UPnP (abbreviation for Universal Plug and Play) is 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 setting standards for UPnP technology, which aims to make it easier to connect smart devices from the home to the enterprise.
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 on the network.
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 the port forwarding operation on the router and assign a static IP address to the computer.
Note! Using the UPnP function on a router, all port forwarding settings are carried out automatically, so this method is suitable for people who are just starting to learn a computer. The downside to UpnP is that it reduces the security of your home network.
In most cases, the user gets a router with UpnP enabled. Let's check the activation of this mode in the settings of our router.
To do this, in any available browser, 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
Section "Internet", tab "Connection" - "Enable UpnP" checkbox is selected 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 "Advanced" section, the "Connection" subsection and check the box next to "Enable UpnP".
How to create a DLNA home media server
DLNA is 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 a larger hard drive, 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 a large TV screen or on your phone, because you do not want to go into the house.
What if every 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.
Please note that routers that support the 802.11N standard (data transfer rates up to 300 Mb / s) do not always cope with the transmission of large streaming high-quality video over Wi-Fi and fading occurs on the TV screen.
The free program "Home Media Server UpnP, DLNA, HTTP" will be used as the software with which the media server will be created.
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 the right panel of the program).
The selection is made by placing green dots in front of the corresponding catalogs and content type.
To add resources located on network or removable drives, check the boxes in the corresponding columns at the bottom of the window.
It's no secret that over time, we accumulate a lot of all kinds of films, photographs and the like, and this is all usually stored on a computer.
But it would not be bad to watch a movie that you just downloaded from the network on a large TV, and not on a PC screen, but for this you need to transfer this movie to a USB flash drive, or burn it to disk.
In short, a lot of unnecessary movement. But there are solutions, this is a multimedia server.
Don't be alarmed, this is not exactly a separate computer with hard drives. This is a program that performs strictly assigned tasks.
Let's take a look at several programs that can provide access to media content from other devices or programs.
Let's start with the theoretical basics of what DLNA and Smart Share are.
DLNA (in its own words) is a technology that allows devices that are connected to the same network and support DLNA technology to exchange media content (video, photo, music).
Now, almost all devices support DLNA technology: computers, TVs, smartphones, game consoles, etc.
Smart Share Is a proprietary application (technology) by LG. If I can say so, then this is a shell for working with DLNA.
Other TV manufacturers call these programs differently. Samsung has AllShare. SONY - VAIO Media Server.
And so, without a doubt, you can watch photos, films, etc. on TV that are on your computer or even smartphone.
But from the beginning you need to set up DLNA (Smart Share) between PC and TV. (TV must be able to connect to the network)
What does it mean?
This means that both the TV and the computer must be connected to the same It does not matter how they are connected. (via Wi-Fi or cable)
And so you have a router, but there is no Wi-Fi in the TV. We can simply lay a network cable from the router to the TV.
Our router must be connected to the Internet and configured. Also, we need a network cable. We connect one end of the cable to the router, into the yellow connector.
On the TV, connect the other end of the cable to the network connector.
And you can debug the router itself from the knowledge gained in this article:
Next, we need to set up the distribution of files from the computer so that the TV can play videos from the necessary folders, or show photos. We just need to open access for this. You can even do this with the standard Windows Media Player.
But there is a very good and absolutely free program “ Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)», Which is an excellent analogue of Smart Share from LG, or for example AllShare from Samsung.
And so, friends, a media server for a computer that will pump your TV and make it much more functional.
Home Media Server
Home media server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP) is a program that provides media resources (photos, audio and video files) of your computer to other UPnP (DLNA) devices on your home network.
For example, Philips, Sony, Samsung, LG, Toshiba TVs, Sony Playstation 3, XBOX 360, WD TV Live, Popcorn Hour, Dune, Boxee Box, IconBit, ASUS O! Play, iPad / iPhone / iPod media players, mobile and PDA devices.
The program includes various transcoders for audio and video files that allow converting media resources into a format supported by the playback device.
It is also possible to convert the frame format of video files to the display format of the playback device (the color of the padding is set by the user), select the audio track, subtitles. You can choose transcoding from any minute.
The program includes transcoding profiles for VLC Media Player, you can redirect streams of Internet radio, Internet TV from your computer to your media devices.
The program supports Digital TV (C, S, T), you can redirect digital TV streams from your computer to your media devices.
The program supports control of DMR (Digital Media Renderer) devices, you can use the Play To function for an individual device and a group of devices.
This is a whole combine, the functionality of which knows no boundaries.
The only drawback will be the terrible interface of the program, but since it is needed to play movies on TV, this will not be a big problem. The program is absolutely free and only available in the Windows version.
First, we need to download and install the program itself. I recommend downloading from the official website: //www.homemediaserver.ru/index.htm... There is always a new version!
After installation, launch the program with a shortcut on the desktop. Let's go to the program settings. We won't do anything special there. We will simply indicate local drives, flash drives, external hard drives, or folders, the contents of which we want to see on the TV.
For example, you can only open a few folders with movies, photos and music.
A window with settings will open. In the first category, Media Resources, we need to specify which disks or folders we want to see on the TV. By default, there are standard folders with photos, videos and music.
The program tries to sort everything. And in order not to get confused in all these folders on the TV, I advise you to open shared access to local drives. This means that you can open any file on the TV that is stored on these local drives (drives C, D, E, etc.).
You can also specify individual folders, or for example an external hard drive. To do this, click on the Add button on the right, and select the desired folder, USB flash drive, or hard drive in the explorer. These are the basic settings, click on the Ok button, and agree to scan media resources.
Further, you can already start the DLNA server itself. To do this, just click on the "Start" button. Now, just turn on your TV. If everything is connected correctly, then it should appear in the "Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)" program.
To do this, go to the Playback Devices (DMR) tab, and on the right, click the Update button.
VIDEO:
So Plex .
The most popular and, perhaps, rather convenient option. Having started the server on a computer, you can control it from a browser, set up a media library, add subtitles, and more.
Plex downloads all the movie information automatically and does it perfectly in most cases. The TV sees the Plex server without any problems and plays everything perfectly.
The downside of Plex and other similar programs is that the TV does not see the subtitles embedded in the movie, but for me it doesn't really matter to you.
Plex is free, but you have to buy a subscription for additional features.
//plex.tv/
PS3 Media Server.
The PS3 Media Server was originally distributed as an add-on to the PlayStation 3, allowing you to play movies on your TV using your console.
Then the program began to live a separate life. Like previous alternatives, it supports DLNA playback and doesn't require any setup hassle.
//www.ps3mediaserver.org/
Serviio is far from the most popular multimedia server. The application is free, but for $ 25 you can buy the PRO version, which allows you to access your content from any network, not just your home network.
And this allows you to play content from the WEB (this function is given as an introduction and in the free version). Serviio has applications for Android, however they act as a secondary control panel for the server side on the computer.
//www.serviio.org/
Kodi or (XBMC)
XBMC was created to bring video playback functionality to the Xbox. Then the project spun off and now Kodi is one of the most popular media centers, supporting almost all platforms due to open source.
Kodi has iOS and Android apps that let you use your smartphone as a remote control. The service lives on donations and is absolutely free.
//kodi.tv/
Good luck Friends!
Probably, each of us has a lot of digital media devices at home that communicate via WiFi or are connected to the network using a conventional twisted pair. For example, I have a PDA, a netbook, a couple of laptops, a couple of computers and a couple more smartphones. The latter (a couple of Nokia 5800 Xpress Music), due to the fact that they are always at hand even in the bathroom or in bed, turned out to be the most frequently used devices. Fortunately, surfing, and communication via GTalk / Skype, and unpretentious time killer toys - everything is available. But the devices have only 8 GB of memory, so you can't put a lot of movies there, and even convert, and then upload each movie to your smartphone - it takes time, but there is still such a thing as laziness! In a word, I wanted to be able to somehow view media content (and, first of all, video) from a home server at any time, without converting or making unnecessary gestures.Fable
Basically, if it weren't for the fact that I came across the Nokia 5800XM, I would have solved this problem long ago - the ASUS WL-500g router supports UPnP, so it would be enough just to plug in a USB flash drive. The trouble is that, despite the sometimes found specifications in online stores, the Nokia 5800XM does not support UPnP / DLNA and there is no third-party client implementation either. So what, one wonders, to do? Put a bold cross on the idea of \u200b\u200bviewing remote content?The first attempt to break the deadlock was video streaming. Based on the specification of the RTSP protocol (RFC 2326), it should support broadcast playback control: PLAY, PAUSE, and TEARDOWN. Unfortunately, after VLC was configured to stream, it turned out that the pause request is either not processed by this server and only works from the server side, or is not sent by the smartphone client. In addition, in any case, in this way only the video file selected on the server for broadcasting was available, and not the whole media library.
But the first disappointment did not cool the ardor, the search continued.
Next in line is Home Media Server, better known as Home Media Server, a program that provides media resources (photos, audio and video files) of your computer to other UPnP (DLNA) devices on your home network. After installation, it pleased me with a wealth of options, ease of configuration, but ... completely disappointed in view of the fact that the Nokia 5800 did not support UPnP / DLNA, as mentioned above, and the video completely refused to play via HTTP ...
They needed a working alternative. This is where the media server caught my eye. TVersity - the name slipped into someone's comment when discussing DLNA media servers.
So...
TVersity Media Server (free edition) is an even easier-to-learn media server, again offering us UPnP, DLNA and HTTP. If everything is clear with the first two protocols, then HTTP, as it turned out, is not so simple - access to the media library was implemented in two ways: classic and via flash. But first things first.First, the interface. Friendly, and I would even say rather simplistic. First of all, I immediately got into the settings. Hints for each option (albeit in English) make it easy to configure the server for yourself.
The most important thing for me, of course, was video transcoding. The server settings, unfortunately, are focused on the average user, so you won't be able to play around with fine-tuning the codecs, but at least something is better than nothing at all, isn't it?
Setting up a media library is also quite simple (and unlike the aforementioned Home Media Server does not require a long restart when updating itself), when adding a source using special checkboxes, you can specify the type of its content: audio, video, and / or images. I say “source” and not “folders” because this way you can add external content: for example, Video RSS or Internet Radio, as well as some services like Youtube and Flickr. By the way, pay attention - when you select a folder using the "Browse ..." button, instead of Cyrillic names, you will get krakozyabry, so it's better to enter the name manually or copy-paste it from the file manager.
Well, we figured out how to set up the library. Now - about how to work with her. And let's start with what it was all about: watching video from a smartphone. Happy owners of Nokia 5800 know that a smartphone basically cannot open an AVI container, and initially it was a big problem, since local movie viewing required converting video to MP4, but then third-party players with support for this container appeared. In this case, it doesn't matter - only FLV support is needed, which is not a problem for him. So, as mentioned earlier, there are two ways to access the media library. To view HTML pages, you need to specify in the address bar http : // server-address: port / lib, and to download an interactive flash application - http : // server-address: port / flashlib... In this case, the last option is just what you need, therefore, a bookmark is created in the smartphone browser with the address
http : //192.168.1.33:41952/flashlib... Well, now you can check what happens.
And this is the picture: after a short download of the flash application, the library directory appears on the screen with quite convenient navigation:
For smooth video playback, I still had to play around with the transcoder settings, but in the end I managed to achieve an acceptable picture. True, positioning significantly slows down, but this is not such a significant problem - you can put up.
In the media server itself, you can see the broadcast status, a list of addresses of devices connected to it, the status of video transcoding, as well as a log of work and connections.
DLNA / UPNP
It would seem that everything. Yes, not yet: after all, a media server is a handy thing, and, of course, I want to use it to its fullest, which means not only via HTTP. In addition to smartphones, there is also a laptop with Windows 7 and a netbook - lubuntu is installed there. With the first, everything turned out to be easier than ever - when starting Windows Media Player 12, he immediately discovered the DLNA library of the media server and started viewing it without any problems.With Linux, everything turned out to be a little more complicated. I simply could not install XBMC media clients from the list of cross-platform UPnP / DLNA media clients - it did not have binaries for Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal in the repository, and the installed VLC - it still supports UPnP under Linux - did not always find the server, although at the same time I great access to it through the browser. As a result, it was decided to look for another way.
As a result, one great thing was found called - a utility for mounting UPnP server resources. Since the program was already in the repository, the installation did not take much time. Now all that remained was to create a mount point and set up an automount. After a short study and stepping on a rake, this was still done. All of the following commands are run exclusively from root, so be sure to run:
Sudo -s
First, you need to create a folder that will be the mount point:
Cd / media
mkdir upnp
chmod 777 upnp
Now, in fact, starting FUSE and mounting itself:
Modprobe fuse
After that, you can already enter the library as in a regular folder and open its contents in any convenient programs as ordinary files.
By the way, I have not found anywhere a mention of the most unpleasant rake I found in working with djmount, expressed in the wrong file encoding. According to the DLNA specification, file names must be exclusively in UTF-8 format, therefore TVersity Media Server does not even have a file name encoding setting. Judging by the message when mounting, djmount also uses this encoding by default - UTF-8. But the file manager, as well as the console, stubbornly refused to display familiar letters in file names, replacing them with question marks everywhere. Attempts to specify the coding CP1251 or IBM-866 did not lead to complete success, although now you could at least look into the Cyrillic folders. To my complete surprise, the way out of the situation was a direct indication of the use of the UTF-8 encoding - I don't know why I decided to try it, but it worked!
Autostart also turned out to be not an easy matter, but Google came to the rescue, and as it turned out, the problem with the inability to automount from fstab had already been solved. As a result, mounting occurs every time the network is brought up. This is done as follows. Let's create a script:
Cd /etc/network/if-up.d
nano djmount
Script content:
# Not for loopback!
["$ IFACE"! \u003d "Lo"] || exit 0
Modprobe fuse
fusermount -u / media / upnp
djmount -o iocharset \u003d UTF-8, allow_other / media / upnp
We expose him the attributes:
Chmod 755 djmount
chown root djmount
chgrp root djmount
Now that's really all. The media library is accessible from any device in any way possible / convenient for it.
This is possible when the TV and computer are connected to the same network, or when connected directly. After that, all that remains is to launch DLNA and enable viewing of the desired movie or photo. This is quite convenient, because it is much more pleasant to show a large company photos, videos, or make a presentation on a large screen.
There are many different programs that allow you to do this. Among them, it is often recommended. Indeed, this application has shown itself well in practice. Therefore, in today's article, we will show an example using this particular program.
This home media server is quite versatile and is capable of running a DLNA server that is compatible with any TV (and indeed with many devices, for example, game consoles) capable of working with this technology. If the TV is capable of connecting wirelessly, or it has a connector for connecting a network cable, then it is highly likely that it supports DLNA. In general, the program itself has many different settings, so standard applications for TVs are very much inferior to it.
The very same article today will be useful to owners of TVs from almost any manufacturer. After all, as already noted, a home media server is a third-party program that has great functionality and wide capabilities, which allows it to work with any technique. It's also free.
Today we will consider in detail only the ways to open access for TV to the necessary folders on the computer, instructions on how to create a server and watch movies with it.
For reference, this example uses an LG 32LN575U TV, an ASUS RT-N13U router, and an ASUS R56CM laptop.
Establishing a connection between the TV and computer
As you already understood, in order to be able to watch video from a computer through a TV, you need to establish a connection between these two devices. If you already have them connected to each other, then you can skip this step and proceed to the next.
Well, if your TV is not yet connected to your PC, then you can do this through a router. Thus, without unnecessary troubles, you can connect the TV itself to the computer via Wi-Fi. Another TV can be connected with the help of a router. The most important thing is that both devices work with the same router.
In case there is no home Wi-Fi
When you do not have a router, and accordingly there is no wireless network at home, you can connect the TV to a laptop using a network cable directly.
It will look like this:
This method of connection is quite reliable, so there shouldn't be any special problems here. The downside is the presence of a cable that connects these two devices. Even if the TV will not see such a connection, you can still play multimedia files through the Home Media Server program.
It is possible that it is realistic to connect a TV to a computer. But we have not yet begun to check it and look for ways to implement such an undertaking. Most likely, you can do this using your laptop as a router.
Having connected the computer to the TV set, we proceed to the settings for the DLNA server.
Configuring "Home Media Server"
Of course, first of all, we need the program itself. You can download it from the official resource https://www.homemediaserver.ru/index.htm and then install it. On the developers site, click on the download button.
After that, save the archive with the program to your PC. After that, it must be unpacked. There will be a "setup" file, run it and follow the instructions to install the application. When the program is installed, its shortcut will appear on the desktop. Start Home Media Server.
Now we will specify in the settings all types of media files and folders that will be available for viewing on the TV. We go into the settings, at the top of the program window there is a corresponding button.
In the settings window, go to the media resources tab. Several standard folders with music, pictures and videos will already be indicated there. Here we can add our own and edit the type of files that will be displayed on the TV.
In order not to rummage too much in folders, in search of the desired video or photo, it is better to open access to local disks. Check the box next to the corresponding item (or make sure it is there).
Activating this option will provide an opportunity to get access from the TV to any files that are on all local drives.
In order to add separate directories with files or, for example, an external HDD, click on the "Add" button on the right. Then find the desired folder or external device and select it.
The center plate displays all the folders for which the TV is open. This shows the type of files that can be viewed in these directories. In general, this is the basic setting that is necessary for us, but the program has a lot of other useful parameters that can be adjusted.
After you have done everything, you will need to save these parameters. Click on the "OK" button and agree to scan directories.
The program will scan the selected directories for a while. After that, you can start launching the DLNA server. On the top menu, click on the start button. A message should appear stating that the server started successfully.
We turn on our TV and open, on the computer, in the program, the tab with playback devices. In the right corner, click on the "Update" button. After that, the TV should appear in the list.
If this did not happen and the Home Media Server does not find anything and the connected devices are not shown on the TV itself, then you need to check the connection itself. Make sure your TV and PC are connected.
In some cases, antivirus programs and firewalls can block the media server. In this case, add this application to exceptions and try again.
If everything was found successfully, you can start viewing the media files. We'll start with photographs. In the top menu, select the desired file type, in this case it is a photo.
Further, in the central part of the window, you can select the desired directory and find suitable files in it. When the desired photo is selected, just right-click on it and hover over the "Play to" line and then select your TV.
This photo will instantly appear on the TV screen.
In the same way, you can start and play videos and music. This is just one way to play files by launching them from a media server. But this method is not very comfortable. In many cases, it is much more convenient to search for the files you want on the TV itself and then launch them.
By the way, if you close the window of a running program, it will be hidden in the notification panel.
But the server itself will not stop and will continue to work.
Opening files via TV
After the server is started, we return to our TV.
Usually, TVs have a special program that allows you to work with a DLNA server. In our case, it is Smart Share... But perhaps in other examples, it could be a completely different program.
If you have a TV like in our case (LG), then you need to go to the Smart TV menu (press the blue button on the remote) and then find and launch Smart Share. True, if, but it supports DLNA technology, then everything can be completely different.
Open the tab for connected devices. The server running on the computer should be displayed there.
Owners of modern digital gadgets - smartphones, tablets, as well as high-tech TVs with Smart TV support can create a real media server at home, with which they can access various types of multimedia content from different devices. How to use this opportunity in practice?
How a home media server works
What is a Home Media Server? This is a system within which various devices connected to a network - computers, televisions (if they support the corresponding functions), mobile gadgets and other modern devices - can interact and exchange multimedia content. Another notable technology that can be used through a home media server is IPTV. That is, having built the appropriate one, the user will be able to organize something like a mini-TV studio at home.
How does a home media server work? As a rule, its structure assumes the presence of a main module responsible for storing files and media data, access to which can be organized from devices connected to a common network. This is usually a PC or laptop. In the hardware part, they are used to place files and organize the procedures for exchanging them, in the software they provide the necessary functionality of the media server.
Features of DLNA standards
Media servers can operate using a wide variety of technologies and standards. DLNA is among the most widespread in the global IT market. This is a set of standardized algorithms supported by most modern TV models, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, etc. DLNA capabilities are enough to solve most problems related to the distribution of media content. Moreover, this standard does not imply complex configuration. All this, in fact, makes DLNA technologies in demand among users of digital devices around the world.
How to install the appropriate media content management system? How to use a home media server based on DLNA algorithms? Let us examine these questions in sequence.
Creating and configuring a home media server
The first step is to create our own home media server. The instruction by which such a task can be solved involves the following basic steps:
Preparation of hardware components;
Choice of software;
Network configuration.
Let's consider the relevant aspects of creating a media server in more detail.
Complete set with "iron"
First of all, it is necessary to prepare the hardware, that is, the hardware of the future media server. As we noted above, the corresponding multimedia content distribution system assumes the presence of a main module - in the form of a computer or laptop. The requirements for the performance of the corresponding device will not be strict: for the performance of the corresponding function of the media server, you can give a device that is possibly outdated for running modern games and therefore is least often used by fans of digital technology living in an apartment.
It is enough for the computer to have a processor with a frequency of the order of 1-1.5 GHz, RAM of the order of 1-2 GB. In principle, it is possible to organize the operation of the network even with lower performance characteristics. The size of the hard disk depends on the actual needs of the user. If a person plans to use a media server to store movies in high quality and then distribute them over the network, then they will probably have to equip a PC or laptop, which is used as the main element of the corresponding infrastructure, with a hard drive of the order of 500-1000 GB.
Wi-Fi equipment
It is extremely important that the device in question supports Wi-Fi connections. Of course, it is quite possible to organize a functional media server using wired connections - but this is less convenient and usually takes more time. Most modern laptop models have a built-in Wi-Fi module. For desktops, this is not always the case, but the corresponding hardware component can always be purchased separately. It is inexpensive - about 700-800 rubles. There is no need for special installation efforts - it will be enough to insert the Wi-Fi module into the PCI slot and install, if necessary, the drivers supplied with it.
In order for all devices in the home network infrastructure to communicate via Wi-Fi, you will also need a router. In theory, of course, you can connect one device to another directly - the corresponding wireless standard supports this function, but in this case the connection channel will not be as stable as when using a router, and besides, in most cases it will be less secure due to limited support strong By the way, Wi-Fi routers are provided by many modern providers, so it is possible that the corresponding software component is already at the user's disposal. If not, it must be purchased, and it must support the used standard for connecting to the Internet - for example, fiber optic, Ethernet or ADSL.
Note that the devices that are supposed to access the multimedia content distributed by the home media server must support the DLNA standard. But more often than not, this problem does not arise - if we are talking, for example, about modern models of TVs LG, Samsung, Philips with support for Smart TV. As for smartphones and tablets, their modern models also, as a rule, integrate with media servers without problems.
Software
Another part of the home media server infrastructure is software. It must be installed on a PC or laptop used as the main module of the corresponding system. Software for such purposes comes in a very wide range of varieties. It can be classified on two grounds - programs created by brands that make multimedia devices (for example, TVs), as well as solutions produced by third-party developers. So, in order, for example, to create a media server for Smart TV when using Samsung TVs, you can use the Samsung Allshare program. Similar solutions are produced by other digital technology manufacturers.
Home Media Server benefits
Among the most popular types of third-party software is Home Media Server, or "Home Media Server." Instructions for using this software do not imply any difficulties in mastering. The necessary settings for the home network and media content management algorithms are carried out in the HMS interfaces easily and quickly. Also, this program is characterized by great functionality and stability in work.
HMS is a one-stop solution. It can be used to integrate virtually any brand of TV and home media server - for Philips, Samsung, LG and other leading digital technology brands, it doesn't matter what type of software the network owner uses. The program in question is fully compatible with DLNA standards, which we mentioned above. HMS capabilities allow you to organize shared access from various devices to files, as well as television broadcasts in IPTV format.
Features of TVersity
Another popular program used by many users to run their home media server is TVersity. What is its specificity? First of all, it can be noted that it is released in paid and free versions. The difference between them is not very big in terms of software functionality. The main distinguishing feature of the paid version is the availability of a subscription to some Internet channels.
Among the notable features of TVersity is the optimization of media sharing from a home network perspective. So, the transcoder, which is used by the program, can release video with a given bit rate - so that the corresponding media stream is displayed on the screens of receiving devices continuously, even if the network is slow. There are no problems with how to configure the media server using this software. Instructions for using TVersity's capabilities are quickly mastered even by beginners in home networking.
XMBC benefits
Another notable program is XMBC. It was originally designed for use with Xbox consoles. However, now it is a popular cross-platform solution that can be installed on PCs running Windows, Linux, Mac, on mobile platforms. This program is notable in that it can provide general access not only to media files located on the hard drive of the PC used as the main module, but also to online media. With the help of XMBC, users can access popular social media pages and watch the weather forecast. Many users are also impressed by the fact that XMBC supports a large number of skins. For this program, a special xbmcRemote application is released, with which you can configure your smartphone or tablet as a remote control for devices connected to your home media server.
Plex Media Server Specifics
Another notable program is Plex Media Server. Many users describe it as one of the easiest-to-learn solutions. Plex is also characterized by stability and versatility: it can be used to network a wide variety of devices. The versatility of the program is also expressed in the fact that it is equipped with algorithms for transcoding media streams. This feature allows you to avoid problems with content recognition on different devices. Another major advantage of Plex is cross-platform.
LinuxMCE Features
There is actually a separate operating system that allows you to organize the management of home media servers - LinuxMCE. It can be noted that its functionality is not limited to support for DLNA standards. This operating system allows you to integrate into a single network not only TVs, smartphones and computers, but also other electronic devices, such as cameras, IP-phones.
Which solution from the above is best for organizing home media server management? Each of them has undeniable advantages, very few have significant disadvantages. Most likely, the question will not be about the quality and capabilities of this or that type of software, but about the user's readiness to master them, as well as his practical needs for specific program functions. So, if he needs basic features - organization of shared access to video files, Internet TV - a media server can be created under the control of HMS - a simple and easy-to-use program. If you plan to create a powerful infrastructure that involves connecting a large number of digital devices to your home network, you can pay attention to XBMC or even LinuxMCE.
Practical use of media server capabilities
So, we have decided on what hardware and software components are needed to organize the network. Let's continue with the algorithms for how to create and configure a media distribution system, and how to use a home media server.
It can be noted that using the capabilities of the programs - at least those that we discussed above, does not imply significant difficulties. The first thing to do is to install the appropriate software on your computer. The further algorithm of our actions will depend on what functions we want to use. Among the most demanded of them among the owners of digital devices is the organization of shared access to media files from different devices, as well as viewing TV programs using devices included in the network using IPTV technology.
Let's consider how to set up a home server to solve the marked tasks using the example of HMS.
Sharing media content in HMS
One of the main advantages of the HMS program, as we noted above, is its versatility. With its help, virtually any device can be combined into an infrastructure, the central part of which is a home media server. For Philips, Samsung, LG and other brands, it doesn't matter what type of software is on the main network module.
To solve the problem related to organizing sharing of media files - videos, photos, music - we launch the program, then select from the list of devices displayed in the main window, the one with which it is supposed to launch files on the media server. For example, it could be a TV-enabled TV.
After that, you should specify the media resources that are to be distributed among the devices connected to the network. It is necessary to go to the HMS settings, select the "Directory List" item, then - "Media Resources", and then, by clicking the "Add" button, specify the address of the corresponding files. As soon as these actions are performed, it is necessary to press the "Scan" button, and then activate its automatic implementation, so that the corresponding content is timely displayed on the TV.
How do I use the media server on TV? Very simple. You need to load an interface using the TV remote control, in which it is supposed to indicate the source of the TV picture - this can be an antenna itself, an Internet channel, a flash drive, or, as in our case, a media server created using the DLNA standard. The corresponding item should appear in the TV menu, and those files that we marked in HSM as being shared will be available for launch. Modern TVs tend to recognize the home media server without any problems. For LG, Samsung, Philips and other brands, ensuring support for standards like DLNA is the norm.
Using IPTV on your home network
Another common problem solved by the owners of home networks is the organization of TV broadcasting using IPTV technology. The most important condition here is that the user subscribes to the corresponding service of the provider (it is usually paid). When using the HMS interfaces, it is also very easy to configure the media server in terms of using the IPTV.
You will need to download and install the VLC Media Player program on your PC - it will work with the relevant content. It is necessary to bind it to the HMS interfaces by going to "Settings", then - by selecting "Media resources", then - "Internet resources" and specifying the folder where the VLC program is installed.
After that, you need to download a playlist of TV channels in m3u format to HMS - many providers allow you to download these files from their sites. After that, go to "Settings" again and mark the "Internet TV" option in the "Transcoding profile" item. After that, you need to restart the media server. Then you can start watching channels in IPTV format using your TV.
