Manage streaming settings in Windows Media. Manage streaming settings in Windows Media disable streaming media options

After setup media streaming, known as media access in older versions of Windows Player, you can choose what music, videos, and pictures are available to stream on devices and computers on your network.

Automatic sharing of media

If you don't need to set individual streaming preferences, you can grant access to your media libraries by default to all devices that are or will be on your network in the future.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Player.
2. Switch to library
3. Click Stream and select Automatically allow devices to play my media.
4. In the dialog box Allow all media streams click Automatically grant access to all computers and media.
5. To block access to all devices, click Do not provide access to any computer or storage device.

Attention! Automatically granting streaming access to all devices is recommended only on secure networks.

Allowing other devices and computers to control the player

Can be allowed other computers and media devices on the network to stream media data to the player on the computer. Thus, the computer turns into a playback device. This can be done if you want a certain type of camera to use the player to play back your images and videos.

1. Open Windows Player.
2. If the player is already open and in playback mode, click Switch to library in the upper right corner of the player.
3. Click Stream and select Allow remote control of the player.
4. In the dialog box Allow remote control select Allow remote control on this network.
5. To block remote control of the player, select Deny remote control on this network.

Attention! It is recommended to allow remote control of the player only on secure networks. When connecting to a new network, remote management is disabled by default.

Changing the library name

When you share media with other devices or computers, the media is identified by the other devices or computers with the library name. The library name can be changed at any time.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Player.
2. If the player is already open and in playback mode, click Switch to library in the upper right corner of the player.
3. Click Stream and select .
4. On the page Media Streaming Options in field Library name Enter a name to identify this library to other users on the network, and click OK.

Selecting devices and computers to access media

After you enable media streaming, Windows Player automatically discovers any computers and devices on your private network that can receive media streams. You can stream media to all computers and devices on your default network, or just to specific devices.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Player.
2. If the player is already open and in playback mode, click Switch to library in the upper right corner of the player.
3. Click Stream and select More streaming options.
4. On the page More streaming options Perform one of the following actions:
   • If you want to stream media to all computers and devices on your network, click the Allow everyone button.
   • To block streaming media to all computers and devices on your network, click Block everyone.
   • If you want to stream media to some computers and devices, select Allowed or blocked in the menu next to each item in the list of computers and devices.
5. Click OK.

Selecting media to stream

If you don't want to make all your media available to other devices and computers on your network, you can choose which media is available by default to new devices that come with your network.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Player.
2. If the player is already open and in playback mode, click Switch to library in the upper right corner of the player.
3. Click Stream and select More streaming options.
4. Click Choose default settings.
5. In the dialog box, do one or more of the following:
   • In field Ratings follow these steps:
     • Click All ratings
     • Click Only and select a rating range for the media you want to stream. For example, if you select the Rated 2 or higher option, media that is rated 2 or higher in the player library is transmitted.
     • Uncheck Include files without ratings
   • In field Selecting parent ratings:
     • Click All ratings
     • Click Only
6. Click OK.

Select media available for individual devices and computers

You can choose availability of content for each device on the network. For example, you can make all media available to only one device on the network, and only allow other devices access to media with a rating of 4 or higher.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Player.
2. If the player is already open and in playback mode, click Switch to library in the upper right corner of the player.
3. Click Stream and select More streaming options.
4. Select a computer or device from the list and click the Configure button.
5. In the dialog box Set media streaming options uncheck the box Use default settings.
6. Check the box Make all media in my library available to the device to provide access to all media.
   • In field Selection of ratings follow these steps:
     • Click All ratings to stream media with any ratings assigned in the player library.
     • Click Only and select a range of ratings for the media you want to stream. For example, if you select Rated 2 or higher, media that is rated 2 or higher in the player library is streamed.
     • Uncheck Include files without ratings, if you don't want to stream files without ratings along with files that have ratings.
   • In field Selecting parent ratings:
     • Click All ratings to stream media with any parent ratings assigned in the player library;
     • Click Only and uncheck or uncheck the media types and parental ratings you want to allow or disable;
7. Click OK.

Blocking access to media

If you want to prevent media from playing, you can block all computers and devices on your network from accessing it.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Player.
2. If the player is already open and in playback mode, click Switch to library in the upper right corner of the player.
3. Click Stream and select More streaming options.
4. Click Block everything.

First of all, let's define what data streaming is? This is a transmission method (in this case, video and audio), in which the transport and playback of multimedia data on a remote computer is carried out in almost real time.

For example, the user's computer is located in a remote segment of the local network (or even in another city). Data, in the form of a series of sequential packets prepared in a special way, is transmitted to the input of his PC, where they are decoded. After which the packets are “assembled” into source material, which is displayed on the user’s monitor in the form of an initial sequence of video or audio.

A striking example of this is Internet streaming, which is now gaining popularity, when an operator broadcasts an image from his camera to the Internet in real time, and from there it is “picked up” by users who have connected to the broadcast. You can also provide streaming of material already saved on your computer (start a network broadcast of a new horror movie or a video from your favorite rock band) :) Or organize a live broadcast from a webcam connected to the USB port of our PC.

The general scheme of this action looks like this:

But first things first! Today we will talk about streaming video. There are special protocols for transmitting streaming data: RTMP, PNM, RTSP, MMS, RTSPU, RTSPT, MMS, MMST, etc. They transform the source data on the fly so that it can be transmitted to the network as a continuous sequence. The use of advanced compression and buffering technologies allows you to view streaming content from anywhere without waiting for it to be fully downloaded to the user’s computer.

I propose to put an end to the theory and look in practice at what video streaming is? And then decide for yourself whether you personally need this technology or not, okay?

Today I want to tell you about one wonderful product: Unreal Media Server. Honestly, I’m just blown away by this software package! :) I don’t know how things are now on the “fronts” of multimedia streaming, but when I was actively interested in this issue (I tried many solutions), the “adequate” software could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Either the server is fundamentally paid (you won’t try it), then it doesn’t work, then it works, but “crookedly”, the video is transmitted with wild delays and “brakes”, some solutions are frankly difficult to set up, which you don’t want to understand, etc. d.

And then, by chance, I stumbled upon this wonderful solution. The server size is only a few megabytes, the player is 500 kilobytes! Everything works, the video stream plays smoothly and without delay. There are no unnecessary (redundant and underused) functions, an intuitive graphical interface. In short, everywhere you look there are nothing but advantages. I didn’t even find any cons :)

I remember I used the fourth version of this software. Having downloaded and installed the latest version (the tenth version especially for writing this article), I was pleasantly surprised that during this time the project did not acquire a whole “bouquet” of very “necessary” features and “bells and whistles”, very often only imitating the development of the project and without any reason complicating its commissioning. The size of the distribution remains almost as compact, everything is as intuitive as before, and it works great!

After that, I was convinced: “Unreal Media Server” is worthy of a separate detailed article on our website! :) So, let's go to the website of the developers of this software: umediaserver.net In the upper left corner we will see a link “Produkts”, click on it. In the list that appears, select “Unreal Media Server”.

Then, in the right side menu, look for the “Download” item.

We get to a page from which we can download the necessary distributions and additional components (plugins) to our computer.

We will be primarily interested in the basic components shown in the photo above:

• Unreal Media Server is a streaming media server itself
• Unreal Live Server - a component for organizing live broadcasts from IP or web cameras
• Streaming Media Player - a player that allows you to watch videos

Pay attention to the size of the software package distribution kits! So, download all three components to your computer:

Let's first install the main module - “UMedia Server”. I will not describe the installation process itself and provide screenshots of it (I just don’t want to bloat the article). It comes down to a few clicks on the “Next” button and is not anything complicated.

After installation is complete, click on the "Start" button in the taskbar and select "All Programs". Among other things, we will see a new group “Unreal Streaming”, where all installed components of our complex will be added.

Media Server Configurator allows us to perform basic configuration of the application. It may seem like a joke, but our video streaming server is ready to go and can broadcast video to the network! Without any additional configuration! That's why I like him too :)

But we, I hope, want to manage all processes ourselves with a firm hand and understand what is happening? Then let's be patient and look at the main components of the entire video streaming software package. We launch Media Server Configurator and see its main window.

Pay attention to the “File Resources” and “Live broadcasts” sections. The first is responsible for playing over the network files that are already stored in a special folder on the server and ready for streaming (video clips, films, presentations), and the second section is used when organizing “Live” broadcasting from an IP or webcam.

Now we will look at the first option for transferring video that is stored on our computer. Pay attention to the “MediaRoot” folder, which by default is already created on the server (screenshot above). By clicking on it, on the right side of the window we can see the full path to it.

We can go to this address and see there one test.avi file, shown in the photo above. It is in this folder that we will need to “store” all our video files that we want to broadcast over the network.

Now, without further delay, I propose to organize viewing of this test file test.avi on a remote computer. To do this, we will set up a network between our two PCs: on the one where we will install the server components, 32-bit Windows 7 is installed, and our “client” will be the good old Windows XP.

Note: we discussed in detail how to set up a network between two computers in one of our many, so we will not dwell on this.

We will install Streaming Media Player on a computer with XP (the installation is also very simple and does not require additional explanation). As always, we look for the player icon under the “Start” button.

We launch it and try to play the test.avi file on it, located on our first computer. To do this, click on the “Play” inscription in the top menu and select the “Play file” command from the list that appears.

In the window that appears, we will need to specify basic connection settings. This is logical, because the player “doesn’t know” where our video streaming server is located and what kind of file needs to be played from it? This is what we need to “explain” to him.

In the “Media Server IP address” field we indicate the network address of the server (depending on what IP we assigned to the computer at the network setup stage), in the “Port” field - the value of the port through which communication will take place (usually it is specified here by default, but, just in case, remember his number: 5119).

Note: we also looked at what “ports” are and why they are needed, so we will not dwell on this point separately.

Let's continue! The “Protocol” options are needed to select the type of network protocol that will be used for data transfer. You can leave the default - TCP (Transmission Control Protocol).

The “File name including virtual folder” field is used to indicate the virtual folder for storing our streaming video files. As we remember, this is the “MediaRoot” folder, which we examined in one of the previous screenshots. Using a slash, we indicate the name and extension of the file that we want to receive (play) from the server and click the “OK” button.

If we did everything correctly, then after a short wait for the player to buffer (the initial accumulation of video frames into the playback buffer for subsequent smooth playback), we will have access to our test.avi file.

As you can see, everything is actually very simple :)

Note: When testing this software package, you can place all its components on one computer. We created a network between two PCs here only to demonstrate how it all works in conditions close to “combat”.

You may ask the obvious question: what video file formats (extensions) are supported by this video streaming server? I will answer with a screenshot, which can be found on the official website of the project:

The photo above on the left lists the file types that can be used both for live broadcast directly from the camera, and for pre-prepared files ready for distribution over the network. The photo on the right shows applications that can “receive” the broadcast video stream.

Let's look at some settings that we can change on our server if we wish. What we can do? We can, for example, change the virtual directory for storing and distributing our content. This is done in the main server window using the “File” menu and the “Nev virtual folder” option (new virtual folder).

A settings window will open. In it we (within the framework of this task) will be interested only in the first fields:

1. Folder name - name of the new virtual folder (set arbitrarily)
2. Browse - select a folder to bind the virtual directory to (you can create any one). You can specify the full path to an existing one -
   C:\\Program Files\UnrealStreaming\UMediaServer\MediaRoot
3. Description - description of the folder (optional)

To save the settings, click “OK” and see that in the directory “tree” we have a new virtual “storage” for our video files.

Thus, you can create several thematic repositories and distribute video content among them. At any time, you can simply delete or temporarily disable any folder by right-clicking on it and selecting “Delete virtual folder” or “Disable virtual folder” from the list that appears.

Now, when connecting to a streaming video server, instead of the MediaRoot folder (used by default), we will have to manually specify a new name in the “File name including virtual folder” field: in my case - my_video (the requested test.avi file remains unchanged).

I hope the very concept of streaming video has become more understandable to those of our readers who have not encountered it before? For people who have experience in this matter, getting acquainted with new software, which in itself is also not bad :)

Let's continue! Now let's password-protect access to file playback. For what? I don’t know, but you can use it if necessary :) Let’s turn again to the “File” menu - the “Properties” option.

This serious window will appear:

Note: in any “serious” window, the main thing is to find and concentrate on that part of it that is responsible for the function we need at the moment. The rest should be ignored! :)

In the screenshot above, I want to draw your attention to the places marked in red. First of all, there are two information fields where the port numbers through which the video stream is transmitted are written. I recommend remembering them or just remembering them at the right moment, where can you spy them? :) Port 5119 is for the Unreal player and 5130 is for the Live broadcast server from the camera (we'll talk about this separately).

So, all we need from this window to organize access to the video using a password is the “Add User” button and the “Internal Authentication” switch. Switch, click on “Add User” and see this window:

In the photo above, indicate a custom username to access the video stream and create a password, confirming it twice. We can not change anything else and immediately click “OK”.

Now let’s launch the Unreal player on the remote computer again and try to “catch” streaming video from the server. We will see this prompt to enter your login and password:

We can check the box next to “remember my credentials locally”, then the user connecting again from this computer will not need to enter the password again. After filling out the fields, click “OK” and our video is successfully displayed!

In order to remove a user from the server and cancel password authentication itself, we need to return to the “serious” settings window, highlight the user account and click the “Remove user” button. Don't forget to return the switch to the "Anonymous access" position - anonymous access! Click the “OK” button to save the settings.

I think we’ll have to split our article into two parts, otherwise the “sheet” of text is already too long. That's what we'll do! Moreover, this will be logical: in this (first) part we will look at organizing the broadcast of streaming video from pre-prepared files, and the second part of the article will be devoted to live broadcasting from a camera and working with Unreal Live Server.

Before we take a break, let's try to interact with the video streaming server without the proprietary Unreal player and use the standard Windows media player. Yes, he can do that! :) Launch our player: “Start” - “All Programs” - “Windows Media Player”. Select the “File” menu (if there is none, press the “Alt” key on the keyboard) and from the list that appears - “Open URL”.

Note: Windows media player can open (connect) to video streams distributed over the network. This is the function we will use!

In the window that appears, we will need to specify the connection protocol, the address and port of the streaming video server, the path to the virtual folder and the requested file with its extension.

Taking a closer look, we will find that almost all the components of the address are already familiar to us (we came across them in one way or another during the course of this article). The obvious exception here is the “new” transmission protocol MMS(Microsoft Media Server protocol). This is Microsoft's media content transmission algorithm. Now it has been replaced by a more progressive RTSP(Real Time Stream Protocol), but mms is retained for backward compatibility.

This is what we will use! So, we indicate the protocol for connecting to the server (mms), its IP address (in our case it is 192.168.1.2), the server port on which it is “waiting” for connection (5119, note that after the IP address the port is indicated with a colon), Next, we register a virtual folder with video files (remember that we changed it to my_video) and finally - the file we requested, indicating the extension supported by the server (test.avi).

Note: If file types (bindings) are not configured in Windows Mediaplayer, you may be prompted to do so. All that is required of us is to click on the “Next” button several times. The media player will do the rest itself :)

Click the “OK” button. If we did everything correctly (oh, this sacramental phrase!), then the Windows media player window will launch, in which at the top we will see the percentage of buffering (pre-loading) of the video we requested.

When this value reaches 100% (this will happen fairly quickly), the video will begin to play.

And now, as agreed, we move on to the second part of our article, dedicated to live broadcasting using Unreal Media Server software. Click on "continue" at the bottom of the article.

One of the characteristics that distinguishes some modern televisions from others is their degree of intelligence. In a figurative sense, of course. We are talking about the technological advantages of the so-called Smart TV. Conventional digital TVs, as a rule, can play the role of the TV itself, working in tandem with a receiver, play media content using the built-in player (alas, often with a limited list of readable formats), and also serve as a monitor for a computer, game or TV set-top box . Whereas Smart TV, they are also smart TVs, are able to participate to a greater extent in the chain of content reproduction as independent participants.

1. About media streaming and DLNA technology

Smart TVs are actually the same computers, because they have their own hardware capabilities, have their own software, and can connect to wired and wireless networks. And the last thing is almost complete independence from source devices. The advantages of direct TV access to the Internet are obvious, but there are many of them with local access to a computer. Streaming media from a computer to TV is the TV's direct access to files on the computer. Streaming eliminates the fuss with flash drives and external hard drives. Files are transferred from the computer to the TV over the network. Without the participation of a computer, as long as it is simply turned on, without the participation of a smartphone, without the participation of set-top boxes and other source devices, all permitted material can be played using a TV - video, photos, music, any media files that such a TV can play.

DLNA technology allows devices on the same network to exchange media content. It is supported by many modern devices that can connect to the network - computers, tablets, smartphones, TV and game consoles, and, of course, Smart TV. For example, smart TVs from LG that support DLNA technology have a proprietary Smart Share application - a shell of this technology with a user interface. Applications from other Smart TV brands are called differently and, accordingly, have a different interface. In particular, on Samsung smart TVs the shell for DLNA technology is the standard AllShare application. And for Sony TVs, this is the Vaio Media Server application.

How to set up streaming media from a Windows computer - PC or laptop - to TV? We will examine this issue in detail below.

2. What do you need to set up streaming from a computer to TV?

To set up streaming from a computer to a TV, as mentioned, it is necessary that the latter supports the network. By the way, to stream media files, the Smart TV “status” for the TV is not required. The TV may not have super-functionality; it simply must support the network and allow the selection of a signal source with at least primitive standard functionality. Such a TV must have a built-in Wi-Fi module or an Ethernet network port. As a rule, modern Smart TVs provide both options - both a wired and a wireless network connection.

Both devices - the TV and the PC or laptop - must be connected to a single local network. When connected to a router (router), any devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs - are automatically combined into one small network. Of course, if you don’t have a router, you can get by by directly connecting the TV to your computer over the network. What you need to do this is to connect the network cable to the Ethernet ports of the devices. But in this case, if the computer has only one network port (one network card with one Ethernet port), you will have to constantly reconnect the cable from the TV and the cable from the Internet provider. It is not comfortable. A router must be in the house if there is a question of unlocking the potential of Smart TV. Well, a Wi-Fi router is a must-have if you use smartphones or tablets in the house.

The method of connecting the TV to the network - wired or wireless, if it provides both options, is not important.

The next condition for streaming is configured access using DLNA technology to the media library folders on the computer. On Windows, this can be done in several ways.

3. Setting up network access to computer files in Windows Media Player

A way to configure access to computer files in Windows without the need to install third-party software is to use the standard Windows Media Player.

On the Windows Media Player toolbar, click the “Stream” option and check the box next to:

• “Enable media streaming...”

After enabling this option, a system window with streaming parameters will open, where you can specify the name of the media library and flexibly configure the availability of media content for specific network devices: leave the preset resolution for some, and remove it for others.

The configured permissions will allow other devices to access files over the network only in the user profile folders. These are the “Video”, “Music”, “Pictures” folders, which are displayed in Windows Explorer along with disk partitions, drives and removable devices of the computer. If this is more than enough, you can start testing file playback on your TV using local applications that work with DLNA technology.

But storing files in user profile folders on the system drive is not a good idea both from the standpoint of having free space on drive C and from the standpoint of preserving these files in case of a critical Windows failure. As a rule, media libraries of impressive size are stored on non-system partitions of the computer disk. Folders of such media libraries must be added in a separate step to the Windows Media Player library,

To make the contents of other computer folders available for streaming to the TV in the Windows Media Player window, click the “Arrange” option, select “Manage Libraries”, and in it – one of the content types: “Music Library” for audio files, “Video” for video files , “Gallery” for photos and pictures.

A window will open with a list of existing libraries, and to add the desired folder to this list, click the “Add” button on the side. Add this folder in the Explorer window that opens, then click “Ok” in the list window.

An alternative way to add folders with media content to the system list of folders with public access for home network devices is to add to the library using the context menu command in Windows Explorer. At any time, any folder on your computer where videos, music or photos are stored can be accessed for playback from network devices. To do this, you need to open this folder in Explorer, call up the context menu and select the “Add to Library” command. The folder will be added to the appropriate library and its contents will be available for streaming.

The list of folders with video and audio files open for streaming will also change when changes are made to it using the standard Windows 10 Movies and TV and Groove Music applications. In the settings section of both applications, you can add and remove folders to local collections of video and audio files. Local application collections work in conjunction with system libraries.

4. Setting up network access to computer files using the LG Smart Share program

Some Smart TV brands have their own software for desktop operating systems, through which you can configure access to your computer's media files. These programs can be downloaded from the TV manufacturers' website or on the Internet. For example, to allow Samsung smart TVs to access computer content, the South Korean corporation created the Samsung Allshare program. And for LG TVs, the LG Smart Share Windows program for PC is available for free download on the company’s website. Let's take a closer look at it. On the LG website, select the version for Windows and download.

Installation of LG Smart Share is standard. After launching the program, you need to select any of the proposed content settings options – Movie, Photo, Music.

In the window that appears, access must be enabled. If it is disabled, set the switch to the “On” position.

Switch to the “My Shared Files” tab. Here you can allow access to files in the specified folders. Using a button in the form of a folder with a plus sign, you need to add any other folders with media content to the existing folders of the user profile. After adding, click the “Apply” button at the bottom, then “OK”.

Everything - now the content of all folders displayed in the “My Shared Files” tab of the program will be available for network devices, in particular for TV.

In the program settings tab just below - “My device settings” - you can change the computer name. Using this name, the computer will be identified on the network for other devices.

The LG Smart Share utility process will automatically start along with the Windows system, providing further access to your computer's media files.

To make sure that everything works as it should, launch the SmartShare application on the TV.

Go to the “Devices” section and select our media server.

Open any of the shared folders that contain media files.

Let's try to play the file.

5. Setting up network access to computer files using the Home Media Server program

Another way to provide TVs, set-top boxes, mobile and other devices that support the network and DLNA technology with access to your computer’s media content is the Windows program “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)”. The program works with many popular TVs: LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, Philips. Using this program, a DLNA server is launched on the computer, to which all network devices can connect. By default, the program allows you to manage server files from the TV - essentially, computer files.

The advantage of using Home Media Server over all of the streaming options listed above is that it has more features and is more customizable. The program provides various transcoders for video and audio files, which allows you to convert media content, if it initially exists on the computer in a format not supported by the TV, into a format that is supported by it. You can additionally configure the broadcast of individual Internet channels (radio and digital television) on your TV.

“Home Media Server” can be downloaded absolutely free on the creators’ website.

Download the program, install it and run it. Upon startup, the initial settings window will immediately appear. You can leave everything as default and refuse to scan media files. Let's move on to the program settings in a separate order.

In the program window, click the “Settings” button on the toolbar at the top of the window.

In the settings window that opens, we will see the category tabs on the right. In the first tab “Media Resources”, using the “Add” button, we can add any folders with media content to the program list to give them access for streaming. Shared access can be opened immediately to all partitions of the computer disk (C, D, E, etc.), to all network drives, to all connected removable media. To do this, you need to check the boxes next to the required options at the bottom of the window - respectively, “Local drives”, “Network drives” and “Removable devices”.

The Media Resources settings tab provides many options for the added folders. For example, by clicking the “Change” button, we will be able to exclude hiding files and directories, remove certain types of files, set a different folder name - and all this within the framework of the DLNA server, without changes on the computer.

At the bottom of the “Media Resources” tab there are separate sections with an abundance of different settings. In the “Scanning” section, you can pay attention to the option “Always use file name as the name of the media resource.” Without checking this option, the names of media files in Russian will be converted into transliterated Latin letters or into unreadable crocodile.

In the “Devices” settings tab we will see a list of all detected network devices that will have access to DLNA server files. Any of the devices on the list can be disabled by removing the green activity button.

In the “Server” settings tab, instead of the default DLNA server name, we can set our own name, for example, more convenient for perception. Next to the server name field we will see its port - 45397. It may happen that the antivirus or firewall running on the computer will block the operation of the DLNA server. In case of such blocking, the DLNA server port must be granted permission to work in the antivirus or firewall settings.

Also in the “Server” tab, you need to pay attention to the default option that prevents the computer from going into sleep mode while the DLNA server is running. If it becomes necessary to put your PC or laptop into sleep mode, the DLNA server will need to be stopped in the future. If, on the contrary, the checkbox for the option “Prevent the computer from going into sleep mode while the server is running” is not checked for some reason, it is better to check it. Otherwise, watching a movie on TV will be unceremoniously interrupted as soon as the laptop goes to sleep to save battery power.

The Home Media Server program has a very rich selection of settings, and its potential can be revealed gradually, testing certain features as you become familiar with them. For now, let's limit ourselves to the settings already made and save them. Click “Ok” below and agree to scan media files in the configured folders.

After the program completes the scanning process, we can launch the DLNA server. To do this, click the “Launch” button on the toolbar at the top of the main program window.

Home Media Server runs in the background and can be controlled from the system tray. By calling the context menu on the program button in the system tray, the DLNA server can be stopped, started, or restarted.

You can automate this process so that the DLNA server starts automatically when Windows starts in the program settings. The last settings tab “Advanced” provides in the “Startup” column options for autoloading the program itself when Windows starts, autostarting the DLNA server when the program starts, as well as installing its background service in the Windows system.

Once the DLNA server is running, all available media content on the computer can be played on the TV through a local DLNA application. In the TV app, the DLNA server will appear as a connected playback device. Inside it, folders with computer media content configured in the Home Media Server program will be available.

You can launch available media content for playback not only in the TV application. You can also assign the Home Media Server program to start playing media files on your TV. To do this, in the main window of the program, select the appropriate content - click on the “Movies”, “Music” or “Photo” button on the toolbar at the top. The right side of the program window will display folder files that were previously accessed for broadcasting to the TV. Select the desired video, audio file or picture from the list, call the context menu on this file and select “Play to” among the commands. In the list of devices that appears, select the TV. The selected movie, track or photo will unfold on the TV screen.

6. "Bring to device" function Windows 8.1 and 10

The function of starting playback of media files on a computer with displaying images on a TV is also provided as part of the standard functionality in versions of Windows 8.1 and 10. If the Windows system allows playback of media files on the computer by network devices in the Windows Media player, as discussed above, a movie, audio track or photo You can launch it on your computer and continue watching or listening on your TV. This is a handy thing when you don’t particularly want to fiddle with the TV remote control and look for, for example, the desired movie among a bunch of other media files, killing your nerves with monotonous flipping through file after file.

To launch a media file on your computer, you need to open the context menu on it in Windows Explorer and select the “Bring to device” command. This is a command for Windows 10. In Windows 8.1, this context menu command is called “Play To”.

After this, we will see a list of network devices available for playback. Choose a TV. The launched file will unfold on the TV screen, and on the computer screen we will see a small Windows Media player window with a playlist where you can additionally add some files.

7. Bring to Device feature in Windows 10 Movies & TV app

The “Bring to Device” function available for media files in the Windows Explorer context menu is also implemented in the Windows 10 Movies & TV application. It works on the principle of launching a video file in an application on a computer and continuing to watch it on a network device, in particular, on a TV screen. Open the “Movies and TV” application, launch the video and in viewing mode, click the first button at the bottom – the button to connect to available playback devices. A list of all network devices defined for outputting the video file will appear in a small window. Choose a TV.

In the future, you can continue watching the movie again on your computer, in the “Movies and TV” application. This is a great idea for a home filled with digital technology that is connected into one network. For example, having started watching a movie on the TV screen in the living room, you can continue watching it on the kitchen TV screen. And then you can move back to the living room with the film. And to do this, you just need to pause for a couple of simple actions on the computer.

8. Conclusion

As you can see, the choice of ways to configure the computer part of the chain of interaction between the computer and the TV over the network is large. Despite the fact that the article turned out to be voluminous, in fact, not all programs on the software market for implementing multimedia streaming from a computer to a TV are considered. Setting up your TV is easier.

As mentioned above, your computer's media files can be accessed through local smart TV apps. And these are the above-mentioned Smart Share for LG TVs, AllShare for Samsung, Vaio Media Server for Sony and others. On regular network-enabled TVs, where the firmware does not provide separate applications, access to computer files can be configured by selecting a media server as the signal source. In many cases, the source button on the TV remote is called “Source”.

Have a great day!

I have already published more than one article on the topic of setting up DLNA. We ran the DLNA server in different ways, on different devices, and for different TVs. In this instruction, I will show you how to enable a DLNA server in Windows 10. Let it be a computer or a laptop, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that Windows 10 is installed on it. There are many different programs that you can use to run a media server on your computer. But in this instruction we will not use any third-party programs. We will use only standard Windows 10 tools. However, this option is available in both Windows 8 and Windows 7. There are few differences there.

And so, first, let’s figure out what DLNA is, why run this server on a computer, laptop, and what to do with it. Everything is very simple. Using DLNA technology you can transfer media content (video, photo, music) between devices on the local network. Most often, this technology is used to view videos or photos that are on a computer on a Smart TV. I wrote in more detail about this technology in the article: . If interested, you can read it.

How it all works: The Smart TV must be connected to our router. Via Wi-Fi network or cable. It doesn't matter. The computer on which we want to run the media server and from which we want to play video, photos, or music on the TV must be connected to the same router. The main thing that devices were on the same local network (were connected through one router). This does not mean that there should be only one computer and one TV, there can be several of them. Moreover, there may be other devices on the network that support DLNA. For example: game consoles, TV set-top boxes, satellite receivers, etc.

Before proceeding with setup, make sure that your computer and TV are connected to your Wi-Fi network, or using a network cable to your router. Check if the Internet works on the TV. If you don't know whether your TV supports DLNA, you can check the specifications for this information. I will say this, if the TV has a Smart TV, then everything will work.

And in the Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 10, it is possible to display videos, photos and music on TV directly from the browser. I wrote in the article how to do this.

I think we have figured out all the nuances, now we can start setting up.

Displaying video from Windows 10 to TV: a quick and easy way

A video, film, almost any video can be displayed from a computer to a TV in a few clicks of the mouse. Turn on the TV. Make sure it is connected to the Internet (to your router).

On the computer, open the folder with the video, and right-click on the file that we want to play on the TV (Smart TV). Next, move the cursor to the “Transfer to device” item. Our TV should appear there. If it says “Searching for devices...”, then you need to wait a little. Leave the menu open, or try again in a couple of seconds. As you can see in the screenshot below, Windows 10 found two TVs on me: LG and Philips.

Choose a TV. The player control window will immediately appear. In it, you can control video playback on the TV, add other files to the playlist, see information on the TV, etc.

The TV will immediately start playing the currently running movie.

We have just started watching video from a computer to a TV using DLNA technology. As you can see, everything works. And all this wirelessly, over the air. It's over if you have both devices connected via Wi-Fi.

Starting a DLNA server on Windows 10 using standard means

Above we looked at a method where you can send files to a TV from a computer. But there is still a great opportunity when we can view all files from the TV (to which access is open), which are stored on our computer. I think this is exactly what you need.

To run the DLNA server, you can use third-party programs, for example, "Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)". I wrote about setting up using this program in an article. This program is suitable for all TVs. But each manufacturer, as a rule, has its own program. LG, for example, has Smart Share. The setup I wrote about.

Well, on the other hand, why do we need third-party programs if everything in Windows 10 can be configured using built-in tools.

1 First of all, we need to open the “Media Streaming Options”. This item is located in the control panel. You can simply start typing its name in the search and launch it.

2 In the new window, click on the “Enable media streaming” button. Thus, we enable the DLNA server in Windows 10.

3 Next, enter the name of your DLNA server. Then, in the device list, you can allow or deny access to the media server for a specific device on your network. If you are connected to your home network, you can leave all devices.

If your TV is not on the list, then wait a little. Or close and reopen your media streaming settings.

Next to each device there will be a "Configure..." button. If necessary, you can set individual settings for each device.

4 You can now access the running server on your TV. It looks different on different TVs. On Philips TVs (with Android TV), for example, you need to launch the Media application. Or select this source from the available signal sources.

As you can see in the screenshot above, access will immediately be open to three standard folders: “Video”, “Images”, “Music”. You can view all the files that are in these folders on your TV.

These three folders are located on the system drive. Agree, it is not very convenient to copy the necessary films and other files there all the time in order to watch them from the TV. Therefore, you can simply share other folders.

How to add a folder for a DLNA server

Launch Windows Media Player.

If you want to add a folder with videos, for example, then click on the corresponding item on the left and select “Manage video library.”

In the new window, click on the "Add" button. Select the folder to which you want to open access via DLNA, and click on the "Add folder" button.

That's it, the required folder will appear in the list and will be displayed on the TV. For example, I opened access to the “Video” folder in which I store films.

In this way you can add any folders or remove them from the list.

1 If you need to open your media streaming settings, you can do so from Windows Media Player. Just click on the "Stream" menu item and select "More streaming options...".

2 If your computer goes into sleep mode while playing files via DLNA and playback is interrupted, simply turn on the "High Performance" power plan.

Several articles

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

What is a DLNA server?

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

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

What do you need to stream?

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

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

To set up a DLNA server on Windows 10, you need to:

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

Settings

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

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

Built-in Windows 10 tools

To turn on:

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

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

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

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