Today you will learn how to properly connect a TV to a computer and about 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 Networking Network (DLNA) Consortium is a group of companies that have joined together to create a globally accepted open standard for connecting devices so that all DLNA-enabled customers can use automatic mode being in the same network, receive from each other the ability to view media content.
What devices support DLNA?
DLNA technology is compatible with any device:
- 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 system.
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. DLNA is supported by most devices from large manufacturers such as Intel, HP, Motorola, HTC, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, etc. Apple has developed its own standard - AirPlay. If you have a device from Apple, then using it in your media network consisting of clients from other manufacturers is not possible.
How does DLNA network work?
As you already understood, DLNA devices are designed for interconnection: creating a multimedia network among themselves. Each device is assigned its own type, depending on its purpose. For example, any storage device: a 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?
A wireless router (or wi-fi router) is the centerpiece of a network and is used to connect devices to each other on a shared home wireless network.
Equipment for building a home network with DLNA
You will need:
- DLNA TV;
- DLNA digital media server (e.g. 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 a file source ( home server- DLNA server) with display device (DLNA client). You can also use (to distribute the Internet through the power grid), in addition to this, you will need Ethernet cables to connect devices to your network.
How to set up a DLNA home media server?
1 Connecting a TV with DLNA support to a wi-fi router (for example, Samsung with Smart TV).
Option 1 - wired connection ... Connect with 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 it is enough to connect the TV to an existing wireless network via a built-in or external (USB) wi-fi adapter directly to the router. If the TV is far from the router, then you can install a wireless bridge (use the router in Bridge mode or buy) to connect the TV to the router. I also recommend reading the article about. The wireless bridge is connected to the TV via the LAN port, and to the router via wifi point access.
Option 3 - Connect with Powerline Adapters. This type The connection uses the mains power supply without Ethernet cabling. This method will help you set up your home network using your existing electrical wiring and you will no longer need cables to connect DLNA clients. Powerline adapters are produced by almost all manufacturers of network equipment: TP-Link, Netgear, D-Link, etc. They are called Powerline devices. Next, you just connect the plug of the router, TV and other devices to the power outlet as usual, but now all your devices will form a DLNA network.
2 Adding 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 content that is stored on their media can be played. Exists different ways settings for various types of devices on the DLNA network.
DLNA PCs and Laptops
Connect your computer or laptop to your router or router using any of the above options. Most important point v DLNA setting on a PC or laptop: the need to install the appropriate program - media center (media shell). The most popular of them (for each program there is a link with information about it and settings):
- Serviio
It is possible not to have to install media center applications to create a DLNA server, but to 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 the Options menu, then open the Windows Media File Sharing tab and activate media sharing ...
Kodi media center interface window You can select the media skin to use as 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 (photo, video, music files) for transmission to a TV or other display device.
DLNA mobile devices
3 DLNA setup on TV
After you have connected all DLNA devices, turn on the TV and go to the home screen of your Smart TV (for example, Samsung TV). Search for and launch the AllShare app to find music, photos and videos stored on DLNA devices on your network.
If you have a Sony TV (pre-2015 model), then you need to turn it on, press the Home button and turn on the Media Player. After you select the type of content: music, photos or videos, you can see the DLNA server in your home network.
4 Using DLNA on Android OS
To watch videos from a computer on smartphones and tablets with the Android operating system, you need to install special application... 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;
- choose a receiver, that is, your Android device;
- select a video from the list of available files.
In addition to universal applications, mobile device manufacturers offer their own DLNA-enabled software. Samsung has AllShare, LG has SmartShare, etc.
There is no configuration required to use DLNA-enabled apps on Android devices. It is enough to start a DLNA server (for example, Kodi on a computer), and it will immediately appear in the list available connections in the app on your smartphone or tablet. Select your computer from the list, click “Browse” and select the required folder. Don't forget that your smartphone can also act as a DLNA server.
Hello friends! We continue to select a software media server for home needs. In this article, we'll talk about a very powerful and feature-rich application. And most importantly, it is completely free.
So, the topic of the article is as follows - the program Home Media Server: how to download, install and configure.
In we talked in detail about the main functions of programs of this class(media servers). In short, their main task is to provide media resources (video, music, pictures) stored on the computer to other devices on the home network.
Well, what specific devices can this program give access to?
I will answer briefly - any. That is, it can be DLNA (home networking function) TVs, game consoles, media players, mobile devices... If you look at it, almost any of your home devices can become a full-fledged member of your home media network.
So, after reading the article, you will find out:
In addition to the above features, the program can "on the fly" convert the format of video and audio files to the one that supports your device (TV, tablet, and so on).
He also knows how to redirect digital TV and radio broadcast streams from a computer to a TV set in real time.
You can start playing any file from your computer both on a specific device and on a whole group at the same time. Supported remote access via the WEB interface (that is, via a browser).
What else to say? It is possible to display subtitles, even if your device does not support them.
There is a function of working with podcasts - this is the ability to view online cinemas on TV, such as HDkinomir.com, HDserials.tv and many others. For those who do not support the Smart TV function, this is generally a godsend.
But as they say, let's start from the beginning.
How to download and configure Home program Media Server(click)
You immediately need to download the Home Media Server program. After that, unpack the downloaded archive and run the "setup.exe" file.
The installation process will start. You will be prompted to select a directory for installing the application. You can leave the default:
In the next step, you will be asked to select the type of device with which our media server will work.
Basically, if the "Autodetect" option is checked, the program itself will determine everything and set desired parameters your media device.
Now you need to select folders, or entire local drives that you want to make public:
Then the program will ask you to do backups settings. We will not do this, since not everyone has yet configured what we wanted. Therefore, we press the "Close" button:
At this step, the main program window will open. You can study a little to get comfortable. Then click the "Settings" button:
In the window that opens, select the "Scanning" tab below:
This will give us the ability to control the server and computer from the TV.
For example, after watching a movie, you will not need to go to the computer to turn it off. Everything can be done from the TV. Cool, agree?
Now select the "Devices" tab and click the "Search" button:
Here again, click the "Search" button at the bottom of the window. When asked to start the server, answer "Yes":
The program will start and its icon will appear in the system tray:
After that, a window with a list of found devices will be displayed. Find the TV and click on the red icon on the left in the form of a road sign "No entry":
It should now look like a green checkmark. This means that the TV and the server understand each other and are ready to work over the network.
After that, all found devices should be displayed on the "Devices" tab. Select the TV again and click the "Settings" button:
If you want to access the server from any device on your home network through a web browser, select the "Advanced" tab and check the "Web navigation" item:
I recommend disabling the option "Create playlists of media resources in Web-navigation mode".
You can now access the program through your web browser:
We check if this is so:
As you can see, everything works.
To view media resources on a computer, you need a VLC player.
If the program interface does not open, go to the "Settings - Server" path and check if the port number is correct:
Also disable the firewall on your computer and try again.
Therefore blog not to miss interesting material.
Now I will briefly talk about the "Transcoder" tab:
For example, you downloaded a movie in a format that your TV cannot play.
In this case, you can select a transcoding profile that transcodes the video into the desired format. Moreover, the whole process takes place during startup, without any preliminary user actions.
It should be noted that in the program you can set transcoding settings according to three main principles:
First: for all movies (example in the screenshot above).
Second: for certain types of video file extensions.
To do this, follow the path "Settings - Media Resources - File Types - Change":
Third: for a specific movie.
In the main server window, select the desired video file, right-click on it and select the "Transcoding Profile" item:
At first glance, a beginner may not understand all these profiles, encodings, and so on at all. It is very easy to get confused. To be honest, the author of the article, too, did not immediately get to the bottom of the matter. But it's actually pretty simple.
Look, at the very beginning of setting up the Home Media Server program, we indicated the type of our media device, in our case a Samsung TV:
After that, the application itself determines which formats of audio-video files your TV set supports.
And if, for example, you run a movie with a resolution that is not in the above list, transcoding will start for it in order to convert it into a format readable for TV. I hope the essence has become clear to you.
As a rule, nothing needs to be changed for Samsung TVs, so leave all the settings here as they are. We will solve all problems as they arise, since the topic of setting up transcoding in HMS is very extensive.
Now we move on to the final stage. Go to the "Advanced" tab and set the settings as in the screenshot below:
Now the program will automatically load and quietly "hang" peacefully in the Windows system services.
Let's go back to the main program window again. Let's describe the main control buttons:
The "Movies - Music - Photos" buttons are used to select folders with corresponding resources.
The buttons "Start - Stop - Restart" control the server. In working condition, the start button must be pressed (be inactive).
That's all. The question of how the Home Media Server program can be downloaded, installed and configured can be closed.
After the program HMS (abbreviated name) is downloaded and configured, press the "Start" button in the program and go to the TV.
Press the "Source" button on the remote control and look for our server:
If it is not in the list, press the red "A" button on the TV remote control to update. Also temporarily disable the antivirus software's firewall.
So, the item "AllShare HMS" has appeared, open it. We see the folder directory:
Select the folder "Catalogs of media resources", our films from the computer will appear:
When viewing, a pause and search by time work. Very handy options.
If you return to the initial folder of folders and follow the path "Service - Media Server", you can control the computer and the program itself from the TV remote control:
Agree that in terms of automation, this is very cool. You don't have to constantly go to your computer. We watched the movie, turned off the computer, then the TV set and went to bed. 🙂
Now let's look at a couple of interesting uses for the program.
Let's start by watching IPTV channels your provider on the TV screen.
To do this, open the main window of the Home Media Server program and drag the playlist onto it with the mouse. TV channels M3U format:
Then go to the "Internet TV" tab:
Now click the "Settings" button at the top of the window and follow the path "Devices - your TV - Settings":
In the window that opens, select the "Files, subtitles" item, then the "Internet TV" tab.
In the "Transcoding Profile" column, enter the "Internet TV (Input Stream)" value:
We save the changes by clicking the "OK" button.
Now you need to install VLC player on your computer. If you already have it well. In case not, download from here. Just install it, you don't need to configure anything.
Then restart the Home Media Server program:
Now go to your TV and select the "Internet TV" folder:
If everything is done correctly, a list of channels from the playlist will open:
We watch and enjoy!
Perhaps someone will say that if there is a Smart TV function on the Samsung TV, it will be more convenient to watch IPTV channels through, without using a computer at all.
I agree. But what about people who have TVs without Smart TV, but simply DLNA (the ability to combine home devices into a media network)? This is where HMS comes in.
By the way, I propose to consider one more useful function programs - working with podcasts... With the help of it, we can partially replace the Smart TV function.
So what are podcasts for Home Media Server?
These are files that are loaded into the program and allow you to watch online cinemas on your TV directly. That is, in fact, this is an analogy to the technology of "smart TV".
Begin. Download and unzip the podcast you like from the app's official forum.
Upload it to the server in the same way as a playlist with IPTV channels - just drag it to the main program window:
Now select the "Podcasts" tab, then search for your podcast and right-click on it to call additional menu... Here select "Update podcasts":
The update process is quite lengthy, so you will have to wait.
After that, go to the TV and select "Podcasts" in the server folder directory:
Choose your podcast:
We choose and see:
I would like to note that the author of the article had a pause while viewing, but there was no time search. This is upsetting. It turns out that rewind does not work in podcasts.
Another important nuance in working with podcasts is the fact that not all of them work stably.
So, it seems that we have sorted out the main points, so the essence of the article " Home Media Server: download, install and configure"is revealed.
Naturally, for the program to work smoothly, the computer must be in the same network, but it is recommended to enable the "UPnP" (auto port detection) option.
As you can see, this media server has great capabilities. But the other side of the coin is a large number of settings and parameters. It is quite difficult for a new user to grasp the details right away.
Therefore, if something is not clear, ask in the comments, we will jointly solve your problems.
Finally. There is no dispute about musical tastes, but this song is definitely sympathetic to the author of the article. And you?
Alternative program for playing video / photo / music on your TV. Any video stored on your computer is launched from the remote control. You don't need to run it from your computer. During playback, your TV does all the work, and your computer acts as a network storage device. This allows you to watch HDTV movies stored even on old weak computers.
(First, delete from the computer AllShare and all the "junk" files that it created next to the video files (if there were a lot of folders, it is better to search for these files by the name of the extension with a search and delete from there)
Home media-server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)
Program website http://www.homemediaserver.ru/
Download update http://www.homemediaserver.ru/forum/viewforum.php?f=2
At the time of this writing, 1.20.2 was installed and updated to 1.20.3
Edited after upgrading to 1.42
Settings:
Run the program. Everything that you see on the left is displayed on the TV. I believe that all folders should be hidden except for "Media Directories".
When you go to the TV in the "All Movies" folder, the TV starts downloading all open video files, and since there are a lot of them, this will take a lot of time each time and, as a result, will turn out to be terribly inconvenient (both in terms of time and sorting).
Hide folders one at a time by right-clicking and choosing "Hide Folder". Do the same for the "Music" and "Photo" categories.
There are folders that cannot be hidden. In this case, I recommend deleting them.
"Settings" - "Media resources" - delete unnecessary folders and add our own, do not change the green dots
(For most users, it is enough to add 2 folders - Desktop and My Documents)
"Settings" - "Devices" - uncheck "Auto detect" and select the model of your TV, do not pay attention to the year and resolution
(For example, I have "Samsung TV 2012 (DNLA, 16: 9, 720x406)", "Samsung TV 2009 (DLNA, 16: 9, 1920x1080)" was previously selected, but this mode could not play * .MOV)
(If you still cannot open the folders from the TV, return the "Auto detect" checkbox)
"Settings" - "Server" - In the name field, enter the name you like or leave the standard (name of your pc)
"Settings" - "Advanced" - put a check mark "Startup program at startup Windows session"and" Installation windows services"Home Media Server (UPnP)"
*
"Settings" -> "Media Resources" -> "Service"
"Service" folder -> Uncheck "Unload server", "Stop server"
Folder "Sort" -> Uncheck "Folder" Sort "in each folder of media resources"
Folder "Bookmarks" -> Uncheck "Folder" Add bookmark "in each folder of media resources
Folder "Bookmarks" -> Uncheck "Folder" Navigation history "in the root folder of media resources
A window will pop up asking "Do you want to scan media resource directories?" - we press "YES" and wait for completion.
Click "Start Server", or right-click on the tray icon and select "Start Server"
Exploitation:
Adding a new movie
When you have downloaded a new movie, in order for it to appear in the list on the TV, you must perform any of the steps to restart the service. After that, the program synchronizes its list with the files. From simple to complex:
Option 1: Restart your computer
Option 2: Run the program and click "Restart"
Option 3: Restart the Home Media Server (UPnP) service manually
Option 4: Run the command net stop HmsService && net start HmsService
Option 5: Create a * .bat file that restarts the service. Great convenience in subsequent operation. The instructions for creating will be provided below.
Rewind video
Unlike turning on rewind when viewing via USB, rewinding when viewing via a network is slightly "cut", namely - the standard rewind buttons do not work (only play, pause and stop). You can use 2 options for rewinding
Option 1: Press the "Tools" button on the remote control and rewind in 1 minute increments, moving to any point in the movie almost immediately. (This function does not work on all TVs)
Option 2: When watching a movie, use the "Left" "Right" buttons (rewind for 10 seconds) (which move through the folders.
Occasionally there may be files that cannot be rewound at all (depends on the codec and your TV)
File cannot be read
If you do not read any * .mkv file (very rare * .avi) referring to "Not Supported Video Codec" (this message may appear even if the audio codec is not supported), there are options for solving the problem. (For example: my TV's firmware T-MST4DEUC-1026.0 supports H.264 BP / MP / HP up to H.264, Level 4.1. H.264 FMO / ASO / RS formats are not supported)
Option 1: Use the "Transcoding" function
Option 2: If "Transcoding" does not work on your TV model, select a Philips device with a suitable configuration instead of a Samsung in the program settings and restart the server. In this case, the notification on the TV about the connected device will not be shown. We go to the desired folder and the files in which the error was written will begin to open. This method is not suitable for everyone, only for those who have a more or less modern PC. on the PC, the process of encoding video "on the fly" is started when viewing and weak computers simply will not have time to process the video without visible "freezes". With this method, rewinding will not work, however, if you go into the transcoding folder (located in the same folder with the video file being opened) and then go to the folder with parts of the movie, you can select any piece of the file (1 minute intervals), when the minute ends, another piece will not "loaded" taking a break for a couple of seconds, and everything is played as it should be.
But I do not recommend leaving the Phillips device in the program settings. when watching any video file (even the one that went without problems), it will still be encoded and load the processor on the computer.
(Tested on Samsung LE32D550K1W)
Information:
The "Transcoding" function provides for video transcoding "on the fly", etc. if it is impossible to view in normal mode(if your TV does not support any format or codec).
In my case (Samsung TV), transcoding rarely helps, you have to select a separate mode for each video.
Creation *. bat file to quickly restart the service (after adding a new movie)
Since there are 2 processes running on the computer at the same time:
C: \ Program Files \ Home Media Server \ hmssvc.exe - a service that does all the main work (for those who set the option "Install Windows Service" Home Media Server (UPnP) "
C: \ Program Files \ Home Media Server \ hms.exe - a program for managing through the interface (open a folder, change settings, etc.)
We remove in the settings "Startup program at the start of a Windows session"
Create on the desktop Text Document"Server restart.txt"
Copy the following text there
net stop HmsService && net start HmsService
On very old / weak / slow computers, where the service does not have time to complete quickly and instead of restarting, it turns off the service, another option (I recommend it to everyone):
@echo off
(net stop HmsService && net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & ping localhost> nul & net start HmsService) || (ping localhost> nul & ping local
The whole team must be entered on one line (except @echo off)
Save and rename "Server restart.txt" to "Server restart.bat"
When you download a new movie from the network / Internet, run "Server restart.bat" and after a few seconds (depending on the power of the PC and the number of open files) everything will be ready
One of the characteristics that distinguishes some modern TVs from others is the degree of their 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 more in the content playback chain as independent participants.
1. About media streaming and DLNA technology
Smart TVs are actually the same computers, because they have their own hardware capabilities, they have their own software, can connect to wired and wireless networks... And the last one 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 PC to TV is the direct TV access to files on your PC. Streaming eliminates the hassle of flash drives and external hard drives. Files are transferred from the computer to the TV over the network. Without the participation of a computer, if only it is simply turned on, without the participation of a smartphone, without the participation of set-top boxes and other source devices, using the TV, all permitted material can be played - video, photos, music, any media files that such a TV can play.
DLNA technology allows devices on the same network to exchange media content. She 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 proprietary application Smart Share is a shell of this technology with user interface... Apps of other brands of Smart TV are named differently and, accordingly, have a different interface. In particular, in smart TVs Samsung cover for DLNA technology is a standard AllShare application. And for Sony TVs, it's the Vaio Media Server app.
How to setup streaming multimedia from 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 PC to TV?
To set up streaming from PC to TV, as mentioned, you need the latter to support the network. By the way, for streaming media files, the Smart TV “status” is not required for the TV. The TV may not have super-functionality, it just has to support the network and allow the choice of the signal source at least with primitive standard functionality. Such a TV must have either a Wi-Fi module or an Ethernet network port built in. As a rule, modern Smart TVs provide both options - wired and wireless. network connection.
Both devices - TV, 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 a router is not available, you can also get by with a direct connection of the TV to the computer over the network. What is needed for this is to connect 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 of the Internet provider's network. It is not comfortable. A router must be in the house if there is a question of unlocking the potential of Smart TV. well and Wi-Fi router- a thing that is simply necessary if smartphones or tablets are used in the house.
The method of connecting the TV to the network - wired or wireless, if it provides for both options, is not critical.
The next condition for streaming is configured DLNA access to your library folders on your computer. On Windows, this can be done in several ways.
3. Configuring network access to computer files in Windows Media Player
The way to configure access to computer files in Windows without the need to install third-party software is to use the standard Windows Player Media.
On the panel Windows tools Media Player, click the "Stream" option and put a check mark next to:
- "Turn on streaming multimedia…".
After enabling this parameter, a system window with streaming parameters will open, where you can specify the name of the library and flexibly configure the availability of media content for specific devices networks: leave the preset resolution for some, and remove it for others.
The configured permissions will allow other devices to access files only in the user profile folders over the network. These are the folders "Videos", "Music", "Pictures" that are displayed in Windows Explorer along with the disk partitions, drives and removable devices of the computer. If this is more than enough, you can already start testing the playback of files on the TV using local applications that work with DLNA technology.
But storing files in user profile folders on system disk- not a good idea both from the point of view of the availability of free space on the C drive, and from the point of view of the safety of these files in case of a critical failure Windows work... As a rule, large media libraries are stored on non-system partitions of a computer's disk. The folders of such 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 the "Manage Libraries" item, 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 to this list desired folder press the button on the side "Add". Add this folder in the window of the explorer that opens, then click "OK" in the window with the list.
Alternative way adding folders with media content to the system list of folders with open access for home network devices, add to the library using the context menu command in Windows Explorer. At any time, you can open access to any folder on your computer where videos, music or photos are stored for playback from network devices. To do this, open this folder in Explorer, call the context menu and select the "Add to Library" command. The folder will be added to the corresponding library and its contents will be available for streaming.
The list of folders with open for streaming video and audio files will also change when you make changes to it using the standard Windows 10 "Movies and TV" and "Groove Music" applications. In the settings section of both apps, you can add and remove folders to your local video and audio collections. Local application collections work in conjunction with system libraries.
4. Configuring Network Access to PC Files Using LG Smart Share
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 website of the TV manufacturers or on the Internet. For example, to enable Samsung smart TVs to access computer content, a South Korean corporation created Samsung program Allshare. And for LG TVs, the LG Smart Share Windows program for PC is available for free download on the company's website. Let's consider it in more detail. On the LG website, select the Windows version and download.
LG Smart Share installation is standard. After launching the program, you must select any of the proposed content settings options - Movie, Photo, Music.
Access must be enabled in the window that appears. If it is disabled, set the switch to the "On" position.
Switch to the tab "My common files". Here you can allow access to files in the specified folders. Using the button in the form of a folder with a plus sign, it is necessary to add any other folders with media content in addition to the existing folders of the user profile. After adding, click the "Apply" button at the bottom, then - "Ok".
All - now the content of all folders displayed in the program's "My Shared Files" tab 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 will automatically launch with Windows to provide further access to your computer's media files.
To make sure 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.
Trying to play the file.
5. Configuring network access to computer files using the "Home Media Server" program
Another way to provide access to TVs, set-top boxes, mobile and other devices that support network and DLNA technology to the media content of a computer is the Windows program "Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)". The program works with many popular TVs: LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, Philips. With this program, a DLNA server is launched on the computer, to which all devices on the network can connect. By default, the program allows you to control the server files from the TV - in fact, the files of the computer.
The advantage of using Home Media Server over all of the above methods of providing access for streaming is more features and more customization. The program provides for the presence of various transcoders of video and audio files, which allows you to convert media content, if it originally exists on a computer in a format unsupported by the TV, into the format that it supports. You can additionally set up the broadcast on the TV of individual Internet channels (radio and digital television).
"Home Media Server" can be downloaded absolutely free of charge on the website of the creators.
Download the program, install it and run it. At startup, a window will appear immediately initial settings... In it, you can leave everything by default and refuse to scan media files. Let's go 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 tab categories on the right. In the first tab “Media resources”, we can use the “Add” button, respectively, to add any folders with media content to the program list in order to open them access for streaming. General 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, check the boxes at the bottom of the window next to the necessary options - 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 certain types of files, set a different folder name - and all this within the DLNA server, without changes on the computer.
At the bottom of the tab "Media resources" there are separate sections with an abundance of different settings... In the "Scanning" section, you can pay attention to the "Always use the file name as the name of the media resource" option. Without checking this option, the names of media files in Russian will be converted to transliteration in Latin or unreadable crocozyabra.
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 user-friendly. 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 DLNA server. In case of such a blocking for the DLNA server port, you must provide permission to work in the antivirus or firewall settings.
Also, in the "Server" tab, you should 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 a PC or laptop into sleep mode, the DLNA server will need to be stopped in the future. If, on the contrary, the checkbox on the option "Prevent the computer from entering 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 falls asleep to conserve battery power.
The Home Media Server program has a very rich choice of settings, and its potential can be unlocked gradually, testing certain features as you become familiar with them. In the meantime, we will restrict ourselves to the settings already made and save them. Click "Ok" at the bottom and agree to scan media files in the configured folders.
After the program completes the scanning process, we can start the DLNA server. To do this, press the "Run" button on the toolbar at the top of the main program window.
Home Media Server runs in the background and the program 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, and restarted.
Automate this process so that the DLNA server starts automatically with running Windows, you can in the program settings. Last tab settings "Advanced" provides in the column "Startup" options for autoloading the program itself at Windows startup, autorun DLNA server with the launch of the program, as well as installing it background service on a Windows system.
Once the DLNA server is up and running, all of the available media content on the computer can be played on the TV through the local DLNA technology interface application. The DLNA server will appear as a connected playback device in the TV app. Inside it will be accessible folders with the media content of the computer, configured in the program "Home Media Server".
You can launch available media content for playback not only in the TV application. You can also instruct 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 toolbar at the top of the button "Films", "Music" or "Photos". In the right part of the program window, the files of the folders will be displayed, to which access was previously opened 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. Function "Bring to device" Windows 8.1 and 10
The function of starting playback of media files on a computer with image output to a TV is also provided among the standard functionality in Windows versions 8.1 and 10. If Windows is set to allow network devices to play media files on your computer in Windows Media Player, as discussed above, you can play a movie, audio track, or photo on your computer, and continue watching or listening on your TV. This is a handy thing when there is no particular desire to tinker with the TV remote control and look for, for example, the desired movie among a heap of other media files, killing the nerves by monotonous flipping through file after file.
To run a media file on a computer, open the context menu in Windows Explorer and select the "Bring to device" command. This is the command for Windows systems 10. In Windows 8.1, this context menu command is called Play To.
After that, we will see a list of network devices available for playback. Choosing a TV. The launched file will unfold on the TV screen, and on the computer screen we will contemplate a small window of the Windows Media player with a playlist, where you can add some additional files.
7. "Bring to device" function in the Windows 10 "Movies and TV" application
Available for media files in the explorer context menu Windows function"Lead to device" is implemented in Windows application 10 "Cinema and TV". It works on the principle of launching a video file in an application on a computer and continuing to view it already on a network device, in particular, on a TV screen. Open the "Cinema and TV" application, launch the video and in the viewing mode, press the first button at the bottom - the button for connecting to available devices playback. In a small window, a list of all network devices defined for outputting the video file will appear. Choosing a TV.
In the future, you can continue watching the movie again on the computer, in the "Movies and TV" application. This is a great idea for a digital home that is networked. For example, if you start watching a movie on the TV in the living room, you can continue watching on the TV in the kitchen. And then you can move back to the living room with the movie. And for this you just need to interrupt for a couple of simple actions on the computer.
8. Conclusion
As you can see, the choice of methods for setting up the computer part of the chain of interaction between a computer and a TV over a network is great. Despite the fact that the article turned out to be voluminous, in fact, not all programs on the software market are considered for the implementation of streaming multimedia from a computer to a TV. Setting up your TV is easier.
As mentioned above, computer media can be accessed from local smart TV applications. And these are the above-mentioned Smart Share for LG TVs, AllShare for Samsung, Vaio Media Server for Sony and others. On conventional TVs that support the network, where the firmware does not provide individual applications, access to computer files can be configured by selecting the media server as the signal source. In many cases, the source button on the TV remote is named “Source”.
Have a great day!
UPnP (abbreviationUniversal Plug and Play) – kit network protocols published by the forum of the same name.
The UPnP Forum is an open association of industry representatives with the goal of setting standards for UPnP technology, which aims to simplify the integration of smart devices, initially at the home and then at the corporate level.
UPnP is built on the basis of such standards and technologies as TCP / IP, UDP, HTTP, XML and provides automatic connection between similar devices and their joint work online .
In this case, in order to give access, for example, to the resources of the FTP server located on the PC, it is necessary 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, therefore this way suitable for people who are just starting to study the computer. The downside to UpnP is that it reduces the security level of your home network.
In most cases, the user gets a router with activated mode UpnP. Let's check the activation of this mode in the settings of our router.
To do this, in any available browser, you should write the IP address of your router (as a rule, this is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), enter your username and password.
TP-Link
Section "Forwarding", subsection "UpnP" - "Status - Enabled"
D-Link
Section "Advanced", subsection "Advanced Network" is checked in the "Enable UPnP" field.
ASUS
"Internet" section, "Connection" tab - "Enable UpnP" checkbox is selected in the "Yes" field.
After the 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 must go to the section "Additionally", subsection "Compound" and check the box next to "Enable UpnP".
How to create a DLNA home media server
DLNA- a technology that allows devices to be combined into a single digital network for the purpose of receiving / transmitting and viewing various media content on-line.
In practice, it looks like this, there is a computer with hard disk larger capacity, which stores photos, films, audio recordings and other media content. 
What if you want to watch one of the films not on a PC screen, but on a large diagonal TV?
Or friends have come to you and you want to show photos from your vacation either on big screen TV, or on the phone, because you do not want to go into the house.
What if each family member wants to watch their media 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 supporting the 802.11N standard (data transfer rates up to 300 Mb / s) do not always cope with the transmission of large streaming volumes of high-quality video over Wi-Fi, and fading occurs on the TV screen.
Download and install the program.
After the installation is complete, you should specify from which directory and what type of content will be broadcast to the network (the "Add" button on right panel programs).
The selection is made by placing green dots in front of the respective catalogs and content type.
To add resources hosted on network or removable drives check the boxes in the corresponding 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, press the "Start" button in top panel programs, after which you need to turn on the TV.
To launch the content, right-click on the file and select "Play on ..." instead of three dots, there will be your device (in our case, a TV).
