Manage streaming settings in Windows Media. Manage streaming settings in Windows Media Set up media streaming in Windows 8.1
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:
- The two devices must be on the same home local network (for example, connected to the same router). How these devices will be connected (via LAN or Wi-Fi) does not matter.
- Make sure your Smart TV (or other device) is turned on and supports DLNA technology. On LG TVs it is called Smart Share, on Samsung - AllShare, on Philips - Simple Share.
Settings
There are several ways to set up a home media server:
- using built-in Windows 10 tools;
- using special programs.
Built-in Windows 10 tools
To turn on:
- In the Windows 10 search bar, enter the query “Media streaming options” and open the application found.
- Click "Enable Media Streaming."
- All devices that are on the network will have access to media files. If desired, some can be removed or configured.
- By unchecking the “Use default settings” checkbox, you can set some filters that will be applicable for this device.
- You can now access streaming media from your Music, Videos, and Pictures folders on your TV. To transfer video from any location to a broadcasting device, right-click on the file and select “Cast to device” in the context menu.
- Windows media player will open, through which the network device is searched. The said content is then launched and streamed on the Smart TV.
- A similar function is available in the Cinema and TV player. Depending on which player is selected as the “default”, that one will be used for streaming playback.
If you want to open the broadcast directly from the TV, place the media content in folders shared with your home network or add a new one. This can be done 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.
21.06.2009 23:03
Windows 7 and Windows Media Player 12 give us a fun and useful way to share our media with friends online. This became possible thanks to a unique feature of Windows 7 - media streaming technology - Remote Media Streaming.
By following this guide, you will be able to set up media streaming on your Windows 7 computer.
1. Connect to the Internet, launch Windows Media Player and click Switch to library.
2. Now click Flow ->
3. In the window that opens, click Link an online identity.
4. If your computer account does not yet have a network identity (ID) attached, then first you will need to download a special program -. To do this, click Add an online identity provider.
5. In the browser window that opens, you will be prompted to select Windows Live as your online identity provider.
6. After clicking the Windows Live logo, you will be taken to the Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant download page. In the dropdown list Language select Russian.
On this page there are two Assistant installation packages available for download:
- For a 32-bit operating system, download and install wllogin_32 msi. (This download is suitable for most Windows users)
- For a 64-bit operating system, download and install wllogin_64 msi.
7. Once the installation is complete, Windows Live ID appears as your online identity provider.
Click Match connected ID and in the authorization window that opens, enter your email and password that you specified when registering Windows Live ID.
8. Your Windows Live ID is now associated with your Windows 7 account.
9. Go back to Windows Media Player and click Stream -> Allow Internet access to your home media library...
10. In the window that appears, confirm permission to access your home media library.
11. The next window indicates that all previous operations have been completed correctly and access to your home multimedia library via the network is now allowed.
12. Now it's time to turn on the streaming itself. To do this, restart Windows Media Player and click Stream -> Enable Media Streaming(Turn on Remote Media Streaming).
13. In the window that opens, read the security notice and confirm your decision.
14. Now you need to do the same on another computer running Windows 7 to start listening to audio files and watching videos together over the network. Be sure to restart Windows Media Players on both computers before you start streaming media.
15. Open Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center -> Media Streaming Options and configure streaming settings on both computers.
Windows Media Player 12: Network Data Transfer and More
Windows users were introduced to Windows Media Player in 1999, when an updated version of Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition (Windows 98 SE), was released. Before this, Windows also included a player, but then it was called Media Player and was much less functional. Since then, Microsoft has constantly developed this program, adding new features to it. Windows 7 includes the twelfth version of Windows Media Player, which includes several important improvements. Let's take a closer look at them.
Interface changes
Firstly, you can notice some changes in the interface. The default theme has become much lighter and some buttons and control panel elements have been moved, but those who have previously worked with Windows Media Player 11 are unlikely to need much time to get used to the changes.
Perhaps one of the most significant changes to the interface is the appearance of two separate player modes - “Library” and “Now Playing”. In the previous version, switching between these modes was carried out using buttons, but within a single window. Now, when you switch to the “Playing” mode, all interface elements available when working in the “Library” mode disappear. While in this mode, you can see the album cover of an audio disc, the video being played, visualizations, and player controls. By right-clicking on the player window, you can display the current playlist.
To switch between modes, use a small button, which is located in the lower right corner of the screen in the “Libraries” mode, and in the upper right corner in the “Playing” mode.
New features of the "Library"
In Library mode, you can now quickly switch between different types of media content - music, pictures, videos, pictures and recorded TV shows. All content types are now available in the tree panel on the left side of the program window.
Another useful innovation that you can notice while working in Library mode is previewing tracks. Now, when viewing lists of songs in your collection, you can hover over the song title and then click the "Preview" link in the pop-up menu that appears. The program will start playing the track, after which the link will change its name to “Skip”. Each click on it will start playing the file 15 seconds ahead. This is usually enough to tell you if it's the song you're trying to find or whether it's worth adding to your playlist. In addition, this function is convenient to use for quickly listening to a new album.
Windows 7 taskbar support
Windows Media Player supports new features of the Windows 7 taskbar. Thus, you can now control playback even when the player window is minimized. If you move the cursor to the application button on the taskbar, a pop-up menu will appear in which you can not only see a thumbnail of the player window, but also use one of the buttons to control it - previous track, play/pause, next track.
The Jump Lists feature of the new taskbar in Windows Media Player is also supported. By clicking on the program icon in the taskbar, you can quickly jump to playing songs that you have recently listened to, as well as those that you listen to most often. In addition, there are commands to play all recordings from the library and to continue playing the current playlist.
Support for additional file formats
One of the biggest troubles that users of various media players face is the need to install additional codecs to play files of one type or another. As for the Microsoft player, its previous version in most cases tried to automatically determine which codec was missing, and at times even reported where it could be downloaded. However, it was still inconvenient. In the twelfth version of Windows Media Player, the developers tried to solve this problem. The new version of the player supports more file formats. So, WPM can now play AAC audio files, H.264, DivX and Xvid video files without the need to install additional codecs. Support for new formats means not only that Windows Media Player will easily play most files found by the user on the Internet, but also that the new version can play most iTunes media content (support does not extend to DRM-protected tracks). Moreover, Apple device enthusiasts can now access their iTunes library directly from Windows Media Player. When launched for the first time, the player itself finds the iTunes libraries already available on the computer and gives the user the opportunity not only to view/listen to its contents, but also to edit it.
Broadcasting streaming media data over a local network
One of the most notable innovations in Windows Media Player 12 is the Play To feature. Thanks to it, you can stream to another computer on your home network or to another compatible device that supports the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) standard. This could be a TV, stereo system, game console, etc. The Play To function has many useful uses. Let's say your home network has an HTPC (computer-based home theater system) that doesn't have a very large hard drive. On the other hand, on the same network there is a computer with several hard drives of sufficient capacity on which you store media content. Using the Play To feature, you can open Windows Media Player 12 on this PC, search for a movie in your media library, and watch it on your home theater. In this case, no additional settings are required on the device that receives the data, since playback control can be completely carried out on the computer from which the data is being transferred. In a special window you can go to the next track, stop playback, and change the volume level. To enable the remote control feature, you need to check the "Allow remote control of my Player" checkbox in the "Stream" menu.
If your device does not support the network file format, Windows Media Player 12 will convert on the fly to a supported format. Each device to which data is transferred has its own playlist and is controlled from a separate small window. To enable streaming, select the Turn on media streaming with HomeGroup checkbox in the Stream menu. After this, you need to select a name for your multimedia library - it is by this name that the library will be identified to other PCs on the network.
Then you can view a list of all computers connected to the local network and decide which of them will be allowed to transfer data. Next to the name of each computer there is a “Customize” link, by clicking on which you can set your own media library accessibility settings for this device. In particular, the ability to filter content by rating can be useful, which can be used to prevent access to certain files in the media library from a child's computer.
You can make your streaming setup easier by enabling "Automatically allow devices to play my media" in the Stream menu. Libraries that have been shared will automatically appear in the Windows Media Player navigation bar on devices on your local network. If this does not happen, you can configure their display manually. To do this, select the “Customize navigation pane” command from the “Organize” menu. Next, select “Other Libraries” from the list, check the “Show Other Libraries” checkbox and select the libraries that you want to display. You can then work with the contents of the remote library in the same way as with content stored on your PC.
Streaming media over the Internet
Windows Media Player 12 not only makes it possible to organize streaming within a local network, but also allows you to transfer any multimedia files over the Internet. Thanks to this feature, you can, for example, listen to files stored on your home computer, from work or from a laptop while on the road. The remote media streaming feature is not available in all versions of Windows 7 - only owners of the Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate editions can work with it. Moreover, Windows 7 must be installed both on the computer from which data is transferred and on the one to which it is transferred. To enable this feature, you need to check the "Allow Internet access to home media" checkbox in the "Stream" menu.
It is also necessary to ensure secure access to your home library. To do this, in the next window you need to select the option “Link an Online ID” and link the Windows 7 account on the current computer with an account in the Windows Live service (in the future it is also planned to support other services, such as Google, OpenID and Facebook). You need to perform the “binding” on each computer. Once you've completed the necessary setup, your remote libraries will appear in the navigation bar and you can access them just like you would access information on your PC.
⇡ ***
Of course, the list of standard applications that are available to Windows 7 users is not limited to the programs that we talked about in this part of the review. Some of them are so multifunctional that they deserve special attention. Next time we will talk about what changes have occurred in one of the most important applications in Windows 7 - the File Explorer file manager.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 to transliterated Latin letters or 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 appear 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 great. 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.
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.
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’s 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...".
Several articles