DLNA Media Server opens up wide possibilities for broadcasting video and other media files from one device to another via WiFi. Since this technology is cross-platform, it can be used to transfer pictures from a laptop or PC to Windows to a TV or Android set-top box. The previous article aroused such interest among readers that I decided to develop this topic and talk in more detail about the capabilities of the UPnP home media server on Windows, as well as how to organize work with the Home Media Server and SmartShare programs.

What are DLNA and UPnP?

The Integrated Digital Networking Network (DLNA) Consortium is a group of companies that have joined together to create a common, open standard for connecting devices. All devices that have DLNA support can automatically, while in the same network, be configured to receive from each other and view content.

What types of devices are DLNA capable?

DLNA-compatible devices are TVs, mobile phones, PCs and laptops, music players, game consoles such as Sony PlayStation 3, home media players, personal computers, Android phones, Blu-Ray players, tablets, wireless printers, camcorders, TVs flat screen, routers and HiFi systems. First of all, make sure your device has this support. All DLNA certified devices carry a logo or sticker that indicates that the product has passed DLNA compliance testing and is able to connect to other certified devices. Further, the device must have a description of the type of digital content supported (for example, audio, video, photos), as well as the type of destination (for example, server, printer, player, etc.). A more detailed description of the accepted designations is at the end of the article.

The Digital Living Network Alliance currently includes most of the major players in the market, such as Intel, HP, Motorola, HTC, Microsoft, Samsung, LG and Panasonic. These companies create products that interact successfully with each other. Only Apple remained on the sidelines, which developed its own standard - AirPlay. So if you have a device from the Apple family, you won't be able to include it in your media network consisting of devices from other manufacturers.

How does DLNA media server work on Windows?

DLNA devices are designed to be interconnected. Each device is assigned its own class depending on its purpose. For example, any storage device belongs to the Digital Media Server class. These are mobile phones that store photos, music and videos in their memory. Any device capable of receiving and playing digital content from another DLNA device will be a Digital Media Player. This is your TV that is capable of playing videos, music and photos from other devices.

In order to create a home media server, you need at least one DLNA server for storing content (for example, a laptop or mobile phone) and one DLNA device for playing it, such as a TV.

DLNA devices connect and communicate with each other through a configured home network. The scheme of this network is probably similar to the device of your home Internet network. In fact, the router is the central point of communication on the network and is used to connect devices to each other.

Here's a quick list of what you'll need:

dLNA TV
at least one DLNA digital media server such as a file server, laptop or phone
router
one of three for connecting the receiver to the transmitter: Powerline adapters (for sharing the Internet over the mains), Ethernet cables, or a wireless adapter to connect to your network

Setting up DLNA Home Media Server on Windows Computer or Laptop?

We have come close to the topic of setting up a home media server via DLNA. First of all, you need to connect your laptop and TV with support for this technology (for example, Samsung with Smart TV) to the router. There are several ways to accomplish this. This is discussed in detail in, but they are briefly listed below. You decide which one to choose depending on how far the router is from your TV and other DLNA connected devices.

Ethernet cable
If the router is close to the TV, an Ethernet cable is the easiest way to connect them.
Simply plug one end of the cable into the TV's Ethernet port and the other into the router port.
Wireless bridge
If you have a wireless router or your TV is remote enough, consider installing a wireless bridge to connect your TV to the router. The wireless bridge connects to the TV via an Ethernet port and to a router wirelessly. Or, if your TV supports WiFi via a built-in or external adapter, then connect it to the router directly.

Some wireless routers, such as those from Buffalo Technology, are DLNA certified and specially designed for DLNA home networks.

Power supply, no cables required
Mains powered networking is a great way to set up networking throughout your home. Installation using an electrical home network is simple and safe. Since the existing wiring is used, cables are no longer required for intra-DLNA connections. Almost all manufacturers of network equipment produce adapters for connecting to a wall outlet. 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

Before you can transfer files from your computer, you need to install the appropriate software on it. Options include Windows Media Player 11 or 12 (included in the new version of Windows 7) or VAIO Media Server (for Sony TV), AllShare for Samsung, LG Smart Share, Home Media Server, etc. After installing the software, you can select files to transfer on the TV - photos, videos, music files, etc. How the transfer takes place depends on the software used, but as a rule it comes down to specifying a playlist, library or files, or adding them to the appropriate folders.

Let's now take a look at the most popular programs that allow you to transfer files from your computer to other devices.

Windows Media Player

To set up Windows Media Player to transfer files from laptop to TV, follow these steps:

SAMSUNG Allshare Software

You can download it here. More advanced compared to the previous program, but again only for Samsung. It is based on the * DLNA standard and can be used to share multimedia content not only on the TV, but also on many other * DLNA-compliant devices such as computers, tablets, camcorders, digital cameras, mobile phones, etc.

The order of work is as follows:

Now, for a better understanding, watch a video demonstrating how to work with these programs from Samsung.

Home Media Server - Home Media Server

This is another cool free program for organizing a full-featured media server from your computer, from which files can be broadcast to other devices on the local network - not only a TV, but also a tablet with Android OS, for example. Its plus is that it is suitable for any TV with support for network connections, for example, the same inexpensive LG. You can download the latest version here.

Let's take a closer look at how to use the Home Media Server. After installing it, you will be asked several times to set the basic parameters - here we click “Cancel” everywhere, but we do nothing, since we will set everything up later.

We get to the main window of the program.

In addition to viewing files, this program also allows you to broadcast streaming from the Internet to your TV. But let's talk about this separately ..

I hope that now all blog readers have become clearer about what a DLNA media server is and how to connect various devices to it. Well, after a careful study of all this information and a competent implementation, you can build something like this:

By the way, the phone can also act as a server - but more on that in a separate article about. You will learn how to connect to your home media server.

Lots of other delicacies for a snack - the most popular questions with answers, a glossary of terms and visual videos on DLNA. And do not forget to subscribe to the blog news through the form below the article so as not to miss the next article in the DLNA series. It will focus on the Xbox Media Center Universal Cross-Platform Media Server (XBMC).

Frequently asked Questions

Are all TVs DLNA certified?

No, not all TVs support DLNA. To make sure yours is DLNA capable, look for the appropriate logo on it.

What should I do if my router is far away from the TV?

There are two options if your router is far from TV A and other devices.

DLNA: connect using a wireless bridge or electric cable. This way you can connect TV and devices to the router.
DLNA wirelessly. This article provides detailed installation steps.

Is it possible to connect other devices to DLNA server via WiFi?

Some DLNA devices have built-in WiFi function. The way to connect via WiFi will depend on the device itself. You may need to activate WiFi or Network Sharing in order to connect to the router (and DLNA network).

My TV won't connect to the media server. What should I do?

Check the cable and connections between the TV and the router, and between the DLNA devices and the router.
Check your network setting on your TV. Details about connecting TV to the network are described in a separate article, the link to which I gave above.

What devices are DLNA capable?

There are a number of DLNA-enabled devices available. Check out the Integrated Digital Networking (DLNA) Consortium website

Some devices cannot be seen by my BRAVIA TV. What should I do?

If your BRAVIA TV cannot find content on another device, the following could be the case:

Your TV or other DLNA device is not connected to the network.
The problem is with the router or network.
The other device does not have DLNA support or is not a Digital Media Server, in other words does not have the memory to store files.
Your PC or laptop does not have the appropriate DLNA server software installed.
Depending on your network settings, your laptop may need to disable the firewall function. You must be aware of the risks associated with this action. They are entirely your personal responsibility. If you are unsure how to proceed, seek professional help.

Which is the best way to set up your network, wired or wireless?

It all depends on the distance of the network components and on how desirable the presence of visible cables in the house is. A wired network, however, may perform slightly better than a wireless one. A few more tips:

Try to avoid complex network setup schemes with multiple subnets and hubs as this can affect the performance of your DLNA network.
If you want to be able to stream HD video files, we recommend using a network with a speed of at least 200 Mbps for more stable performance.
When choosing an Ethernet cable, choose Cat5e over Cat 5 as this will allow your network to run faster.

Can I rotate images when the TV is connected to a PC?

No, you cannot rotate images on the screen. You must rotate the image on your laptop or other device before it appears on the TV screen.

Photos are distorted on the TV screen. Why?

When a photo is enlarged, the image quality may deteriorate. For optimal quality, display photos at their native resolution, even if they don't fill the entire screen.

Are my photos not filling the entire TV screen?

Images may not fill the entire screen. It depends on their resolution and format. For the best image quality, do not change their native resolution.

What file types are supported by DLNA devices

It depends on the device itself. Check the DLNA Certification for your device
or check out the DLNA website. Depending on the network device, some files may be converted before
transmission. Below is a list of files that are generally supported by DLNA devices:

Images: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF
Audio: MP3, WAVE, AAC, AC-3, Ogg Vorbis, LPCM, AMR, WMA *
Video: AVI, FLV, MPEG2-PS, MPEG4, H.264 SD, WMV, WMA

Can I store files on my TV?

No, your BRAVIA TV is a DLNA media player. This means that it is capable of finding and playing files from DLNA media servers that contain content. Your DLNA-compatible BRAVIA TV delivers an amazing audiovisual experience for watching movies and listening to music. In every sense, TV is the best DLNA media player.

Do I need to install additional software on my PC or laptop to transfer files? Where can I find this software?

Yes, in order for your PC or laptop to transfer files within the DLNA network, software installation is required. In some cases, such as Windows Media Player 11, the required software is already installed. Below are the programs that allow you to exchange files on the DLNA network, which you can download for free:

Windows Media Player (version 11 and above)
VAIO Media Server (for Sony)
Smart Share (for LG)
TVersity
SimpleCenter
Home Media Server
GMedia Server
Geex Box
MythTV
Mini DLNA

Is it possible to access iTunes or share and play DRM files on the network?

No, although it may also depend on the codecs supported by different devices.

Why aren't the names of files and folders with my photos displayed?

Some folders or files may not appear on the TV screen if certain characters are used in their names. Try changing the name and broadcasting them to the TV again. Please note that on many models, only the Latin alphabet is supported in the names of files and folders with photos.

My DLNA server device is listed on the TV screen, but no files are available. Why?

The connection between the DLNA device and the router may have been lost. Check cables and connections. To check if the connection between the DLNA device and the TV is working, you can also run the Auto Diagnostic Check, which is different for each model.

Sometimes the video quality when streaming wirelessly is quite poor. Why?

The quality of the wireless network connection may vary depending on the distance between the bridge and the router, any interference in the room, and the quality of the wireless router itself. For better image quality, use a wireless router that supports 5GHz video streaming and place the router as close to the wireless bridge as possible.

DLNA Conventions

By using DLNA connections, you can design a link between any devices that work with this standard, each of which can act in different roles. A number of terms are used for their precise designations, which are described below.

The first group of device connections that are mainly used at home is called HND (Home Network Devices)

	DMS (Digital Media Server) is a media server. These are the devices that are the source, that is, which contain the files that we want to view on another device. This can be a computer with the special software listed above installed, a NAS device that has DLNA support.
	DMP (Digital Media Player) is a media player, or DLNA client. These are the devices that receive content from the media server and can either play it or transfer it to another device, acting as a media renderer. These are TVs, game consoles, independent monitors, home theaters, etc.
	DMR (Digital Media Renderer) is a media renderer. A device capable of playing content received through a media controller, which in turn transmits it from the media server. Usually, they can do the same as listed above in media players.
	DMC (Digital Media Controller) is a media controller. Allows you to find files on the media server and transfer it for playback on the media renderer. These are tablets, smartphones, digital cameras with support for WiFi connections.
	DMPr (Digital Media Printer - devices that provide a print service for others - these are printers. Media players (DMP) and media controllers (DMC) are capable of transmitting printed information to them.

Another group of devices - MHD (Mobile Handheld Devices) - are portable devices capable of transmitting and receiving content - mobile phones, tablets, smartphones, camcorders, cameras.

	M-DMS (Mobile Digital Media Server) - mobile media servers. Gadgets that are able to distribute the stored content to mobile players (M-DMP), media renderers (DMR) and printers (DMPr). these can be mobile phones or portable media players.
	M-DMP (Mobile Digital Media Player) is a mobile media player capable of playing video from servers - stationary and mobile (DMS and M-DMS). This role is played by telephones, PDAs,
	M-DMU (Mobile Digital Media Uploader) - portable gadgets capable of uploading files to servers. For example, digital cameras, cameras or telephones.
	M-DMD (Mobile Digital Media Downloader) - portable devices that can find and download media content from DMS and M-DMS servers (mobile phones and media players)
	M-DMC (Mobile Digital Media Controller) are portable media controllers that have the ability to find content on media servers and broadcast it to DMR media renters - phones and PDAs.

If you get access to your own home media server for Windows, then your opportunities for using the accumulated information will expand significantly.

This is very useful if there is not one, but several PCs and TVs at home, but even on mobile phones, laptops and set-top boxes, the server will simplify the use of information, because it will combine everything into one network.

With the help of such a network, any user can view available photos and videos, listen to music, etc., using the required device for this.

1. Home media server is ...

This is a special software that makes it possible to simplify the exchange of information between devices connected to a home network - for example, a smartphone, computer and TV and other equipment with similar technology.

It requires DLNA (streaming data standard) and free apps like: “ Home Media Server UpnP, DLNA, HTTP».
Each of the devices can be connected to the same network using a "wired" connection, even if setting up a home network is very complicated and tricky. But this option will provide an incredible speed of up to 1000 megabytes per second.

The second option is wireless communication of devices through a Wi-Fi router, which can support speeds of up to 300 megabytes per second. But when watching videos in 4k and 1920r quality, freezes are possible.

But this connection is greatly simplified - after all, to configure it, you just need to configure the router and connect TVs, smartphones and PCs to it.

Most often, it is the second option that is chosen - wireless networks due to the simplified connection method and the minimum number of wires in the rooms.
Yes, and in the modern world, most of the equipment simply does not have the necessary connectors, the same tablets and smartphones.

2. Create a DLNA server

To create a DLNA server, you first need to download and install special software on your PC.
Today, for all systems from Windows 7 and above, you need to follow these steps:
- go through the "Control Center" to the "Home group";
Picture
If such a “homegroup” has already been created, then your screen will display a list of devices connected to it at the moment.
If there is no group, then it must be created using the special item "create a home group", this is done through the "creation wizard". Next, you need to specify to what information on the host PC the information will be opened for any connected device.

To watch movies from your PC hard drive, you need to select "streaming to all devices."
The same item will be needed in order to create a DLNA server.

We save the changes and wait for the end of the application of the necessary settings. During the creation of such a network, a password for it will be set automatically. The password can be viewed in the "Show or print homegroup password" section, and it can be changed in the same item with the corresponding name.

3. Setting up the created DLNA server

After creating a DLNA server, you need to configure it, and first, select the name of the library itself.

A special “streaming” menu will show devices that are already connected to the network.

You can quickly access the DLNA Server settings using Windows Media Player.
This application should be opened on the PC, it will be the "home server".

Thus, on a TV that does not support any format, playback of music and video will be possible.

4. Special programs for customization

Creature DLNAserver can be done with other applications
Home Mediaserver is one of those programs that makes it easy to work with PC files. You can download it on the official website in Russian.

Plex- no less convenient option for working with media files. The server can be launched on a PC, and can be controlled from the Plex menu itself, or through a browser. Judging by the reviews of software users, up to 90% of them are satisfied with the work of the program.

PS3 / PS4 - media server, needed to work with consoles of the same name, namely: Sony Play Station 4 and 3.
With the help of simple settings and software and even Windows tools, you can create your own home network to connect home devices locally.

This will greatly simplify the viewing of various programs or films on TV, without buying a package of services from a particular telecom, and this will allow you to display information from the Internet to any gadget in the house.

Name: Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP) 2.19
Evgeny Lachinov
Year: 2016
Platform: PC

System requirements:
- Windows 95.98, ME, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, Seven 8
- UNIX-like systems using Wine (http://www.winehq.org)
- MAC OS using WineBottler (http://winebottler.kronenberg.org), CrossOver Mac (http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac)
Interface language: Russian
License Free (FreeWare)

Description: 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 game consoles, WD TV Live, Popcorn Hour, Dune, Boxee Box, IconBit, ASUS O! Play media players, iPad / iPhone / iPod, mobile and PDA devices.

The program includes various transcoders of 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), the choice of 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.

The program supports external and internal subtitles. If the device does not support subtitles, then the program can include subtitles (2D and 3D) in the video stream during transcoding.

Checked by me on PHILIPS LED 46 PFL 6806H / 12.
Rewind from the TV remote works!

My connection: Laptop - Wi-Fi - router - cable - TV

Update to version 2.19 (2.14) - (2.19) (2.15) - (2.19) (2.17) - (2.19) (2.18) - (2.19)

Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP) (version 2.19)

1. Settings - Media resources - Information about the catalog of media resources:
added setting "Scanning torrent files" (disabled by default). Playing torrent files through transcoding, successful viewing depends on the speed of the network, the characteristics of the computer and the number of torrent clients.
2. Settings - Media resources - Internet resources:
added setting "Torrent protocol parameters": portbegin-portend - ports (by default 6881-6889) that libtorrent will use for connections, if the first port is busy, libtorrent will use the next one from the allowed range, etc., sslport - port for secure (SSL) connections, if 0 (default), then the SSL port is not opened.

In general, the Home Media Server program is conceived by the developers as a home media server. But most often HMS is used as a DLNA server. It is ideal for this purpose and has many useful settings, often performing even better than official programs such as LG SmartShare PC SW and the standard DLNA setup method via Windows Media Player. The idea is to let your TV play movies, music, pictures and other content right from your laptop or computer. At the same time, they must be connected to the same home network, for the organization of which a router or router is usually used. After that, it remains only to configure the program, and the trick is in the bag. You can download it on the official website http://www.homemediaserver.ru by clicking on the "Download" button.

Installing Media Server is as easy as shelling pears: unpack the archive and run "setup.exe", where we agree with all the conditions and click the "Next" button everywhere. After successful installation and launch of HMS, the main program window will appear. When you start it for the first time, select your TV from the list of devices (for example, LG TV). You can add media resources that your TV will have access to in the next window or in the settings later. In the window for backing up and restoring program data, click "Run" and "Close".

HMS as DLNA server

Immediately go to the program settings. Here we are going to set up our DLNA-type home media server. To do this, in the "Media Resources" category in the very first tab "Directory List" using the "Add" button, specify the paths to the folders on our computer where the media files that you would like to see on LG TV or other are located. After adding all the folders, click "Scan". Although we will configure the autoscanning of new media resources, new elements still sometimes do not appear automatically, and you need to scan using this button manually.

On the "Scan" tab, it is important to enable automatic scanning of directories when you change them and start the program so that new media files are immediately displayed on the TV.

In order for the Home Media Server to start when the computer boots, in the "Additional" category, check the boxes "Start the program at the start of a Windows session" and "Install Windows service Home media server ...". Setting up HMS for DLNA server is completed, click OK.

Next, select the "PC Connection" tab and press the "Next" button 3 times. Please note that in step 3, your home network was selected (wired or wireless, depending on the method of connecting the TV), otherwise select it.

In step 4, you should see your PC. If it is not there, restart the server, it usually helps. Next, select the device and go to the "Connected devices" item.

View Media

After the first connection, our device will be displayed in the last item of LG SmartShare - "Connected devices". If it is not there, restart the server on your PC. For example, to watch films, you need to select the "Movies" folder, then "Media Resource Directories".

Here you will see a list of folders added in HMS settings. Go to any folder and start the movie. Sometimes the TV may write that "The file type is not supported." Do not despair, this is a glitch, try to run it again and everything will work out 2-3 times.

HMS features

The advantages of Serviio home media server are as follows:

on the TV, you can see the clear structure of the PC folders;
the ability to start playing media files on TV from the program itself on a PC. To do this, select a file from the list and click on the green Play button, which is present if the TV is turned on;
relative stability (after PC SW DLNA from LG is just a fairy tale);
a large number of settings.

Disadvantages:

some confusion for beginners;
sometimes automatic scanning of new files does not work;
periodically you have to restart the server for the device to appear on the TV.

Despite these disadvantages, HMS is ideal as a home media server, including DLNA. The details of setting up the Home DLNA server are in the following video.

Other possibilities

The possibilities of the considered Home Media server do not end with DLNA. HMS can provide access to media resources of a computer using UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) technology and HTTP protocol. This is more true for smartphones and tablets.

But for DLNA, this server can still do a lot. For example, you can give access not only to computer resources, but also the stream of Internet radio and IPTV television. It is also possible to broadcast so-called podcasts from various online cinemas, such as hdserials.ru, hdkinoklub.ru and hundreds of others. There is also the possibility of transcoding media files in a format that is not supported on TV. How do you like that? All this will be discussed in the following articles, subscribe to our newsletter, as well as VKontakte and Twitter.

Before starting the story about setting up the program "Home media server", I would like to clarify that this program will help solve the issue "How to watch movies, listen to music from a PC on a TV with DLNA technology"... This includes Samsung's AllShare technology. Download program "Home media server" you can follow this link.

Supported HMS operating systems:

Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7;
UNIX-like systems using Wine;
MAC OS using WineBottler, CrossOver Mac.

Adding directories of media resources to the Home Media Server program

button "Settings" - section "Media resources" - page "Directory List" — Add
drag (and release) the required directories from Windows Explorer (and release) into the main form of the program (can be used with the standard file search in Windows).

To access the server through a browser, you must enable the mode Web, set the constant server port in the section Settings - Server - "Port" field (value from 1024 to 65535). Accessing the server from the browser:

http: // Server IP: The specified server port.

Server IP address can be found in the section Settings - Server - List of allowed network connections - Search.

Launching the Home Media Server program

Pay attention to all messages that may appear from firewall programs when you first start the server.

Click the button "Launch" in the button bar of the main program window. If the server starts successfully, the button "Launch" will become unavailable, but buttons will become available "Stop" and "Restart", the message log will contain lines
"Server start".

What to do in case of errors when starting the home server

check the list of available network connections in the program settings (section Server - List of allowed network connections - Search). If the list of allowed network connections is not empty, then compare it with the list of available network connections by clicking "Search".
check the settings of the firewall program used, the Home Media Server (UPnP) program must be allowed network activity, for stricter rules, UDP port 1900 must be open for incoming and outgoing packets, the server TCP port specified in the program settings must be available for incoming connections.

You can create a list of allowed network connections from the list of available network connections, mark the network connection for inclusion in the list in the first column. If for the media server in the program settings (section "Server" -field "Port") is set to a constant port number, then the availability of the media server can be checked from the browser at http: // Server IP: The specified server port... If so, the media server welcome page will open. If the section Program settings - Device , web mode is turned on, the top level of the media resource base will open.

Auto start home media server

Enabling automatic server start when the program starts: Settings button - "Advanced" section - "Server autostart at program start".
Autostart of the program when the user logs on to Windows: Settings button - section "Advanced" - "Startup program at the start of a Windows session".
Installing the server as a Windows service: Settings button - Advanced section - Installing Windows Home Media Server (UPnP) service.

Options for connecting media devices to the server

You can familiarize yourself with the options for crimping network cables. To avoid misunderstandings, a TV is also meant by a media device.

Computer - Media device... A crossover cable must be used for the connection.
Computer - Switch - Media device
Computer - Router (router) - Media device... Straight-through cables must be used to connect devices.
Computer - Wi-Fi router - Media device. For more information on the wireless connection method, see the article .

The operation and settings of the media server do not depend on the connection option. When using a router, enable the automatic assignment of IP addresses to devices, for details on how to configure a router (router), see the article. When using 1 and 2 connection options, the IP addresses are assigned manually, the addresses must be different in the last part of the IP address, the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0, the default gateway is the IP address of the computer, if necessary, you can specify the addresses of the DNS servers, you can specify the computer address. Example: computer address - 192.168.1.4, media device address - 192.168.1.5.

Searching for a server in a media device

Search for a server with shared folders is performed according to the user manual of the media device. If you have any questions, refer back to the above-mentioned Allshare and Smart TV articles.
If the server is not found, but all connections are made correctly, then in the program settings (Server section) check that the list of allowed client devices is empty or the device's IP address is in the list of allowed ones. When using a firewall program, check the rules for accessing the module's network hms.exe (if the server is running as a Windows service, then for the hmssvc.exe module), if possible, put the firewall in learning mode, restart the Home Media Server (UPnP) program. If you are using other media servers, then it is better to turn them off during the setup phase.

If the server is found, but there is no way to open it in the media device

Home Media Server (UPnP) settings that may help resolve this issue, section Device: mode "DLNA 1.0", "DLNA 1.5", "Authorization service", "Russian names of the main folders", in the Server section set the constant server port (from 1024 to 65535).

Navigating files on a media device (TV, media player)

If the device supports the Russian language, then in the program settings (section Device) you can enable the “Russian names of main folders” mode, this affects the names of the main folders of the media resource base. If the Russian language is not supported by the media device, select Transliteration for the encoding of Russian names, the “Russian names of main folders” mode is enabled / disabled at the user's request (if disabled, then there will be English names of the main folders of media resources).
The folder names can be changed in the main form of the program by the right mouse button - the item “Change name”.
Excess folders of media resources can be deleted in the main form of the program by right-clicking the "Delete folder" item, or the "Exclude empty folders when transferring information to UPnP devices" mode can be enabled in the Device section.
Slow navigation through the media resource base can be associated with the peculiarities of the media device, the inclusion of the "Exclude empty folders when transferring information to UPnP devices" mode, the presence of slow removable media in the system, frequent changes in media resource directories and the "Automatic scanning directories when they change while the server is running ”. The mode "Exclude empty folders when transferring information to UPnP devices" can be disabled, the "Removable media" folder can be deleted in all sections of media resources (Movies, Music, Photos).
Navigation through the catalogs of media resources in the structure of their storage on the disk can be performed through the folder "Watch Folders" (Russian is off), "Catalogs of media resources" (Russian is on).
If some media resources are not visible on the media device, but are present in the main form of the program, then this may be due to the mime type transmitted by the server for this media resource. The mime-type can be changed in the program settings - the Settings button - the "Media resources" section - "File types" - the choice of the file extension - the Change button.

Watching movies from the server

The server can transfer movies to the media device in their original form or through transcoding (converting the movie into a format supported by the media device). The movie is automatically transcoded if the file extension is not in the list of supported ones or the transcoding profile is selected for the movie. Configuring movie file extensions supported by media device: button "Settings" - section "Device" — "Built-in file support" — "Films"... The list of file extensions is formed according to the user manual of the media device or information on the website of the manufacturer of the media device. If the movie is played in its original form, then the choice of the audio track and the subtitles included in the movie file is possible only if the media device supports this choice. When choosing a movie through the Transcoding folder, you can select an audio track, internal and external subtitles, audio delay, transcoding profile for converting the movie.

Transcoding profile - a script (macro) that generates parameters for calling the transcoding program or performs transcoding using DirectShow. Editing transcoding profiles: button "Settings" - section - button "Profiles".

The used transcoding profile can be selected:

for all films: Settings button - "Transcoder" section - "Transcoded file parameters" - Films - "Transcoding profile"
for movie files of a certain type (extension) - Settings button - "Media resources" - "File types" button - file extension selection - Change button - "Transcoding profile"
for a specific movie: in the list of movies in the main form of the program by the right mouse button - “Transcoding Profile” or through the navigation of the media device, if the movie is selected through the Transcoding folder in the Settings folder formed by the server for each movie.

When playing movies, media devices usually stretch the video to full screen, therefore, in order to maintain the aspect ratio of the movie frame, the server generates parameters to complement the original frame size with color to the frame size specified in the setting. The setting of the transcoded frame size and the color of the padding are set in the program settings - the Settings button - the "Transcoder" section - the "Codecs, frame" page - "Frame size". Color padding is not supported by all transcoder programs, so if you select a transcoding profile other than the main ones, it may not be available.

Causes of errors when playing movies from a home media server:

the original movie file is selected, in which the format, encoding of video or sound track is not supported by the media device, a possible solution to the problem is to select a movie through the Transcoding folder
a movie is selected through the Transcoding folder, in which encoding of a video or audio track is not supported by the transcoder program, a possible solution to the problem is to select a different transcoding profile for the movie; problems with the sound track can also be solved by setting the number of channels in the program settings (section Transcoder - page "Codecs, frame") - 2
media device or server unavailable: restart media device or server.

Reasons for stopping / slowing down content playback:

viewing can be stopped due to insufficient disk space used to store temporary files; exceeding the file size supported by the device; exceeding the maximum size of the transcoded file specified in the program settings (section Transcoder - "Parameters of the transcoded file" - Maximum size).
the transcoding speed of the movie is not enough for viewing, you can check this in the main form of the program: perform test transcoding by PCM in the movie list - The transcoding speed (fps parameter) must be higher than the frame rate of the movie. If the “Transcoding panel display” mode is enabled in the program settings (Transcoder section), then the transcoding speed can be viewed in it after selecting a movie on the media device. You can also turn on the transcoding speed indicator (section Transcoder - "Subtitles, speed indicator"), if the transcoding speed is less than the value specified in the program settings, the current transcoding speed will be displayed on the frame of the movie at the location specified by the user.

Solutions to the above problems:

select a transcoding profile for viewing with a smaller frame size, video quality
if the encoding of the video track is supported by the media device, but the movie file format is not supported, then you can select a transcoding profile that converts the movie file format and leaves the video track unchanged (“Movies - TsMuxer” transcoding profiles - formation of m2ts files, “Movies - WMF "- formation of wmv-files). For the "Movies - TsMuxer" transcoding profile, you must additionally download the TsMuxer transcoder program from the home page (in the Transcoding profiles setting)
stop watching a movie on a media device to form a transcoded movie file sufficient for viewing
specify a drive for storing temporary transcoding files that is different from the one used by the system to store the paging file
optimize the system as a whole - check disk fragmentation, the list of startup programs, etc.

Settings of the Home Media Server program on the example of my TV model SONY Bravia KDL-46XBR9

Install, run the Home Media Server program on your PC, go to Settings by clicking on the corresponding button.

On the right is the "Add" button for disks / directories with media content. In this case, you can choose which of these files will be scanned when the program starts. Scanning is necessary if you have changed the contents of this directory and there have been changes. A green circle notifies that the type of these files is being scanned.
Now it's worth paying attention to the File Types button on the right pane. Some TV models cannot play PAL video files, you need to add NTSC for the content to be recognized. (for example MPEG-PS_PAL_NTSC for * avi).

For the * mkv container, select the Transcoding Profile - Core AVC. In DLNA, enter the line MPEG-PS_PAL or MPEG-PS_NTSC depending on your TV.
Now let's look at the left panel "Categories" - "Device". Here you will need to select the type and resolution of your TV. DLNA1 and DLNA1.5 is the old and new version, you will learn about the supported DLNA version of your TV from the manual or on the official website. Also here you can configure Web access to the server. Let's move on to the next category on the left pane of the Server settings section.

Add your TV to client devices (look in the menu, TV network settings for static IP). When you click on the lifebuoy icon, the program will automatically determine the name of your computer and add it to the Server - Name line. Use the Search button to identify devices connected by DLNA technology on the network. Make sure the TV is turned on and connected to a wired or wireless network. After scanning the network, the program will add the found network clients (PC and TV). Click on TV and go to client settings.

By clicking on the Settings button, you will be taken to the individual device settings. Set the settings we talked about above.

Clicking the "File Types" button will take you to the file registration settings, where you can make the necessary changes.

Return to the main settings window and go from the left panel to the "Transcoder" category.

Set the settings according to the image and go to the bottom tab "Codecs, Frame".

Draw your attention parameter section "Sound - Original audio track if compression is the same"... Unchecking this checkbox will help to avoid the loss of the Russian track during video playback. Remember that before transcoding each file can be viewed and changed if necessary.
The next tab we will look at is "Subtitles".

In this window, you can customize the subtitle display style to your taste and other parameters necessary for their correct display. Let's take a look at the last category of the left panel "Advanced".

Check the checkbox Installing Windows Home Media Server (UPnP) Service... Thus, the program will be automatically loaded when the computer is turned on as a service, I wrote about this in the Automatic server start section.