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Program for creating a dlna server. What is UPnP? Creating a home media server (DLNA) - installation instructions. Setting up network access to computer files using the Home Media Server program

As part of this article, I will write how to create home media-server for Windows 10. Creation DLNA servers will allow the media library located on the PC to be used by other devices. This is primarily useful for those who have a Smart TV.

What is a DLNA server?

DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a special protocol that allows compatible devices transmit and receive media traffic (video, music, photos) at home local network, and also broadcast it in real time.

If devices support this technology, at the user’s request, they can be configured and subsequently automatically combined into a single network.

What do you need to stream?

Advice! To play media content on another device (tablet, smartphone or smart TV), it is not necessary to set up a DLNA server, homegroup or share a folder. Use the function.

To operate a home media server in Windows 10, it is not necessary to share the folder for open access online. It may be on a public network (that is, network discovery is hidden), but streaming will still work.

To set up DLNA Windows server 10, you need:

The two devices must be on the same home local network (for example, connected to the same router). How these devices will be connected (via LAN or Wi-Fi) does not matter.
Make sure your Smart TV (or other device) is turned on and supports DLNA technology. On LG TVs it is called Smart Share, on Samsung - AllShare, on Philips - Simple Share.

Settings

There are several ways to set up a home media server:

using built-in Windows 10 tools;
using special programs.

Built-in Windows 10 tools

To turn on:

IN search bar Windows 10, search for “Media Streaming Options” and open the app found.
Click "Enable Media Streaming."
All devices that are on the network will have access to media files. If desired, some can be removed or configured.
By unchecking the “Use default settings” checkbox, you can set some filters that will be applicable for this device.
You can now access streaming media from your Music, Videos, and Pictures folders on your TV. To transfer video from anywhere to a broadcasting device, right-click on the file and context menu Select "Cast to device."
Windows media player will open, through which the search is carried out network device. The said content is then launched and streamed on the Smart TV.
A similar function is available in the Cinema and TV player. Depending on which player is selected as the “default”, that one will be used for streaming playback.

If you want to open the broadcast directly from the TV, place the media content in folders shared with your home network or add a new one. This can be done with using Windows Media Player:

Using programs

In fact, there are not many free and convenient programs with the necessary functionality. Among the programs for DLNA server I would like to note:

Overall, compared to the way you set up streaming in Windows 10, programs can be more finely tuned. They work with playlists, a variety of audio and video formats (including RAW), and have convenient sorting and navigation. The interface is easy to understand and should not cause any difficulties for you regular user.

Advice! If you are using a set-top box Android Box, you can also access media. For this, on Windows computer 10 . On Android, download ES Explorer, open “LAN” and click “Scan”. Select a device found on the local network and you will have access to the shared folder.

Today you will learn how to properly connect a TV to a computer and all the possibilities of such a connection, as well as how to organize viewing of your media library on Smart TV and other devices that support a home DLNA server.

What is DLNA?

The Integrated Digital Network Consortium (DLNA) is a group of companies that have come together to create a common, open standard for connecting devices so that all DLNA-enabled customers can automatic mode, being on the same network, receive from each other the opportunity to view media content.

What devices support DLNA?

DLNA technology is compatible with any devices:

smart TVs;
smartphones and tablets;
PCs and laptops;
media players and Blu-ray players;
game consoles;
home media servers (NAS);
wireless printers;
photo and video cameras;
audio systems.

All DLNA-enabled devices have a corresponding logo or sticker indicating the type of digital content supported (for example, audio, video, photos), as well as the purpose: server, printer, player, etc. Most devices from major manufacturers such as Intel, HP, Motorola, HTC, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, etc. support DLNA. Apple has developed its own standard - AirPlay. If you have an Apple device, then using it in your media network, consisting of clients from other manufacturers, is not possible.

How does the DLNA network work?

As you already understand, DLNA devices are designed for mutual connection: creating a multimedia network between themselves. Each device is assigned its own type depending on its purpose. For example, any storage device: smartphone, media player, TV or PC can belong to both the Digital Media Server and Digital Media Player types, because they are capable of both receiving and playing digital content from another DLNA device.

How to create a DLNA network?

Wireless router (or wi-fi router) is the central element in a network and is used to connect devices to each other in a shared home wireless network.

Equipment for building a home network with DLNA

You will need:

TV with DLNA support;
DLNA digital media server (for example, file server, PC, laptop or media player with HDD);
wi-fi router.

I will talk about building a DLNA network not only with a wireless connection, you can also use a wired method of connecting devices, instead of a wi-fi router, use a regular router (switch) to connect the file source (home server - DLNA server) with a display device (DLNA client). You can also use (to distribute the Internet via the power grid), in addition, you will need Ethernet cables to connect devices to your network.

How to set up a DLNA home media server?

1 Connect a DLNA-enabled TV to a wi-fi router (for example, Samsung with Smart TV).

Option 1 - wired connection. Connect using an Ethernet cable to the router. It is enough to connect one end of the cable to the LAN port of the TV, and the other to a free port of the router (or switch, depending on the structure of your network).

Option 2 – wireless connection . If you are using a wi-fi router ( wireless router), then just connect the TV to an existing wireless network via built-in or external (USB) wifi adapter, directly to the router. If the TV is very far from the router, then you can install a wireless bridge (use the router in Bridge mode or buy one) to connect the TV to the router. I also recommend reading the article about. The wireless bridge connects to the TV via the LAN port, and to the router via wi-fi point access.

Option 3 – connection using Powerline adapters. This type connection uses the power grid without laying Ethernet cables. This method will help you set up a home network using existing electrical wiring and cables for connecting DLNA clients will no longer be required. Powerline adapters are produced by almost all network equipment manufacturers: TP-Link, Netgear, D-Link, etc. 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 DLNA network.

2 Add other DLNA compatible devices to your home network

Now you can connect DLNA servers (devices from which you want to play files on your smart TV) to the router - PC, laptop, phone or media player. All servers will be displayed on the smart TV since they are on the same network and you can play the content that is stored on their media. Exist various ways settings for various types of devices on the DLNA network.

PCs and laptops on a DLNA network

Connect your computer or laptop to your router or router using any of the above options. Most important point in setting up DLNA on a PC or laptop: the need to install the appropriate program - media center (media shell). The most popular of them (each program has a link with information about it and settings):

Serviio

It is possible not to install media center applications to create a DLNA server, but use Windows Media Player 11 or 12. To use them as a DLNA server, you must allow access to files on your laptop or PC: open Windows Media Player, go to Options menu, then open the tab public access To Windows files Media and enable media sharing.

Kodi Media Center Interface Window

You can select a media shell to use as a DLNA server from the list above. After installing the program you like to create a media center (DLNA server), you should configure it and select files (photos, videos, music files) to transfer to a TV or other display device.

Mobile devices on the DLNA network

3 Setting up DLNA on your TV

Once you have connected all DLNA devices, turn on your TV and go to home screen your Smart TV (for example Samsung TV). Find and launch the AllShare app, which lets you find music, photos, and videos stored on DLNA devices on your network.

If you have a Sony TV (model before 2015), then you need to turn it on, press the “Home” button and turn on “Media Player”. Once you select the content type: music, photos or videos, you will be able to see the DLNA servers on your home network.

4 Using DLNA on Android OS

To watch videos from your computer on smartphones and tablets with operating system Android requires a special application to be installed. There are quite a few such applications; I can recommend MediaHouse or Bubble UPnP, which can be downloaded for free on Google Play.

After you install the application, you need to take a few simple steps:

select the source - your computer or other device with DLNA support and installed, from which you will watch the video;
select the receiver, that is, your Android OS device;
select a video from the list of available files.

In addition to universal applications, manufacturers mobile devices offer their own software with DLNA support. Samsung has AllShare, LG has SmartShare, etc.

Using DLNA-enabled apps on Android devices requires no setup. It is enough to launch a DLNA server (for example, Kodi on a computer), and it will immediately appear in the list of available connections in the application on your smartphone or tablet. Select your computer from the list, click “Browse” and specify the required folder. Don't forget that your smartphone can also act as a DLNA server.

I recently realized that televisions are still in the last century. If mobile gadgets and computers are becoming more convenient, faster and simpler, then the only thing that changes on TVs is the screen size and resolution. There’s no point in talking about convenience yet.

A TV without a media server on your computer or a special device is practically a useless thing, unless you like to hang out. Therefore, I have selected the 5 best media servers for a computer that will upgrade your TV and make it much more functional.

Plex

Plex is the most popular and perhaps convenient option. Having launched the server on your computer, you can manage it from a browser, set up a media library, add subtitles, etc. Plex downloads all the information about the movie automatically and does it perfectly in 9 cases out of 10. The TV sees the Plex server without any problems and plays everything perfectly. The only downside to Plex and other similar programs is that the TV does not see the subtitles built into the movie, but for most this does not matter.

Plex is free, but you'll need to buy a subscription for additional features.

Plex

I used this server for a very long time on an old TV. It works quite well and unlike Plex, HMS is a whole combine, the functionality of which knows no bounds. The only drawback will be the terrible interface of the program, but since it is needed to play movies on the TV, this will not be a big problem. The program is absolutely free and is only available in the Windows version.

Initially, PS3 Media Server was distributed as an add-on to the PlayStation 3, allowing you to play movies on your TV using the console. Then the program began to live a separate life. Like previous alternatives, it supports DLNA playback and requires no fiddling with setup.

Serviio is far from the most popular media server, but it also deserves a place in our top. The application is free, but for $25 you can buy a PRO version, which allows access to your content from any network, not just your home, and allows you to play content from the web (this function is provided as an introduction and in free version). Serviio has Android apps, but they act as a secondary control panel for the backend on the computer.

Kodi (formerly XBMC)

XBMC was created to bring video playback functionality to the Xbox. Then the project split off and now Kodi is one of the most popular media centers, supporting almost all platforms due to open source. Kodi has apps for iOS and Android that allow you to use your smartphone as a remote control. The service relies on donations and is absolutely free.

Kodi

For me, Plex is a clear favorite. What do you use?

Until recently, it was almost impossible to combine all digital devices and gadgets (smartphones, tablets) into one large media network, since their devices did not allow connecting to a local network. With development mobile market The need arose and the possibility of creating large multimedia servers at home was realized. Let's take a closer look at what a DLNA server is and how to configure it on Windows 7 and Windows 8.

What is DLNA?

DLNA is a special set of instructions (protocol) that will allow you to view media content located on the main server using various devices located on the same network. For example, a new movie located on your computer can be watched on your TV (only if you have the appropriate Smart TV function), tablet, phone or other gadget.

Why do you need a media server?

Placing such systems at home allows you to significantly save memory on all devices, create a unified media library and organize all files so that they are easy to find. Another significant advantage of DLNA is the large channel width, which will allow you to watch the same movies in full Full HD or UHD quality without waiting for the file to download. You will say that you can simply watch a video in this resolution online. Yes, this is true, but the video that is on the Internet undergoes additional compression and the quality is significantly lost. These are some of the few benefits that you will be able to evaluate for yourself after you set up such a system at home.

What do you need to set up a server at home?

To set up such DLNA servers you will need:

all united into a single network necessary devices(it doesn’t matter whether it’s a wired or wireless network);
personal computer with operating system Windows system 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 (note that version 7 of Windows OS must be at least “Home Premium”);
a little patience and minimal knowledge about the devices that you will connect (for example, new and old TVs with Smart TV have slight differences in setup and connection to networks).

Step-by-step instructions for setting up for Windows OS using built-in tools:

To create a DLNA server you must do the following:

So, go to the computer control panel and look for the “Network and Internet” item;
We look for the “Home Group” item and select the sub-item “Select home group settings and data sharing”:
Next, we need to combine all devices connected to the network into a home group. This association is necessary so that all units of the group can access the data located on the main storage medium (server). Therefore, in the next window, select “Create a home group”:
At the next stage, select the types of files (libraries) to which network access will be provided and click the “Next” button:
After performing these operations, a window will appear in which the setup program will issue an automatically generated password. You will need to write it down, since all devices that connect to a DLNA server on Windows OS will request this key.
Next, a settings window will pop up, in which we check the “shared” folders again and mark the item highlighted in the picture. Here you can change the password to a more memorable one, leave the homegroup, or, using the system, check for errors in the connection:
After checking the required item, go to the “Select media streaming options” sub-item. In the “name of multimedia library” field, enter the name of your DLNA server, and set all devices that are displayed in the list to “Allowed”:

ATTENTION! Allow access only to devices that belong to you, so that your files do not fall into the wrong hands!
We save all settings. This completes the setup of the DNLA server on your Windows 7, all that remains is to connect all the necessary devices and enjoy the media content.

Setting up DLNA using third-party programs

Above we looked at the setup method using the utility built into Windows 7, but to create DLNA on Windows 7 (8) you can also use third party programs. One of these programs is called “Home Media Server”.

All devices that have a DLNA module have been tested in advance and have a corresponding sticker on the case.

It is also necessary to have a description of the type of content supported; there is a DLNA server, printer or player, that is, the module allows you to transmit a certain type of content - images, signals, sound.

All these devices can be freely connected to each other, depending on their purpose, the equipment has its own class. The following classes can be distinguished:

Digital media servers. This category includes storage devices such as mobile phones.
Digital media players. This includes devices that can receive and play digital content. For example, a TV that can play music and sound from another device.

How to create a home network

The home network layout for DLNA is similar to the Internet data transmission pattern.

It is he who ensures that devices connect to each other. To set up your home network you will need the following:

TV to play.
Media server for data storage, phone or laptop.
Router – used to provide connection between receiving and transmitting devices.
Cables or wireless adapters, are required to connect DLNA to the network.
Powerline adapters - allow you to distribute the Internet over the electrical network.

The first thing you need to do is connect your media playback device to your router.

There are several ways to do this - connecting via an electrical network, via a cable, or via a wireless bridge.

Powering your media device is a great way to set up a network throughout your home. For this, regular electricity is used, no cables are needed. For setup, only an adapter for a Powerline socket can be useful.
All that is required is simply to connect the TV to the network via an adapter and home network DLNA will start working.
If the router and TV are located nearby, it is best to use a cable connection. The Ethernet cable connects to the TV and router port.
Creating a media group using a wireless bridge is appropriate when the TV is located far from the router. The bridge can be connected to a TV via cable, and to a router via a wireless network.

Advice: The optimal solution for any case would be an electrical connection.

The next setup step is connecting other DLNA devices to the router.

After connecting to the TV, you can connect any DLNA server to the network - laptop, phone, tablet.

But if this is not possible, you can connect them using the methods indicated above.

Thus, the TV will be able to “see” the devices and play content.

Setting up DLNA Homegroup devices

In order for the TV to recognize content, you must configure the media group devices. For laptops and tablets you will need to install a special software.

These can be the following programs: