through them all. To save, click on the button Ok, and agree to scan media resources.

We wait while the program scans the folders and disk. Next, you can start the DLNA server itself. To do this, simply click on the “ Launch“.

We see a message stating that the server is running.

Now, just turn on the TV. If everything is connected correctly, it should appear in the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program. To do this, go to the tab Playback devices (DMR), and on the right, click the button Update.

If our TV appears, then everything is fine. You can try to start viewing photos directly from the program.

If the TV does not appear in the program, and the server we created is also not visible on the TV, then first of all, check the connection. Is the TV connected to the network and is the laptop connected.

Then, completely disable antiviruses and firewalls. They can block access to the server.

To do this, in the main program window (above), select one of the tabs: movies, music, or photos.

In the left window, media content will appear that is located in those folders and drives to which we have opened access. Click right click mouse, for example on a photo, and select “Play on“, then select our TV.

The photo should immediately appear on the TV screen.

In the same way, you can start playing video and music. This means that we can start playback on the TV screen from the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program.

But this is not always convenient. It's much better to go through the TV and open necessary files. To do this, leave the server running. You can hide the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program. Click on the red cross (close the program), and it will hide in the notification panel.

At the same time, the server will work and you will be able to access your computer from the TV.

We start viewing files via DLNA from the TV

This means the server is running on the computer, files are open for viewing.

Now, on the TV, we need to go into the program that is responsible for working with DLNA technology. For example, in LG, this is Smart Share. On other TVs, this application may be called differently.

For example, to launch Smart Share in LG, go to Smart TV (blue button on the remote control) and select Smart Share. If your TV does not have Smart TV, but does have DLNA, the process may be different.

Open the folder My computer, and we see our local drives there, and other folders to which we have opened access.

Afterword

“Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” is actually a very cool program, with a lot of settings. We only considered opening file sharing and starting the server. When I started watching a movie through the Smart Share program, the laptop went into sleep mode and playback was interrupted. “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” has a lock that prevents the computer from going to sleep when it is being used as a server.

I hope everything worked out for you and you are now watching your favorite movies on the big screen TV using DLNA technology.

If something doesn’t work out, write in the comments, we’ll try to figure it out.

Also on the site:

We configure the DLNA server using the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program. View files from your computer on your TV updated: February 7, 2018 by: admin

This is possible when connecting the TV and computer to the same network, or when connecting directly. After that, all that remains is to launch DLNA and watch the desired movie or photo. This is quite convenient, because it is much more pleasant to show a large company photos, videos, or make a presentation on the big screen.

There are many different programs that allow you to do this. Among them, it is often recommended. And indeed this application has shown itself well in practice. Therefore, in today's article, we will show an example using this particular program.

This home media server is quite universal and is capable of running a DLNA server that is compatible with any TV (and indeed with many devices, for example, game consoles) that can work using this technology. If your TV is capable of connecting wirelessly, or has a connector for connecting network cable, then there is a high probability that it supports DLNA. In general, the program itself has a lot different settings, That's why standard applications, for TVs, are very much inferior to it.

Today’s article itself will be useful to owners of TVs from almost any manufacturer. After all, as already noted, a home media server is third party program, which has great functionality and wide capabilities, which allows it to work with any equipment. And it's also free.

Today we will look in detail only at ways to give TV access to the necessary folders on a computer, instructions on how to create a server and watch movies using it.

For reference, the TV used in this example is an LG 32LN575U, ASUS router RT-N13U and ASUS laptop R56CM.

Establishing a connection between the TV and computer

As you already understood, in order to be able to watch video from a computer through a TV, you need to establish a connection between these two devices. If you have them already connected to each other, then you can skip this step and proceed to the next one.

Well, if your TV is not yet connected to your PC, then you can do this through a router. Thus, without unnecessary hassles, you can connect the TV itself to your computer via Wi-Fi. Another TV can be connected using a router. The most important thing is that both devices work with the same router.

In case there is no home Wi-Fi

When you don’t have a router, and therefore don’t have a wireless network at home, you can connect your TV to your laptop using a network cable directly.

It will look like this:

This connection method is quite reliable, so there should not be any problems here. The downside is the presence of a cable that connects these two devices. Even if the TV does not see such a connection, you can still play multimedia files through the Home Media Server program.

It is quite possible that it is possible to actually connect a TV to a computer. But we have not yet begun to check this and look for ways to implement such an idea. Most likely, you can do this using your laptop as a router.

Having connected the computer to the TV, we proceed to the settings for the DLNA server.

Setting up “Home Media Server”

Of course, first of all, we need the program itself. You can download it from the official resource https://www.homemediaserver.ru/index.htm and then install it. On the developers website, click on the download button.

After this, save the archive with the program to your PC. After which, it must be unpacked. There will be a “setup” file, run it and follow the instructions to install the application. When the program is installed, a shortcut will appear on your desktop. Start Home Media Server.

Now we will specify in the settings all types of multimedia files and folders that will be available for viewing on the TV. We go into settings, at the top of the program window there is a corresponding button.

In the settings window, go to the media resources tab. Several standard folders with music, pictures and videos will already be indicated there. Here we can add our own and edit the type of files that will be displayed on the TV.

In order not to rummage through folders too much, looking for the desired video or photos, it is better to open access to local disks. Check the box next to the appropriate item (or make sure it is there).

Activating this option will provide the ability to access from the TV any files that are on all local drives.

In order to add separate directories with files or, for example external HDD, on the right click on the “Add” button. Then find the desired folder, or an external device and select it.

The plate in the center displays all the folders that are accessible to the TV. This shows the type of files that can be viewed in these directories. In general, this is the main setting necessary for us, but the program has many other useful parameters that can be configured.

After you're done, you'll need to save these settings. Click on the “OK” button and agree to scan the directories.

The program will scan the selected directories for some time. After this, you can start starting the DLNA server. On top menu click on the start button. A message indicating that the server started successfully should appear.

We turn on our TV and open, on the computer, in the program, the tab with playback devices. In the right corner, click on the “Update” button. After this, the TV should appear in the list.

If this does not happen and the Home Media Server does not find anything and the connected devices are not shown on the TV itself, then you need to check the connection itself. Make sure your TV and PC are connected.

In some cases, the media server may be blocked antivirus programs and firewalls. In this case, add this application to the exceptions and try again.

If everything is successfully detected, you can start viewing media files. We'll start with photos. Select from the top menu desired type files in in this case this photo.

Next, in the central part of the window, you can select the desired directory and find suitable files in it. When will it be selected required photo, then just right-click on it and move the cursor to the “Play on” line and then select your TV.

This photo will instantly appear on the TV screen.

In the same way, you can launch and play videos and music. This is just one way to play files by running them from a media server. But this method is not very comfortable. In many cases, it is much more convenient to search for the necessary files on the TV itself and then launch them.

By the way, if the window running program close, it will be hidden in the notification panel.

But the server itself will not stop and will continue to work.

Opening files via TV

After the server is started, we return to our TV.

Typically, TVs have a special program that allows you to work with a DLNA server. In our case, this is Smart Share. But perhaps, in other examples, it could be a completely different program.

If you have a TV like in our case (LG), then you need to go to the Smart TV menu (click on blue button remote control) and then find and launch Smart Share. True, if, but it supports DLNA technology, then everything may be completely different.

Open the tab for connected devices. The server running on the computer should be displayed there.

What are DLNA and UPnP?

The Integrated Digital Network Consortium (DLNA) is a group of companies that have come together to create a common, open standard to connect devices. All devices that support DLNA can automatic mode, being on the same network, tune in to receive from each other and view content.

What types of devices support DLNA?

DLNA-compatible devices are TVs, Cell phones, PCs and laptops, music players, gaming consoles, such as Sony PlayStation 3, home media players, personal computers, Android phones, Blu-ray players, tablets, wireless printers, video cameras, flat screen TVs, routers and HiFi systems. First of all, make sure that your device has this support. All DLNA Certified devices have a logo or sticker indicating that the product has been tested to meet DLNA requirements and is capable of connecting to other certified devices. Next, the device must have a description of the type of digital content supported (for example, audio, video, photos), as well as the type of purpose (for example, server, printer, player, etc.). More detailed description accepted notation at the end of the article.

Currently, The Digital Living Network Alliance's membership list includes most of the major players in the market, such as Intel, HP, Motorola, HTC, Microsoft, Samsung, LG and Panasonic. These companies create products that work well with each other. Only Apple remained on the sidelines and developed its own standard - AirPlay. So if you have a device from the Apple family, you won’t be able to include it in your media network consisting of devices from other manufacturers.

How does DLNA media server work on Windows?

DLNA devices are designed to be interconnected. Each device is assigned its own class depending on its purpose. For example, any storage device belongs to the Digital Media Server class. These are mobile phones that store photos, music and videos in their memory. Any device that can receive and play digital content from another DLNA device will be a Digital Media Player. This is your TV that can play videos, music and photos from other devices.

To create a home media server, you will need at least one DLNA server to store the content (for example, a laptop or mobile phone) and one DLNA device to play it back, such as a TV.

DLNA devices connect and communicate with each other through a configured home network. The layout of this network is probably similar to your home Internet network. In reality, a router is the central point of communication in a network and is used to connect devices to each other.

Here's a short list of what you'll need:

TV with DLNA support
at least one DLNA digital media server such as file server, laptop or phone
router
one of three for connecting the receiver to the transmitter: Powerline adapters (for distributing the Internet via the power grid), Ethernet cables or wireless adapter to connect to your network.

Setting up a DLNA home media server on a Windows computer or laptop?

We have come close to the topic of setting up a home media server via DLNA. First of all, you need to connect a laptop and a TV that supports this technology (for example, Samsung with Smart TV) to the router. There are several ways to do this. This is discussed in detail in, but they are briefly listed below. Which one to choose is up to you, depending on how far the router is from your TV and other connected DLNA devices.

Ethernet cable
If your router is close to your TV, an Ethernet cable is the easiest way to connect them.
Simply connect one end of the cable to the TV's Ethernet port and the other to the router's port.
Wireless bridge
if you have wireless router, or the TV is quite far away, you should think about installing a wireless bridge to connect the TV to the router. The wireless bridge connects to the TV via an Ethernet port, and to the router via wireless communication. Or, if your TV supports WiFi via a built-in or external adapter, then connect it to the router directly.

Some wireless routers, such as those from Buffalo Technology, are DLNA certified and are specifically designed for a DLNA home network.

Via electrical network, without cables
A network using the electrical grid is great way set up a network throughout the house. Installation using your home's electrical network is simple and safe. Since existing wiring is used, cables are no longer required for connections within the DLNA network. Adapters for connecting to power socket produced by almost all manufacturers network equipment. They are called Powerline devices. Next, you simply connect the plug of the router, TV and other devices to the power outlet as usual, but now all your devices will form a DLNA network

Before you can transfer files from your computer, you must install the appropriate software on it. Among the options - Windows Media Player 11 or 12 (included in new Windows version 7) or VAIO Media Server (for TV from Sony), AllShare for Samsung, LG Smart Share, Home Media Server, etc. After installing the software, you can select files to transfer to the TV - photos, videos, music files, etc. How the transfer occurs depends on the software you're using, but typically it involves specifying a playlist, library, or files, or adding them to the appropriate folders.

Let's now look at the most popular programs, allowing you to stream files from your computer to other devices.

Windows Media Player

To set up Windows Media Player to transfer files from your laptop to your TV: the following actions:

SAMSUNG Allshare Software

You can download it here. More advanced compared to the previous program, but again only for Samsung. It is based on the *DLNA standard, and with its help you can share multimedia content not only on your TV, but also on many other devices that support the *DLNA standard: computers, tablets, camcorders, digital cameras, mobile phones, etc.

The operating procedure is as follows:

Now, for greater clarity, watch a video demonstrating how to work with these programs from Samsung.

Home Media Server - Home Media Server

This is another cool free program for organizing a full-featured media server from your computer, from which you can broadcast files to other devices included in local network- not only a TV, but also a tablet with Android OS, for example. Its advantage is that it is suitable for any TV that supports network connections, for example the same inexpensive LG. Download latest version Can .

Let's take a closer look at how to use the Home Media Server. After installing it, you will be asked several times to set the basic parameters - here we click “Cancel” everywhere, but we do nothing, since we will configure everything later.

We get to the main program window.

In addition to viewing files, this program also allows you to broadcast streaming broadcasts from the Internet to your TV. But we'll talk about this separately...

I hope that now it is clearer to all blog readers what a DLNA media server is and how to connect to it various devices. Well, after carefully studying all this information and competent implementation, you can build something like this:

By the way, the phone can also work as a server - but more on that in a separate article about. About the same, how to connect to home media server, you will learn .

For a snack, there are many more delicacies - the most popular questions with answers, a glossary of terms and visual videos on DLNA. And don’t forget to subscribe to blog news using the form below the article so you don’t miss the next article in the DLNA series. It will focus on the universal cross-platform media server Xbox Media Center (XBMC).

FAQ

Are all TVs DLNA certified?

No, not all TVs support DLNA. To make sure yours supports the DLNA network, look for the corresponding logo on it.

What should I do if my router is located a long distance from the TV?

There are two options if your router is located far from your TVA and other devices

DLNA: Connect via wireless bridge or electrical cable. This way you can connect your TV and devices to the router
DLNA wirelessly. This article describes detailed installation steps.

Is it possible to connect other devices to the DLNA server via WiFi?

Some DLNA devices have built-in WiFi functionality. The method of connecting via WiFi will depend on the device itself. You may need to enable WiFi or Network Sharing ( General access to files within the network) in order to connect to the router (and to the DLNA network).

My TV does not connect to the media server. What should I do?

Check the cable and connections between the TV and the router, and between the DLNA devices and the router.
Check your network settings on your TV. Connecting a TV to the network is described in detail in a separate article, the link to which I provided above.

Which devices support DLNA?

There are a number of devices that support DLNA. Visit the Integrated Digital Network Consortium (DLNA) website

My BRAVIA TV does not see some devices. What should I do?

If your BRAVIA TV does not find content on another device, there may be the following reasons:

Your TV or other DLNA device is not connected to the network.
The problem is with the router or the network.
The other device does not support DLNA or is not a Digital Media Server, in other words, it does not have memory to store files.
Your PC or laptop does not have the appropriate DLNA server software installed.
Depending on your network settings, you may need to disable the feature on your laptop. firewall. You should be aware of the risks associated with this activity. They are entirely your own responsibility. If you don't know what to do, seek professional help.

Which network setup method is better - cable or wireless?

It all depends on the distance of the network components and how desirable it is to have visible cables in the house. Cable network, however, may perform slightly better than wireless. A few more tips:

Try to avoid complex network setups with multiple subnets and hubs as this may impact the performance of your DLNA network.
If you want to be able to stream HD video files, we recommend using a network speed of at least 200 Mbps for more stable performance.
When choosing Ethernet cable choose Cat5e over Cat 5 as this will allow your network to develop more high speed work.

Can I rotate images when the TV is connected to a PC?

No, you cannot rotate images on the screen. You must rotate the image on your laptop or other device before it can be displayed on your TV screen.

Photos appear distorted on the TV screen. Why?

As you enlarge the photo, the image quality may deteriorate. For optimal quality, display photos at their native resolution, even if they don't fill the entire screen.

My photos don't fill the entire TV screen?

Images may not fill the entire screen. It depends on their resolution and format. For optimal image quality, do not change the native resolution.

What file types are supported by DLNA devices

It depends on the device itself. View your specific device's DLNA certificate
or visit the DLNA website. Depending on the network device, some files may be converted before
transmission. Below is a list of files that are typically supported by DLNA devices:

Images: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF
Audio: MP3, WAVE, AAC, AC-3, Ogg Vorbis, LPCM, AMR, WMA*
Video: AVI, FLV, MPEG2-PS, MPEG4, H.264 SD, WMV, WMA

Can I store files on my TV?

No, your BRAVIA TV is a DLNA media player. This means that it is capable of finding and playing files from DLNA media servers that contain content. Your DLNA-enabled BRAVIA TV guarantees an amazing audiovisual experience when watching movies and listening to music. In every sense, the TV is the best DLNA media player.

Do I need to install additional software on my PC or laptop to transfer files? Where can I find this software?

Yes, in order for your PC or laptop to transfer files within a DLNA network, software installation is required. In some cases, such as Windows Media Player 11, the required software is already installed. Below are programs that allow you to share files within a DLNA network that you can download for free: The connection between your DLNA device and your router may have been lost. Check cables and connections. To check the connection between your DLNA device and your TV, you can also run an automatic diagnostic test, which is different for each model.

Sometimes video quality when streaming wireless transmission quite low. Why?

Wireless quality network connection may vary depending on the distance between the bridge and the router, any interference in the room, and the quality of the wireless router itself. To improve picture quality, use a wireless router that supports 5GHz video streaming and place the router as close to wireless bridge.

DLNA Technology Conventions

When using DLNA connections, you can create a connection between any devices that work with this standard, and each of them can act in different roles. To refer to them precisely, a number of terms are used, which are described below.

The first group of device connections, which are used mainly in the home, is called HND (Home Network Devices)

	DMS (Digital Media Server) - media server. These are devices that are the source, that is, which contain the files that we want to watch on another device. This could be a computer with the special software listed above installed, or a NAS device that has DLNA support.
	DMP (Digital Media Player) - media player, or DLNA client. These are the devices that receive content from the media server and can either play it or transmit it to another device, acting as a media renderer. These are TVs game consoles, independent monitors, home theaters, etc.
	DMR (Digital Media Renderer) - media renderer. A device capable of playing content received through a media controller, which in turn transmits it from a media server. Usually the same ones that can do this are those listed above in media players.
	DMC (Digital Media Controller) - media controller. Allows you to find files on the media server and transfer it for playback on the media renderer. These are tablets, smartphones, digital cameras with support WiFi connections
	DMPr (Digital Media Printer) - devices that provide printing services for others - these are also printers. Media players (DMP) and media controllers (DMC) are capable of transmitting printed information to them.

Another group of devices - MHD (Mobile Handheld Devices) - are portable devices capable of transmitting and receiving content - mobile phones, tablets, smartphones, video cameras, cameras.

	M-DMS (Mobile Digital Media Server) - mobile media servers. Gadgets that are capable of distributing content stored on them to mobile players (M-DMP), media renderers (DMR) and printers (DMPr). these could be mobile phones or portable media players.
	M-DMP (Mobile Digital Media Player) is a mobile media player capable of playing video from servers - stationary and mobile (DMS and M-DMS). This role is played by phones, PDAs,
	M-DMU (Mobile Digital Media Uploader) are portable gadgets that can upload files to servers. For example, digital cameras, camcorders or phones.
	M-DMD (Mobile Digital Media Downloader) - portable devices, which can find and download media content from DMS and M-DMS servers (mobile phones and media players)
	M-DMC (Mobile Digital Media Controller) are portable media controllers that have the ability to find content on media servers and broadcast it to DMR media renderers - phones and PDAs.