• UPnP: what is it? Home media server UPnP DLNA. Installation and initial setup of DLNA Home Media Server (HMS) on Windows

    • DLNA - what is it and who needs it
    • Windows media server dlna,
    • A short overview of dlna server programs
    • Home media server - the best among equals, or a headache for the user
    • Setting up the server side
    • Alternative and development

    DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)– a set of technologies for displaying various types of media content in real time by devices united in one local network. Initially, several companies (Sony, Intel, Microsoft, Samsung Nokia, Matsushita, Philips, Hewlett-Packard) developed this standard and also united into a group to create devices compatible with this technology. At the moment, there are more than 200 manufacturers producing compatible equipment.

    home media server setup

    In simple terms, this is a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, TV and other “smart” equipment for viewing photos and video files, listening to music. Media content becomes common to every device on the local network. All gadgets must be on the same IP network and connected to each other either wired (Ethernet) or wirelessly (Wi-Fi).

    How to set up dlna

    All devices with dlna support are conventionally divided into two types: servers and media players. The former mainly store and provide others with access to content. The latter, for the most part, only reproduce the files the user needs. For example: a personal computer contains photographs; it can store and reproduce them both on its monitor and on the screen of a networked TV, tablet, or phone.

    The division is conditional because now many mobile electronics can both store and display content. For example, smartphones with special software installed may well act as a server.
    This technology is very useful for users with a large number of “smart” devices at home, as it allows you to store multimedia content in one place, rather than in the memory of each device. A very relevant feature for mobile devices that are significantly deprived of memory.

    Windows and dlna

    In the operating system from Microsoft, this technology appeared starting from version 7. However, it is hidden so deeply that it was quite difficult for the average user to find and configure it. In Windows 8, it became possible to use it to play video files on devices connected to the local network.

    This is done by right-clicking on the file and selecting Transfer to... from the menu.

    But before that, you still need to configure your home media server. In the “Control Panel” we find the “Home Group” item, in the window that appears, select “Create a home group”. Next, we will be asked to choose what type of file the homegroup can access.

    In the next window we need the item “Allow all devices on this network, such as TVs and game consoles, to play shared content”, after clicking on which you will need to come up with the name of the media server and enter it in the proposed window.

    At this point, the setup is almost complete and you can now play authorized files with dlna devices on your computer. For this purpose, each of them has certain points (AllShare, SmartShare...).

    A description of how to use them is included in the instructions for use.
    The software built into the system is easy to use and consumes less hardware resources. However, there is a high probability that the format of various types of multimedia files may not be understood by the player, since Windows transfers them as is. Third-party programs have been created to solve this problem.

    Overview of dlna server programs

    Of the many dlna media server programs, several stand out. They are all free, but provide additional features for a fee. All others are either highly specialized or simply provide information transfer on the local network and are an add-on to the Windows server. The programs listed below create a home non-Windows dlna server.

    Codi– a project that grew out of XMBS. Due to its cross-platform, it works on Windows, IOS, Linux, Android.

    It is a huge “media combine” that can find, transcode, download, and play a huge number of formats on the network. For this we are very much appreciated by users of TV set-top boxes.

    A very bulky home media server, initially difficult to configure, it has a minimal number of add-ons. Different elements are downloaded and installed for different functions. In this regard, it is quite difficult to set up, but it has large support and Russian-language support too.

    Plex– another multi-platform home media server. It has high-quality localization and a huge number of possibilities. But in this regard, it consumes a lot of system resources and is usually used for individual devices used as multimedia set-top boxes.

    H.M.S.– a program with a huge number of functions, absolutely free. The main difference is the transcoding of files on the fly for playback even by outdated devices. It works only in the Windows environment, consumes significantly less resources, and therefore can be installed on a regular home computer. We will consider setting up this program below.

    Server part of HMS (home media server)

    The program interface is simple and setting up the first launch takes place in a few clicks. Before setting up your TV, first click the “Settings” icon, and on the “Media Resources” tab, add folders that can be viewed by connected devices. Adding occurs by clicking on “+” on the right side. For each folder, you can select a file type, which later helps when searching for them. =>

    On the next tab “Devices” we add devices that are allowed to access files. It is very convenient to select the gadget type from a variety of presets at the top of the window. This includes a large number of game consoles, TVs from different manufacturers, smartphones and routers. As a result, the settings will change for each selected device. If you check the Add devices automatically checkbox, the program itself will determine the type of device and adapt to it.

    In the “Server” tab we only need to enter a name for the created server. The rest can be left empty, unless of course there are several networks and connections at home.
    The “Transcoder” item allows you to configure data transcoding so that any connected device reproduces the data, regardless of whether it supports it or not. The configured HMS processes the file in real time into a format supported by the TV.

    The remaining tabs will allow you to fine-tune the program, which most users will not need at the initial stage. Therefore, close the settings and click the “Launch” button at the top of the window. After which the media server will begin scanning accessible folders and create lists of files that the connected dlna device will see.

    In the main window of the program, you can also select the resource we need and use the right-click menu to transfer it to the player within the network. This is very convenient and there is no need to search for data using the dlna device itself.
    The program has great user support. On the official forum, problems in the operation of the software with various devices are thoroughly understood, which helps to configure any equipment.

    Setting up a client device

    The process of setting up equipment for playing multimedia files varies for each device and is usually indicated in the instructions for use. The same point on any device is to select a server, the name of which we came up with during setup. And a request to connect to the network, a positive response to which needs to be made only once, will be considered allowed by the server in the future.

    Alternative

    Recently, there has been rapid development of cloud technologies. There are more and more devices that have access to the Internet. And storing data on physical media is no longer so relevant. Of course, a collection of films of several hundred copies is difficult to fit into any cloud service. And to increase the amount of allocated space you will have to pay. This requires an unlimited Internet channel with high speed.

    Media resources are stored in the cloud, and access to it is provided to any device connected to the account. The advantage is that there is no need for a dlna server as a separate device. Simply put, you don’t need a constantly running hard drive with a large number of files. Access to files is available not only within the radius of the home local network, but also throughout the entire territory where there is access to the Internet.

    With the development of Internet technologies, the home dlna server, dlna is giving way to “cloud” data storage, leaving the former the opportunity for the time being to exist in apartments that do not strive for modern user technologies.

    In this article, you will learn how to set up the Home Media Server program, as well as how to access movies, music and photos located on your computer from your smart TV. If your TV supports network connection via Wi-Fi or LAN and supports real-time media content transmission via DLNA technology, then you should definitely take advantage of this.

    Of course, you can play music and videos from a flash drive, but before that you need to transfer all the information to it. In our case, you just need to give the TV access to any folder on your computer in which media content is stored.

    There are proprietary applications from TV manufacturers, for example, LG has Smart Share, and Samsung has AllShare. Often, applications from manufacturers leave much to be desired and do not provide the necessary functionality, which cannot be said about the wonderful Home Media Server program. By the way, you can connect to the created media server not only from a TV, but also from any other DLNA client, for example, from a game console.

    Before you start setting up your home media server, you need to connect your TV using the connection method available to you, usually LAN and Wi-Fi. It is most convenient to connect the TV to a router, but in extreme cases you can connect directly to a computer or laptop.

    Setting up a media server.

    If you still do not have Home Media Server installed, you can always download it from our catalog.

    After installing the program, open it and go to the menu "Settings".

    In the left part of the window that opens, select a category "Media resources", on the tab "Directory List" you must specify which drives (local, network, removable) and folders with media content will be available on the TV. By default, standard folders with photos, videos and music are already open.

    To add the necessary folders and drives, use the button "Add". In the Explorer window that opens, you just have to select the folders or drives to which you want to give access and click "OK".

    When adding or deleting folders or drives, it is necessary to scan media resource directories; usually the program itself requests permission to scan. This will keep the list of available files up to date.

    You can also set up automatic directory scanning. On the tab "Scanning" you need to check the two checkboxes shown in the screenshot below. Please note that checking the box opposite "Automatic scanning of directories when they change while the server is running" may slow down the speed of navigating through directories on the TV.

    Here we recommend checking the box before "Always use file name as media resource name", then in the list you will always see files with their own names, otherwise the TV will name the file based on its tags.

    In category "Devices" in the dropdown menu "Default device type" you need to choose the device that best matches yours. Depending on the selected device, the list of formats supported by the device will change.

    If you know that your TV supports more formats than are presented in the proposed list, then you can open the settings window by clicking on the corresponding button, and in the extensions fields "Movies", "Music" And "Photo" Specify the required formats separated by commas.

    In category "Additionally" you can set the program to start automatically and the server to start automatically when you turn on the computer. To do this, you need to check certain boxes indicated in the screenshot. It is also recommended to check the box opposite “Installing the Windows Home Media Server service (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)”, in this case the media server will run as a service.

    This completes the home media server setup.

    Now you need to launch it by clicking on the button "Launch".

    Now you can turn on the TV. If everything is connected correctly, the TV icon should appear at the bottom of the program window on the tab "Playback Devices (DMR)".

    If the TV does not appear, click on the button on the right side of the window "Update". If the TV icon does not appear, it means you have not connected the TV to your computer or home network correctly. Most often, in more than 90% of cases, the problem occurs due to incorrect settings of antiviruses and firewalls. Disable them, if the TV icon appears, then you need to configure them correctly.

    Viewing media resources.

    After setting up your home media server, you can start viewing shared content in two ways.

    The first, naturally, starts playing content from the TV, following the instructions for your device.

    Second, start playback directly from the Home Media Server itself. To begin, in the main program window you need to select the type of content to be played by clicking on the tab icons "Movies", "Music" or "Photo". Next, on the movie we need, for example, right-click and select "Play on" and select TV. At the same moment, the movie should start playing on the TV.

    The Home Media Server program actually provides a huge number of various settings and offers playback of not only videos, music and photos, but also Internet radio, as well as IPTV. In turn, we only looked at setting up a home media server to open access to files stored on the computer for playback on the TV.

    Somehow it happened that the tag DLNA server is more common in question posts than in answers. And if some user experience has been accumulated regarding installation on a home Windows PC, then deciding on the choice of software for a home server/NAS/media center turned out to be difficult. Distributed among sandboxes, people separately solve the problems of each program separately. But I personally failed to understand which of them is worth what and whether it is needed at all.

    And so, armed with a link from Wikipedia How to choose a DLNA server for Windows, Mac OS X or Linux, I tried almost everything that is available for Linux.

    DLNA - its place in the home network

    Probably the majority have already gone down this path - new media devices appear in the house, the number of family members consuming media content grows, and the database of films, music and photographs itself swells.
    At the same time, everyone builds media infrastructure in their own way. For some it is a computer with TV-OUT, for others it is a netbook or HTPC. Someone shares folders from a NAS via NFS, someone connects an HDD to a media player, someone uses the capabilities of Sony PS...
    Confusion appears in storage locations, formats, codecs, etc.
    So, in my case it turned out:
    • Plasma in the living room is better served at 720p than FullHD
    • It’s better not to feed a Sony TV in a child’s room connected via Wi-Fi more than 15Mbit/s, H.264 it needs a maximum of Profile 4.1, and it doesn’t see files on network storage at all
    • The Openbox satellite receiver cannot play audio tracks in DTS, it does not support more than 30Mbit/s via SMB, and it does not display Cyrillic via NFS.
    • Nokia Lumia and iPhone are generally limited everywhere
    In general, the only option to connect this entire menagerie with each other is to use a DLNA server.
    Theoretically, it will bring content from different places into one folder tree, and adjust the resolution and check codec compatibility and, if necessary, re-encode. Beauty…

    What to bet on

    Home computer- as a rule, this is a Windows machine. Watching a re-encoded film while someone else is playing will not work; There is no 24/7 mode at all. Not suitable for the role. That's why I didn't even consider the Windows versions of the programs.
    Router flashed with DD-WRT/OpenWRT- there are packages for these firmwares and they work. Hardware resources are very limited - transcoding is unrealistic, the speed of access to the USB port and network folders is very limited. Nevertheless, this suits many people.
    NAS or home server with Linux- the most universal solution. There are many programs. There are no protocol restrictions. The performance of x86 processors from 5 years ago (in my case, the Athlon X2-6000) is enough to simultaneously transcode two films of any format on the fly.

    Personal experience, program evaluation

    MiniDLNA, uShare and xupnpd
    These are different projects, but in essence they are the same thing. Lightweight and fast. The only function they perform is to provide network access to media files via the DLNA/UPnP protocol. The player or TV should be able to do everything else themselves. DLNA is not fully supported and many devices simply cannot be seen by these servers.
    Very massive. They work everywhere. Packages exist for all kinds of Linux distributions, routers with DD-WRT/OpenWRT firmware and NAS. The installation procedure is simple and well described on specialized forums. There are no GUIs
    If you, and only you (otherwise complaints from family members are inevitable):
    • watch/listen only from one omnivorous device (such as a Samsung TV)
    • Your device cannot directly retrieve files from network folders or is too slow to do so (such as a Sony Bravia TV)
    • store movies/music on an inexpensive NAS or router with a USB drive
    • select content in advance in the required format or take the time to re-encode it manually
    • media files are already well sorted into folders or this does not bother you at all
    - then you can limit yourself to such a DLNA server. Choose from them the one that is in the packages for your hardware and will be seen by the renderer.
    MediaTomb
    The developers clearly write that “this is not a DLNA server, it only supports part of its functions.” And although there may be some compatibility issues, this is quite a project worthy of attention.
    There is already a GUI running through the built-in http server - you can manage folders with content in it. Add new ones, create shortcuts to existing ones, set scanning intervals, etc.
    It is well distributed - there is no problem installing it on any Linux distribution, it does not entail heavy dependencies. Configured with a single text file. Very stable in operation, not resource intensive.
    Transcoding can be used, but it is implemented in a simple form. Thus, profiles are linked to the input file format, and not to the output device. The server does not distinguish at all who connected to it. Accordingly, there are no ready-made profiles for devices - everything needs to be configured manually:
    • which formats to transcode and which to transfer directly
    • set the encoder according to the situation: ffmpeg, vlc, mplayer or something else
    • set bitrate, number of audio channels, H.264 profile and other encoding options
    • apply a video filter such as crop or crop
    In my case, I had to write a separate script to set ffmpeg arguments based on the audio track format (DTS or AC3).
    At the same time, when viewing a transcoded stream on a TV, rewinding and selecting an audio track will not work. Attaching subtitles is also a separate matter.
    In general, MediaTomb is a very brutal tool for true Linux users. You can’t call it universal, but you can customize it perfectly to suit you and your hardware.
    Rygel
    Massive, available almost everywhere. But it is very crooked to put it in daemon mode (you need to write an init script yourself, create folders and a user). It is part of the gnome project and pulls gstreamer (or even pulseaudio). If anyone has KDE or something else on their computer, it’s completely inconvenient. Icons for videos are generated via tumbler from the XFCE project, and even then with nuances. Falls regularly.
    I didn’t get around to studying the features of transcoding. My verdict - " no good".
    PS3 Media Server
    A very old project. And although from its initial application: “Distribute movies/music from your home Windows PC to Sony PS,” the project has evolved greatly. But the JAVA code and the requirements for running the X server turned me away from it.
    XBMC
    It has a DLNA server. But keeping this combine for the sake of just one module is stupid.
    Moreover, it was from XBMC that a separate Plex media server project was born.
    Universal Media Server
    He's kind of crooked. Showed me the entire directory tree instead of the selected folder. I opened only a few files and regularly threw errors into the console. I haven't figured out transconding at all.
    Very heavy due to JAVA code. You definitely need a running X server - you can't make it a daemon. " No good."
    GMediaServer
    The project has been abandoned. Not worthy of attention.
    LXiMedia
    Simple and convenient implementation of a DLNA server. All you need to do is select folders with files, strictly set transcoding parameters, audio track, subtitles. No profiles, settings. Moreover, this is a GUI application, it cannot be installed as a daemon.
    In my opinion, it is useless in this form - one of many and far from the best.
    Serviio
    Perhaps the fastest growing project right now. Updated regularly. It is actively acquiring plugins, profiles and applications for mobile OS.
    It is a JAVA application running as a daemon. DLNA protocol support is complete. Quite skillfully scatters content into folders and categories. Can create previews for films. It is easy to connect different on-line broadcasting channels.
    Transcodes using ffmpeg. The database of device profiles is already quite large (and continues to grow) - the server correctly selects encoding parameters for any of the home hardware. What I didn’t recognize is that it’s not difficult to choose a profile or write your own.
    Due to the fact that ffmpeg is used - the same problem as in mediatomb - there is no rewinding in the transcoded stream and the audio track does not change.
    All this is controlled either from a JAVA client, or a web interface written in PHP, or a smartphone (there are applications for Android and WP).
    Unfortunately not available as a .deb or .rpm package. You need to install it manually: create folders, create a user, unpack it, get the init script from the support forum, add it to autorun." There is a ready-made package for Synology NAS.
    In general, it may well become a single point of access to media content at home. He can do everything you need.
    Skifta
    Not included in Linux repositories and therefore rare. But it has a graphical installer and carries jre with it, and therefore will fit on almost any system. It is inconvenient because it is launched in two steps - first the utility in SystemTray, then the media-server itself. Without X's it won't work as a demon. Very simple and concise, but heavily loads the system (JAVA code).
    TVMOBiLi
    Costs $30 (or subscription fee $1.5/month). Available as .deb and .rpm packages. It is quite difficult to install not in Ubuntu/Fedora - the built-in vlc and ffmpeg will probably find the missing libraries and refuse to work. I couldn't find USE flags for vlc in Gentoo. It didn’t work at all, I had to redo the profiles so that only ffmpeg would be used.
    Overall, transcoding profiles are its strong point. You can set any logic and any parameters.
    Controlled through a nice WEB-face. Has a rich database of transcoding profiles. It is possible to play files via the built-in http server. Can't generate thumbnails.
    It works quickly and beautifully. Good candidate.
    TwonkyServer
    Installed by unpacking tar.gz. or through the installer. It is not available in Linux repositories. Very fast code, instant launch, convenient web interface. Well and competently distributes content into folders. There are ready-made init scripts. Can extract meta data from files and generate thumbnails. I liked everything. One problem - $19.95.
    And yet: " I recommend".
    Plex
    As the developers write - “A complete Media Solution”. I confirm.
    This monster grew out of XBMC and can do everything and even more. Find movie posters, ratings and a bunch of data. The series will also be divided into seasons and episodes. The music collection can be organized from any source type.
    Transcoding makes everything possible. Settings can be controlled directly from the TV's OSD menu. For smart devices like LG Smart TVs and Apple TVs, support goes well beyond the DLNA protocol.
    There is support for its own cloud service, which allows you to watch home videos remotely - the server will adjust the parameters of the sent video to the capabilities of the device and communication channel.
    There are separately written clients for mobile OS and Windows 8 tiles.
    There are ready-made packages for Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS and mainstream NAS models. Under everything else - installed by simple unpacking. Of the dependencies, only Avahi-daemon is required.
    Unfortunately, the transcoding mechanism does not allow interference with the work - profiles can be corrected, but the possibilities are very limited.

    It is capable of solving any problems within the framework of the topic, while it is free, stable and, oddly enough, fast.

    I would really like someone to add to this list and/or make changes.

    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, there are many problems with the Smart Share application. Either it does not start, then it produces various errors, or it 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 an excellent analogue of Smart Share from LG, or for example AllShare from Samsung.

    “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” is a 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 drives, flash drives, external hard drives, or folders whose contents 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 drives. 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 individual folders, or, for example, an external hard drive. 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 (at the top), 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. Right-click on a photo, for example, 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 is much better to go through the TV and open the 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

    If you want to create a home entertainment network based on your TV and computer, which will provide all the capabilities for playing content of various formats, then you should be interested in learning how to set up a home media server. Let's learn how to install the server creation software and then see what features it provides to users.

    Connecting a computer and TV

    Before you start installing a home media server, you need to resolve the issue of connecting your computer to your TV. It is better to make a wired connection between devices using a LAN cable and a router. Of course, you can use a wireless connection, but then you become dependent on the antenna power and the presence/absence of obstacles.

    To avoid possible problems with playing movies in Full HD format, it is better to use a LAN cable, carefully laying it between the computer, router and TV.

    The router, of course, must be configured to access the network, otherwise no media server will work. If you have figured out the question of how to set up the Internet on Windows 7, then you can proceed directly to installing and configuring the program.

    Installing the program

    Download the program distribution package to begin installing it. It is better to download from the official website, since the current and verified version of the utility is located here. You can choose two types of download - as a *.exe file or in an archive format. There is no difference between them, so choose according to your taste.

    The installation process itself is extremely simple: you only need to specify the directory in which the application's executable files will be stored and decide whether to create a program shortcut on the desktop.

    After assigning installation parameters, click the “Install” button. Wait until the installation is complete to begin setting up the program.

    Setting up the program

    When you first launch the program, it should appear with initial settings where you need to select your media device.
    Depending on the type of hardware you specify, the Native Support field will display a comma-separated list of supported formats.

    If your TV can play some formats that are not in the “Built-in support” field, then check the “Custom device” checkbox. Manually write the formats supported by your equipment and click “Next” to move to the next settings window.

    In the “Media resource directories” window, you need to make directories or local and network drives visible to your device (“share”). By default, standard folders are open, but to avoid confusion with them, it is better to allow access to local drives. To perform this procedure, check the boxes of the drives that you want to make available through the media server and click the “Scan” button.

    You can also manually add directories or external media. To do this, click the “Add” button, select the directory you need and start the scanning process.

    After scanning local and removable drives, in the program interface you can see a complete list of audio, video and photos stored on your computer.

    Remember that the more multimedia information the program has to check, the longer it will take to start, so do not overdo it with the number of “shared” directories.

    The next setting item is backup settings. You can specify your path to store the backup used to restore program data, or leave everything as is.

    After clicking the “Run” button, the backup process will begin. You can specify which parameters you want to save in the backup file by checking them. After completing the data backup procedure, click the “Close” button.

    Starting the server

    After setting up all the important parameters, you can proceed directly to enabling the DLNA server on your computer. To do this, click on the “Launch” button - a message will appear on the screen that the start was successful.

    After starting the server, you need to turn on the TV. If the connection is established correctly, it will appear on the “Playback Devices” tab in the program. If the list is empty, update it using the special button on the right panel.

    Test the server by running files from your computer on your TV screen:


    If the Home Media Server program is configured correctly, the file you launched from your computer will appear on the TV screen. But opening media files from a computer is not always convenient, so you need to learn how to additionally run them directly on the TV.

    To prevent the program from disturbing you on your computer, close it by clicking on the red cross. The work of the home server will not be completed, since the application will not turn off completely, but will only be minimized to the system tray.

    Viewing files on TV

    After setting up the server on your computer, you can go to the TV and try to open “shared” folders through it. Different TV models connect to the created server in their own way. For example, LG devices have a built-in Smart Share app.

    Select the created home server as the signal source. If this item is not on the list, update the list of sources.

    Don't forget to configure your firewall by temporarily disabling it; otherwise, the firewall will block the TV's attempts to connect to the home server.

    After selecting the signal source, you will see a directory of folders, among which there will be directories “shared” on the computer. You can launch available files and watch them on your TV screen.

    Possible applications

    The Home Media Server program provides users with several interesting features that allow them to expand the functionality of a regular TV into a true home entertainment center.

    Interactive television

    To enjoy all the benefits of interactive broadcasting, you can set up Rostelecom television. But there is another option that allows you to do without concluding an additional agreement with the provider - download an interactive television playlist and launch it through your home media server.


    For IPTV to work, you need to install the VLC Player program. Installing this application will not be difficult even for a novice user, since the convenient installation wizard does everything automatically - all you have to do is click the “Next” button.

    The next step is to restart the home media server, which is done by clicking a special button on the top panel of the program.

    After this, you can go to the TV and select the “Internet Television” folder in the media server directory. If you downloaded the working playlist and installed it correctly, you will see a list of channels presented in it.

    Of course, this is not the most convenient option for playing interactive television, especially if the user has a Smart TV or has configured the IPTV function from the provider. However, if you have nothing but a home server, then using the “Home Media Server” program can be called the most adequate solution.

    If your TV does not support Smart TV, but you want to be able to watch online broadcasts, then you can delegate some smart TV functions to the Home Media Server program using installed podcasts.

    Podcasts in this case are files that allow you to directly launch online cinemas on your TV. For example, on the forum of the official website of the Home Media Server application, it is possible to download a podcast for playing and managing video files from the VKontakte social network.

    Download the desired podcast to your computer and drop it into the main program window, as you did with the interactive television playlist file.

    Expand the “Podcasts” section and select the application you downloaded for online broadcasting. Right-click on it and select “Update”.

    Wait for the update process to complete and go to your TV. Find the “Podcasts” folder and select the application downloaded through the media server inside it.

    Read more: