UPnP (abbreviationUniversal Plug and Play – a set of network protocols published by the forum of the same name.
The UPnP Forum is an open association of industry representatives with the goal of developing standards for UPnP technology, the goal of which is to simplify the integration of smart devices, initially at the level of home and subsequently corporate networks.
UPnP is based on standards and technologies such as TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP, XML and ensures automatic connection establishment between similar devices and their collaboration on the network.
In this case, in order to give access, for example, to the resources of an FTP server located on a PC, you need to perform a port forwarding operation on the router and assign a static IP address to the computer.
Note! Using the UPnP function on the router, all port forwarding settings are carried out automatically, so this method is suitable for people just starting to learn computers. The downside of UpnP is that it reduces the security level of your home network.
In most cases, the user receives a router with UpnP mode activated. Let's check the activation of this mode in the settings of our router.
To do this, write the IP address of your router in any available browser (usually this is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), enter your login and password.
TP-Link
Section “Forwarding”, subsection “UpnP” - “Status - Enabled”
D-Link
“Advanced” section, “Advanced Network” subsection, the “Enable UPnP” field is checked.
ASUS
“Internet” section, “Connection” tab - “Enable UpnP” checkbox is checked in the “Yes” field.
After UPnP mode has been enabled on the router, you must also enable it in the application that requires port forwarding.
For example, to enable UpnP in Skype you need to go to the section "Additionally", subsection "Compound" and check the box next to "Enable UpnP".
Creating a DLNA home media server
DLNA- a technology that allows you to combine devices into a single digital network for the purpose of receiving/transmitting and viewing various media content online.
In practice, it looks like this: there is a computer with a larger capacity hard drive on which photos, films, audio recordings and other media content are stored. 
What if you want to watch one of the movies not on your PC screen, but on a large TV?
Or you have friends over and you want to show your vacation photos either on the big TV screen or on your phone because you don’t want to go into the house.
What if each family member wants to watch their media files on their personal device (phone, tablet)?
The problem is solved by creating a PC-based media server and combining all devices into a single network using a router.
Draw your attention to that routers that support the 802.11N standard (data transfer speeds up to 300 Mb/s) do not always cope with transmitting large volumes of high-quality video streaming over Wi-Fi and fading occurs on the TV screen.
Download and install the program.
After installation is complete, you should indicate from which directory and what type of content will be broadcast to the network (the “Add” button on the right panel of the program).
The selection is made by placing green dots next to the corresponding directories and content type.
To add resources located on network or removable drives, you must check the appropriate boxes at the bottom of the window.
If necessary, you can add the program to startup and install the service "Home Media Server", this will allow the program to start automatically after turning on the computer.
To start the DLNA server, click the “Launch” button in the top panel of the program, after which you need to turn on the TV.
To launch the content, right-click on the file and select from the context menu "Play on..." instead of three dots there will be your device (in our case, a TV).
DLNA - allows compatible devices such as a computer, TV, laptop, phone, tablet to transmit, receive or play various media content files. The function provides enormous opportunities for playing media content. A video file downloaded to a PC can be watched on the TV, and music downloaded to the phone can be listened to on the audio system. It is very comfortable. You just need to create a DLNA network.
How to create a DLNA network
There are many programs for setting up a DLNA home network, but you can simply use Windows' own tools.
Installation on windows 7:
- Go to the Start menu and select Control Panel.
The “Start” menu is located in the lower left corner of the monitor, in it you need to select “Control Panel”
- On the “All Control Panel Items” tab there is a “Home Group” item, click on it.
On the “Control Panel” tab, select “HomeGroup”, it is indicated by a red arrow
- A new window will open, in it go to the “Change additional sharing settings” tab.
The "Change advanced sharing settings" option is located on the "Home Group" tab
- Check the connections of all positions.
All positions on the “Change additional sharing settings” tab must be in the active position
- Return to the “Home Group” window; at the bottom of it there is an item “Create a home group”; click on it.
The Create HomeGroup button is at the bottom of the HomeGroup window.
- In the next window, enter the name you came up with for the DLNA server and click OK.
In the Streaming Media Options window, enter a server name and click OK.
- Write down the password that appears in the window, you can print it (it will be needed when adding other devices to the home group), click “Done”.
The password that appears in the window must be written down or printed
- In the HomeGroup window, click on Select media streaming options.
In the HomeGroup window, select Select media streaming options.
- A media server window will appear, in which you need to mark the types of content for which public access will be opened.
In the media server window, you must select the types of content that will be available to the homegroup
- Click "Next".
The DLNA Windows 7 server is connected. A “Network” icon will appear on the “Computer” tab; by clicking on it, you can see all connected devices. Having selected the desired device, click on it. All available media content files will open in the media player window, they can be viewed and transferred to other devices.
On Windows 10 everything is simpler; there is no need to create a “Home Group”.
Installation on windows 10:
- In the Control Panel Search window, type Streaming media options and open it.
In the search box, type "Media streaming options"
- In the open tab, click “Enable media streaming.”
In the Streaming Media Options window, enable media streaming
- On the next tab, in the “Name of multimedia library” section, write the name of your DLNA server a, click OK.
In the “Enable media streaming” window you need to enter the name of the future multimedia library
Write down the password you created and click the “Done” button.
After making the settings, you can access, view and play media content files contained in the folders on your computer from devices on your home network.
Equipment for building a home network with DLNA
To create a DLNA network, you will need a computer or laptop with a media server configured on it. Using a wired or wireless Wi-Fi connection, it connects to a router, which, in turn, distributes a signal to other devices.
DLNA network turns your home into a media center
Such devices can be: TVs, laptops, tablets, phones, stereo systems. If you don’t have a router, you can configure signal distribution directly from your computer, but in this case you will need a Wi-Fi adapter for your computer. The principle of building a DLNA home network is similar to the Internet.
In the end you will need:
- computer or laptop;
- Wi-Fi router or adapter;
- at least one other device that supports DLNA.
It is better to connect the TV to the computer via a cable connection. Wireless communication is convenient and modern, but when viewing powerful media content files, streaming data may be lost and, as a result, the TV may malfunction.
Connecting a DLNA-enabled TV to a wi-fi router
You can connect a TV to your DLNA home network; this step will make it possible to fully use the installed server. First of all, you need to connect the TV to your Wi-Fi router. You can do this in one of two ways.
Simply connect the TV and router with an Internet cable with LAN connectors:
The location of the LAN sockets on different TV models is different, but they are labeled everywhere and cannot be confused with outputs for other purposes.
You can connect your TV to your router via a wireless wi-fi network. New TV models, as a rule, already have a built-in adapter. If the model is older, you will have to use an external wi-fi adapter. It needs to be inserted into the USB connector of the TV, and the system itself will detect it and put it into operation.
The Wi-Fi adapter must be connected to the TV via a USB port
- Pick up the TV remote control and press the Menu key.
- In the menu that opens, click “Network”, then “Network Settings” and select “Wireless (General)”.
- In the list that opens, select yours and click “Next”.
- In the window that opens, enter the password for your home network.
- If everything is done correctly, the connection will be established.
Adding other DLNA-compatible devices to your home network
By setting up a DLNA server on your PC, you can connect other devices to your wi-fi router. Connecting to your home network, possibly via a wireless connection or via cable.
Laptop or other PC
To add a laptop to your home network, you need to configure its connection to the router. In the case of a wired connection, it is enough to connect the LAN connectors of it and the router. When connecting wirelessly, you need to pay attention to the bottom right corner of the monitor. There you will find an icon in the form of gray sticks of different heights.
The icon on the panel indicates that the laptop is currently disconnected from the Wi-Fi network
By clicking on it, you will go to the network connection settings menu; all networks with connection capabilities are displayed here. Select the desired network, click the mouse.
On the Sharing Center tab, connect desired network wi-fi
If the network does not have a password, the connection will occur automatically. Otherwise, a window will pop up in which you must enter a password.
Enter your home network password and click “Done.”
Video: how to connect a laptop to a wi-fi network
Before you can transfer media content to other devices, you need to configure the media server.
To add a laptop to your home network you need:
Media player
To integrate a media player into your home network, simply connect it to your router. The player automatically connects found DLNA resources. It is enough to open shared access to folders for homegroup devices on the device acting as a media server.
Setting up DLNA on your TV
TVs connected to the home network automatically find the server and folders with content allowed for viewing. On LG TVs, folders of available media servers appear alongside pre-installed programs and features.
There are many alternative programs for creating a media server. The LG TV comes with a disk with a program called Smart Share, which can also be downloaded on the Internet. This program allows you to create a media server without using Windows tools. Just download it to your computer, click on its launch shortcut and wait for the installation to complete.
A folder with the Smart Share logo will appear in the TV's programs and connections panel. On your computer, in the program settings window, you can assign folders for playing content. You can view photos and videos located in these folders on your TV.
Smart Share good program for those who are too lazy to delve into the windows settings. It loads the system quite heavily. Even with the TV turned off, on a weak computer, its presence can be felt. For some reason, it does not always update the folder with added files. Sometimes you have to do this manually. It is better to set up a normal server using Windows.
There is a universal program that allows you to connect any TV that supports DLNA to a computer. It's called Home Media Server.
Video: instructions for installing and configuring the Home Media Server program
Using DLNA on Android OS
To use your Android device, you first need to connect it to your router:
- To do this, go into the settings and switch the wi-fi connection slider to the “on” position.
When the wi-fi function is turned on, the slider is in the “on” position
- Next you need to go to the wi-fi settings.
- You will see a list of currently available networks.
In the Wi-Fi settings of your Android OS device, select the desired network
- Select the one you need and enter the network password.
- After some time the connection will occur.
In the wi-fi settings you can see information about the network to which the Android device is connected
Devices running Android OS have great functionality; with their help, you can not only view files with media content, but also allow you to transfer them to other devices. On the Play Market you can download a program that will significantly expand the capabilities of your smartphone or tablet. It's called DLNA server.
Download the program and install it on your phone, then follow these steps:
- Go to the program and click “Add > DLNA Server”, this way you create a DLNA server.
The program will help you create a server on an Android device
- On the next tab, you set the server name in the Server Name item; the port item remains the default.
In the Server Name item you need to specify a name for the server
- Go to the Roots tab, select and designate a folder with content intended for viewing.
By going to the TV menu you will find a new media server created on an Android device
Video slows down and other problems
Sometimes annoying interference and malfunctions interfere with watching your favorite movies and prevent you from appreciating all the benefits provided by using the DLNA network. See the table provided for possible problems and methods for solving them.
Table: errors that occur when playing media content and methods for eliminating them
| № | Errors and malfunctions. | Causes of errors and malfunctions. | Possible Solution. |
| 1 | Devices cannot discover the network. | The wi-fi router may have malfunctioned. | Try rebooting your wi-fi router. |
| 2 | Low data transfer speed on a wired connection. | The cable is damaged or poorly secured in the LAN connectors. | Check the integrity of the cable and the tightness of its fastening in the connectors. |
| 3 | The media server is unavailable. | Errors in the operation of the media server. | Reboot the media server. |
| 4 | Media device is not available. | Errors in the operation of the media device. | Reboot your media device. |
| 5 | The video is slow. | The data transfer speed is insufficient to watch the movie. | Temporarily stop watching the movie to download enough data to watch it. |
| 6 | The system stops watching movies and indicates the reason - insufficient disk space. | There is not enough space to store temporary files. | Choose lower quality videos with a smaller frame size. |
| 7 | A message appears - the movie format is not supported by the media device. | The media device does not support this movie format. | Find a movie in a supported format. |
Often the reason why the TV slows down when watching movies is easily eliminated small details. The main reason lies in unstable work media server. For normal operation, periodically optimize and clean the system. Don't overload your computer unnecessary programs.
Anyone can set up DLNA-enabled devices at home. It's not difficult at all. A TV connected to your home network gets a second wind. After spending half an hour connecting to the DLNA network, you can view any content from your devices on the big screen. Movies, photos, videos shot on your phone, now you can watch all this just by pressing a couple of buttons.
One of the characteristics that distinguishes some modern televisions from others is their degree of intelligence. In a figurative sense, of course. We are talking about the technological advantages of the so-called Smart TV. Conventional digital TVs, as a rule, can play the role of the TV itself, working in tandem with a receiver, play media content using the built-in player (alas, often with a limited list of readable formats), and also serve as a monitor for a computer, game or TV set-top box . Whereas Smart TV, they are also smart TVs, are able to participate to a greater extent in the chain of content reproduction as independent participants.
1. About media streaming and DLNA technology
Smart TVs are actually the same computers, because they have their own hardware capabilities, have their own software, can connect to wired and wireless networks. And the last thing is almost complete independence from source devices. The advantages of direct TV access to the Internet are obvious, but there are many of them with local access to a computer. Streaming media from a computer to TV is the TV's direct access to files on the computer. Streaming eliminates the fuss with flash drives and external hard drives. Files are transferred from the computer to the TV over the network. Without the participation of a computer, as long as it is simply turned on, without the participation of a smartphone, without the participation of set-top boxes and other source devices, all permitted material can be played using a TV - video, photos, music, any media files that such a TV can play.
DLNA technology allows devices on the same network to exchange media content. It is supported by many modern devices that can connect to the network - computers, tablets, smartphones, TV and game consoles, and, of course, Smart TV. For example, smart TVs from LG that support DLNA technology have a proprietary Smart Share application - a shell of this technology with a user interface. Applications from other Smart TV brands are called differently and, accordingly, have a different interface. In particular, on Samsung smart TVs the shell for DLNA technology is the standard AllShare application. And for Sony TVs, this is the Vaio Media Server application.
How to set up streaming media from a Windows computer - PC or laptop - to TV? We will examine this issue in detail below.
2. What do you need to set up streaming from a computer to TV?
To set up streaming from a computer to a TV, as mentioned, it is necessary that the latter supports the network. By the way, to stream media files, the Smart TV “status” for the TV is not required. The TV may not have super-functionality; it simply must support the network and allow the selection of a signal source with at least primitive standard functionality. Such a TV must have a built-in Wi-Fi module or an Ethernet network port. As a rule, modern Smart TVs provide both options - both a wired and a wireless network connection.
Both devices - the TV and the PC or laptop - must be connected to a single local network. When connected to a router (router), any devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs - are automatically combined into one small network. Of course, if you don’t have a router, you can get by by directly connecting the TV to your computer over the network. What you need to do this is to connect the network cable to the Ethernet ports of the devices. But in this case, if the computer has only one network port (one network card with one Ethernet port), you will have to constantly reconnect the cable from the TV and the cable from the Internet provider. It is not comfortable. A router must be in the house if there is a question of unlocking the potential of Smart TV. Well, a Wi-Fi router is a must-have if you use smartphones or tablets in the house.
The method of connecting the TV to the network - wired or wireless, if it provides both options, is not important.
The next condition for streaming is configured access using DLNA technology to the media library folders on the computer. On Windows, this can be done in several ways.
3. Setting up network access to computer files in Windows Media Player
A way to configure access to computer files in Windows without the need to install third-party software is to use the standard Windows Media Player.
On the Windows Media Player toolbar, click the “Stream” option and check the box next to:
- “Enable media streaming...”
After enabling this option, a system window with streaming parameters will open, where you can specify the name of the media library and flexibly configure the availability of media content for specific network devices: leave the preset resolution for some, and remove it for others.
The configured permissions will allow other devices to access files over the network only in the user profile folders. These are the “Video”, “Music”, “Pictures” folders, which are displayed in Windows Explorer along with disk partitions, drives and removable devices of the computer. If this is more than enough, you can start testing file playback on your TV using local applications that work with DLNA technology.
But storing files in user profile folders on the system drive is not a good idea both from the point of view of the availability of free space on drive C, and from the point of view of the safety of these files in case of a critical failure Windows operation. As a rule, media libraries of impressive size are stored on non-system partitions of the computer disk. Folders of such media libraries must be added in a separate step to the Windows Media Player library,
To make the contents of other computer folders available for streaming to the TV in the Windows Media Player window, click the “Arrange” option, select “Manage Libraries”, and in it – one of the content types: “Music Library” for audio files, “Video” for video files , “Gallery” for photos and pictures.
A window will open with a list of existing libraries, and to add the desired folder to this list, click the “Add” button on the side. Add this folder in the Explorer window that opens, then click “Ok” in the list window.
Alternative way adding folders with media content to the system list of folders with public access for home network devices - adding to the library using the context menu command in Windows Explorer. At any time, any folder on your computer where videos, music or photos are stored can be accessed for playback from network devices. To do this, you need to open this folder in Explorer, call up the context menu and select the “Add to Library” command. The folder will be added to the appropriate library and its contents will be available for streaming.
The list of folders with video and audio files open for streaming will also change when changes are made to it using the standard Windows 10 Movies and TV and Groove Music applications. In the settings section of both applications, you can add and remove folders to local collections of video and audio files. Local application collections work in conjunction with system libraries.
4. Setting up network access to computer files using the LG Smart Share program
Some Smart TV brands have their own desktop software operating systems, through which you can configure access to media files on your computer. These programs can be downloaded from the TV manufacturers' website or on the Internet. For example, to allow Samsung smart TVs to access computer content, the South Korean corporation created the Samsung Allshare program. And for LG TVs, the LG Smart Share Windows program for PC is available for free download on the company’s website. Let's take a closer look at it. On the LG website, select the version for Windows and download.
Installation of LG Smart Share is standard. After launching the program, you need to select any of the proposed content settings options – Movie, Photo, Music.
In the window that appears, access must be enabled. If it is disabled, set the switch to the “On” position.
Switch to the “My” tab shared files" Here you can allow access to files in the specified folders. Using a button in the form of a folder with a plus sign, you need to add any other folders with media content to the existing user profile folders. After adding, click the “Apply” button at the bottom, then “OK”.
Everything - now the content of all folders displayed in the “My Shared Files” tab of the program will be available for network devices, in particular for TV.
In the program settings tab just below - “My device settings” - you can change the computer name. Using this name, the computer will be identified on the network for other devices.
The LG Smart Share utility process will automatically start along with the Windows system, providing further access to your computer's media files.
To make sure that everything works as it should, launch the SmartShare application on the TV.
Go to the “Devices” section and select our media server.
Open any of the shared folders that contain media files.
Let's try to play the file.
5. Setting up network access to computer files using the Home Media Server program
Another way to provide TVs, set-top boxes, mobile and other devices that support the network and DLNA technology with access to your computer’s media content is the Windows program “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)”. The program works with many popular TVs: LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, Philips. Using this program, a DLNA server is launched on the computer, to which all network devices can connect. By default, the program allows you to manage server files from the TV - essentially, computer files.
The advantage of using the Home Media Server program over all of the above methods of providing access for streaming is that larger number features and greater customizability. The program provides various transcoders for video and audio files, which allows you to convert media content, if it initially exists on the computer in a format not supported by the TV, into a format that is supported by it. You can additionally configure the broadcast of individual Internet channels (radio and digital television) on your TV.
“Home Media Server” can be downloaded absolutely free on the creators’ website.
Download the program, install it and run it. Upon startup, the initial settings window will immediately appear. You can leave everything as default and refuse to scan media files. Let's move on to the program settings in a separate order.
In the program window, click the “Settings” button on the toolbar at the top of the window.
In the settings window that opens, we will see the category tabs on the right. In the first tab “Media Resources”, using the “Add” button, we can add any folders with media content to the program list to give them access for streaming. Shared access can be opened immediately to all partitions of the computer disk (C, D, E, etc.), to all network drives, to all connected removable media. To do this, you need to check the boxes next to the required options at the bottom of the window - respectively, “Local drives”, “Network drives” and “Removable devices”.
The Media Resources settings tab provides many options for the added folders. For example, by clicking the “Change” button, we will be able to exclude hiding files and directories, remove individual types files, set a different folder name - and all this within the framework of the DLNA server, without changes on the computer.
At the bottom of the “Media Resources” tab there are separate sections with an abundance of different settings. In the “Scanning” section, you can pay attention to the option “Always use file name as the name of the media resource.” Without checking this option, the names of media files in Russian will be converted to transliterated Latin letters or unreadable crocodile.
In the “Devices” settings tab we will see a list of all detected network devices that will have access to DLNA server files. Any of the devices on the list can be disabled by removing the green activity button.
In the “Server” settings tab, instead of the default DLNA server name, we can set our own name, for example, more convenient for perception. Next to the server name field we will see its port - 45397. It may happen that the antivirus or firewall running on the computer will block the operation of the DLNA server. In case of such blocking, the DLNA server port must be granted permission to work in the antivirus or firewall settings.
Also in the “Server” tab, you need to pay attention to the default option that prevents the computer from going into sleep mode while the DLNA server is running. If it becomes necessary to put your PC or laptop into sleep mode, the DLNA server will need to be stopped in the future. If, on the contrary, the checkbox for the option “Prevent the computer from going into sleep mode while the server is running” is not checked for some reason, it is better to check it. Otherwise, watching a movie on TV will be unceremoniously interrupted as soon as the laptop goes to sleep to save battery power.
The Home Media Server program has a very rich selection of settings, and its potential can be revealed gradually, testing certain features as you become familiar with them. For now, let's limit ourselves to the settings already made and save them. Click “Ok” below and agree to scan media files in the configured folders.
After the program completes the scanning process, we can launch the DLNA server. To do this, click the “Launch” button on the toolbar at the top of the main program window.
Home Media Server runs in the background and can be controlled from the system tray. By calling the context menu on the program button in the system tray, the DLNA server can be stopped, started, or restarted.
You can automate this process so that the DLNA server starts automatically when Windows starts in the program settings. The last settings tab “Advanced” provides in the “Startup” column options for autoloading the program itself when Windows starts, autostarting the DLNA server when the program starts, as well as installing its background service in the Windows system.
Once the DLNA server is running, all available media content on the computer can be played on the TV through a local DLNA application. In the TV app, the DLNA server will appear as a connected playback device. Inside it, folders with computer media content configured in the Home Media Server program will be available.
You can launch available media content for playback not only in the TV application. You can also assign the Home Media Server program to start playing media files on your TV. To do this, in the main window of the program, select the appropriate content - click on the “Movies”, “Music” or “Photo” button on the toolbar at the top. The right side of the program window will display folder files that were previously accessed for broadcasting to the TV. Select the desired video, audio file or picture from the list, call the context menu on this file and select “Play to” among the commands. In the list of devices that appears, select the TV. The selected movie, track or photo will unfold on the TV screen.
6. "Bring to device" function Windows 8.1 and 10
The function of starting playback of media files on a computer with displaying images on a TV is also provided as part of the standard functionality in versions of Windows 8.1 and 10. If the Windows system allows playback of media files on the computer by network devices in the Windows Media player, as discussed above, a movie, audio track or photo You can launch it on your computer and continue watching or listening on your TV. This is a handy thing when you don’t particularly want to fiddle with the TV remote control and look for, for example, the desired movie among a bunch of other media files, killing your nerves with monotonous flipping through file after file.
To launch a media file on your computer, you need to open the context menu on it in Windows Explorer and select the “Bring to device” command. This is a command for Windows 10. In Windows 8.1, this context menu command is called “Play To”.
After this, we will see a list of network devices available for playback. Choose a TV. The launched file will unfold on the TV screen, and on the computer screen we will see a small Windows Media player window with a playlist where you can additionally add some files.
7. Bring to Device feature in Windows 10 Movies & TV app
The “Bring to Device” function available for media files in the Windows Explorer context menu is also implemented in the Windows 10 Movies & TV application. It works on the principle of launching a video file in an application on a computer and continuing to watch it on a network device, in particular, on a TV screen. Open the “Movies and TV” application, launch the video and in viewing mode, click the first button at the bottom – the button to connect to available playback devices. A list of all network devices defined for outputting the video file will appear in a small window. Choose a TV.
In the future, you can continue watching the movie again on your computer, in the “Movies and TV” application. This is a great idea for a home filled with digital technology that is connected into one network. For example, having started watching a movie on the TV screen in the living room, you can continue watching it on the kitchen TV screen. And then you can move back to the living room with the film. And to do this, you just need to pause for a couple of simple actions on the computer.
8. Conclusion
As you can see, the choice of ways to configure the computer part of the chain of interaction between the computer and the TV over the network is great. Despite the fact that the article turned out to be voluminous, in fact, not all programs on the software market for implementing multimedia streaming from a computer to a TV are considered. Setting up your TV is easier.
As mentioned above, your computer's media files can be accessed through local smart TV apps. And these are the above-mentioned Smart Share for LG TVs, AllShare for Samsung, Vaio Media Server for Sony and others. On regular network-enabled TVs, where the firmware does not provide separate applications, access to computer files can be configured by selecting a media server as the signal source. In many cases, the source button on the TV remote is called “Source”.
Have a great day!
Of course, you can simply connect your computer to the TV, but with the help of special solutions, access to multimedia files is possible from any device. There are apps for set-top boxes, smartphones, tablets, and web interfaces for everything else. You can even connect from anywhere in the world via the Internet.
From you - media collection
You can organize your own media server with the help of good free programs, but of course, for this venture to be successful, you must have a decent collection of your own media files. Your own server is an excellent solution for those who have a large selection of videos (including from DVDs) and music (including from CDs): you can enjoy watching and listening on any device, without depending on services like Netflix and Spotify. You can even look at photos - ideal if you have a large photo collection.
Plex or Media Browser: the choice is yours
Perhaps the two most popular solutions for creating your own media server are and. Both work on the same principle and involve installing a server program on a computer, laptop, NAS drive or special home server. You can also try (in the past XBMC), but this solution is more complicated and works a little differently.
Both Plex and Media Browser offer server software for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, and a variety of NAS servers. To create your own media server, you can use a regular computer, a separate server, or a ready-made NAS drive with support for server software.
Plex has client apps for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as support for Chromecast. In addition, you can connect to the server using mobile applications for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Windows 8. There is a web interface and a functional Plex application for PC, which is useful when connecting a computer to a TV.
Media Browser also has clients for Roku and some other set-top boxes, as well as support for Chromecast. Provided mobile applications for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Windows 8, and from a computer you can connect to the server via the web interface.
Both solutions are very similar in functionality, but Plex has a much wider selection of client applications (it supports PlayStation, Xbox and Fire TV). However, it comes at a cost: the Plex app for iOS costs $5, and installing the apps on Xbox and PlayStation requires a $5-per-month Plex Pass.
Media Browser and accompanying client applications are completely free - there are no subscription fees or in-app purchases. But Media Browser doesn't have PlayStation or Xbox support, even at extra cost. You will have to choose what is more important – economy or versatility. Better yet, try both to make your choice.
Install the server, applications - and start using
Installation will take just minutes, regardless of the solution you choose. Install Plex or Media Browser on the future server and specify the address of the folder with multimedia files in the settings. If desired, you can start account(this option is available in both Plex and Media Browser) – then it will be easier to log into client applications and connect to the server remotely via the Internet.
After setting up the server, install the applications on your set-top box, smartphone, tablet - and connect to your media collection. Everything is very easy here. And if you have a Chromecast, you don’t even need to install a special Plex or Media Browser application on your TV - just install the application on your smartphone and use it to stream multimedia directly to the Chromecast.
Of course, to use all these features you need the server itself on which the collection of files will be stored. If 24/7 availability of the collection is not required, you can install the server program on your regular computer or laptop and use media files only when it is turned on.
Or you can allocate a separate server for this, which will work constantly and even allow you to connect to the collection remotely via the Internet. It is not at all necessary to use a full-fledged powerful computer for this - a weak, compact NAS drive with a large hard drive for storing media files will do.
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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 using DLNA technology. This means that the TV can be connected to a computer via Wi-Fi. More precisely, the computer and TV must be connected to the same Wi-Fi router. By 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, simply excellent 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 show the example of Philips 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 standard means 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 only certain folders, all local drives, or even removable media for the TV.
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 the button on the remote control 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 the 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. From the TV we got full access to the 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 an Android TV, you can install VLC player from the Google Play Store. It can also play files from a local network. And most likely, it will play videos that were not opened by the standard player.
