In today's world it is difficult to imagine our life without the use of high technology. So, probably, many have heard about such a thing as UPnP. What is UPnP and DLNA support, we will try to figure it out. In addition, some basic tips for setting up the equipment will be given, since this is not always done completely automatically.

UPnP. What is UPnP?

From the point of view of modern computer, mobile and media systems, UPnP is a universal connection of several devices when combined into one system. This is the so-called Universal Plug&Play standard. In other words, this technology can be called a universal device connection with its automatic initialization.

In fact, it is this approach that allows you to create a single home UPnP server based on the existing one. At the same time, information stored on one of the connected devices will be available on any other. Most often, computers, laptops, mobile devices, video or music players act as a source, and media content is played on a TV. But! In most cases, these devices should support the DLNA standard.

What is DLNA?

DLNA is a universal set of standards used when connecting equipment for transmitting media data. As a data transmission medium, a conventional home local area network is used based on automatic assignment connected devices IP addresses.

In this case, the external user address does not change. IP is assigned exclusively within one local network. The main component that uses DLNA (UPnP media server) is the router, which is responsible for automating the assignment of appropriate IP addresses to devices. This is most commonly an (A)DSL modem or router, although there are still aging connections using

Device connection options

To begin with, in this case, the main step is to create a connection between the router and the TV. Today there are three main options:

• connection using cables (Ethernet);
• connection using an internal or external Wi-Fi adapter;
• connection via the mains without any use of cables at all.

However, here you need to clearly understand that the automatic merging of devices into a single whole will not do. Need to create a virtual UPnP DLNA-server(if one is already available, say, on a TV like Smart TV, it’s generally great). Responsible for this software, which will be discussed later.

Benefits of a home media server

If we consider the list of main features using UPnP (DLNA) transceiver technologies, they are quite diverse, although they are used only to work with media content.

So, for example, when creating a home media server, you can easily view photos and videos that are present in a computer or laptop, smartphone or tablet on a large TV screen. But the matter is not limited to this either.

Few of the unprepared users know that with the help of such technologies it is possible to broadcast online television or watch videos on the same YouTube hosting not on a computer (if you have the appropriate software or a regular Internet browser), but on a TV panel. And this, in turn, makes it a universal tool for watching programs, clips or movies, listening to music, etc.

Now a few words about the main points regarding setting up a home media server. Here you can not do just an understanding of UPnP technologies. What is UPnP, we have already figured out a little. Let's see how such knowledge can be applied in practice.

First, you will initially need to enable the use of these protocols on your router and on your TV (or, if you have one, your cable or satellite TV set-top box). On the router, as a rule, such settings are enabled by default, but to be sure, you should go to the appropriate section and make sure that the UPnP parameter is in the Enable state.

But that is not all. In the "OS", if this service is not enabled, it must also be activated. To do this, in the "Control Panel" go to the programs and components section (in older systems - the add and remove programs menu), where you can view the installed and involved Windows components.

In network services, you need to connect the discovery (management) client service, and also enable UPnP. What is a PNP client in this case? A universal bridge capable of automatically recognizing any media device, even without installing the appropriate drivers. To make it clearer, they are simply not needed in a local wireless network when connecting a smartphone or any other mobile gadget.

Used programs

At this stage, we will go directly to the software that allows you to create, use and manage a home media server. There are quite a lot of such packages today. But they may have completely different possibilities.

For example, if you install a server based on samsung apps All Share, the TV will only be able to select music, videos, or photos stored in device shared folders. There is no talk of any broadcast of TV programs from a computer.

It is much more convenient to install a more serious package like Plex Media Server, which has such an impressive list of features that few programs can match it. In addition, the software itself is produced in Russian and is distributed completely free of charge.

As for mobile systems, such as Android, for such devices it is appropriate to use a small applet called MediaHouse or Bubble UPnP. Both applications can be easily found in the service Play market and install it on your device absolutely free. The advantage of such programs is that when installing the appropriate computer client DLNA setting not needed here at all. It is enough that the smartphone, tablet and computer (laptop) are connected to one private virtual network. After launching the application from a computer terminal, a list of all available devices will automatically be displayed. For fidelity in computer version you can "expand" the desired folders (create a share). Only and everything.

Conclusion

I hope that this brief information will give many novice users an idea about UPnP / DLNA technologies. In general, even when setting up a home media server, there should not be any particular difficulties, except for enabling UPnP support on the router, TV and in the “OS” itself. But, as practice shows, at all modern devices and in latest versions Windows all these services are enabled by default. The only thing left for the user is to solve the problem by choosing the software that best suits his requirements.

UPnP (abbreviationUniversal Plug and Play) – kit network protocols published by the forum of the same name.

The UPnP Forum is an open association of industry representatives to develop UPnP technology standards, the goal of which is to simplify the interconnection of smart devices initially at the level of home, and later - corporate networks.

UPnP is based on standards and technologies such as TCP / IP , UDP , HTTP , XML and provides automatic connection between similar devices and their joint work on the network .

In this case, in order to give access, for example, to the resources of an FTP server hosted on a PC, it is necessary to perform a port forwarding operation on the router and assign a static IP address to the computer.

Note! Using the UPnP function on the router, all port forwarding settings are done automatically, so this method Suitable for people who are just starting to study the computer. The downside of UpnP is that it reduces the security of your home network.

In most cases, the user receives a router with UpnP enabled. Let's check the activation of this mode in the settings of our router.

To do this, in any available browser, you should write the IP address of your router (usually this is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), enter your username and password.

TP Link

Section "Forwarding", subsection "UpnP" - "Status - Enabled"

D-Link

The "Advanced" section, the "Advanced Network" subsection, the "Enable UPnP" box is checked.

ASUS

Section "Internet", tab "Connection" - "Enable UpnP" checkbox is checked in the field "Yes".

Once UPnP has been enabled on the router, it must also be enabled on the application that requires port forwarding.

For example, to enable UpnP in Skype you need to go to section "Additionally", subsection "Compound" and check the box next to "Enable UpnP".

Creating a DLNA Home Media Server

DLNA- a technology that allows you to combine devices into a single digital network for the purpose of receiving / transmitting and viewing various media content on-line.

In practice, it looks like this, there is a computer with a larger hard drive that stores photos, movies, audio recordings and other media content.

What if you want to watch one of the movies not on the PC screen, but on a large TV?

Or your friends are visiting and you want to show your vacation photos either on the big TV screen or on your phone because you don't want to go into the house.

But what if each family member wants to watch their media files on their personal device (phone, tablet)?

The problem is solved by creating a media server based on a PC and connecting all devices into a single network using a router.

Draw your attention to that routers that support the 802.11N standard (data transfer rates up to 300 Mb / s) do not always cope with the transmission of large streaming volumes of high-quality video over Wi-Fi and fading occurs on the TV screen.

Download and install the program.

After the installation is completed, you should specify from which directory and what type of content will be broadcast to the network (the "Add" button on the right panel of the program).

The choice is made by placing green dots in front of the corresponding directories and content type.

To add resources located on network or removable drives, check the boxes in the corresponding columns at the bottom of the window.

If necessary, you can add the program to startup and install the service « home media-server", this will allow the program to run in automatic mode after the computer is turned on.

To start the DLNA server, click the "Start" button in the top panel of the program, after which you need to turn on the TV.

To launch the content, right-click on the file and select from the context menu "Play on..." instead of three dots there will be your device (in our case, a TV).

In this article, I want to talk again about how to create on a computer (laptop, netbook) DLNA server. This will allow you to watch movies and photos on the TV, as well as listen to music that is on your computer.

But, as it turned out, there are many problems with the Smart Share application. Either it does not start, then it gives various errors, or it closes on its own. You can read about this in the comments that visitors left to the article, the link to which is above.

There is a very good and absolutely free program “Home media server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)”, which is an excellent analogue of LG's Smart Share, or Samsung's AllShare, for example.

“Home media server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” is a kind of universal program with which you can launch a DLNA server and connect to it from almost any TV that supports DLNA technology (and if your TV has Wi-Fi, or a network connector, then it most likely supports this technology). In principle, a DLNA client can be not only a TV, but, for example, a game console.

This manual is suitable for TVs from different manufacturers: LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, etc. Compared to proprietary applications such as Smart Share, “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” has a large number of settings.

We will not delve into all the nuances, but we will only consider how to share the necessary folders or disks. How to create a server, and how to start watching a movie using DLNA technology on a TV.

Connecting a TV for DLNA

Before proceeding with setting up the program, we need to connect the TV to a computer or laptop. If you already have everything connected, for example, through a router, then you can proceed to the next step.

We need to connect the laptop and TV to the network. If you have a router installed at home, then it is enough to connect your computer to this router, via cable, or via Wi-Fi, it does not matter. And you need to connect the TV to the same router. You can connect the TV in the same way, or via Wi-Fi (See connection instructions.) ) .

Our task is to have a TV and a computer (in my case laptop), were connected to the same router. I have a TV connected to the router via Wi-Fi LG 32LN575U and laptop Asus K56CM. On their example, this instruction will be.

What if there is no router?

In this case, you can connect the computer to the TV via a network cable, directly. Just take the desired length of the network cable (it can be crimped in almost any computer store), and connect the TV to the computer.

It looks something like this:

Connecting this way should work fine. But for me, the TV refused to see the server created on the laptop. But, in the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program, the TV was displayed and I could start viewing photos from the laptop itself, and the photo appeared on the TV.

She also has an idea how to connect them without a cable and without a router. But, I’m not sure what will work and this method is suitable only for TVs that have the ability to connect to Wi-Fi.

You can try to create a computer-to-computer connection on a laptop, which I wrote about in the article ““. Then, connect the TV to the created access point and try to access the files on the computer.

I think you've got the connection figured out. Let's move on to setting up the server.

Setting up the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program

First, we need to download and install the program itself. I advise you to download from the official site: https://www.homemediaserver.ru/index.htm. There always a new version and so safer.

Save the archive to your computer. To install, just run the setup.exe file, which is in the archive. I will not describe the entire installation process, it is simple. Follow the instructions.

After installation, launch the program with a shortcut on the desktop.

Let's go straight to the program settings. We won't do anything special there. We will simply specify local drives, flash drives, external HDD and, or folders whose contents we want to see on the TV. For example, you can only open a few folders containing movies, photos, and music.

A window with settings will open. In the first category media resources, we need to specify which drives or folders we want to see on the TV. By default, standard folders with photos, videos and music are open there.

The program tries to sort everything. And in order not to get confused in all these folders on the TV, I advise you to share local disks. By default, if I'm not mistaken, access to them is already open. Check if the checkbox is checked next to Local drives.

If installed, this means that you can open any file on the TV that is stored on these local drives (drives C, D, E, etc.).

You can also specify individual folders, or, for example, an external hard drive. To do this, click on the button on the right Add, and select in explorer desired folder, flash drive, or hard drive.

We can see which folders and drives we have shared. We can delete selected folders. These are the main settings, if you look, there are a lot of settings, I won’t consider them all. To save, click on the button Ok, and agree to scan media resources.

We are waiting for the program to scan folders and disk. Further, you can already start the DLNA server itself. To do this, simply click on the “ launch“.

We observe a message that the server is running.

Now, just turn on the TV. If everything is connected correctly, then it should appear in the “Home media server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program. To do this, go to the tab Playback Devices (DMR), and on the right, click the button Refresh.

If our TV appeared, then everything is fine. You can try to start viewing photos directly from the program.

If the TV does not appear in the program, and the server we created is also not visible on the TV, then first of all, check the connection. Is the TV connected to the network, and is the laptop connected.

Then, completely disable antiviruses and firewalls. They can block access to the server.

To do this, in the main program window (above), select one of the tabs: movies, music, or photos.

In the left window, media content will appear, which is located in those folders and disks to which we have opened access. Right-click, for example, on a photo and select “Play on“, then choose our TV.

The photo should immediately appear on the TV screen.

In the same way, you can start playing video and music. This means that we can start playback on the TV screen from the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program.

But, this is not always convenient. Much better, go through the TV, and open the files you need. To do this, leave the running server. You can hide the “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” program. Click on the red cross (close program), and it will hide in the notification bar.

At the same time, the server will work and you will be able to go to the computer from the TV.

We start viewing files via DLNA from the TV

So the server on the computer is running, the files are open for viewing.

Now, on the TV, we need to go into the program that is responsible for working with DLNA technology. For example, in LG, this is Smart Share. On other TVs, this app may have a different name.

For example, to launch Smart Share in LG, go to Smart TV (blue button on remote) and select Smart Share. If the TV does not have Smart TV, but has DLNA, then the process may be different.

Opening a folder My computer, and we see our local drives there, and other folders to which we have shared access.

Afterword

“Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” is actually a very cool program with a lot of settings. We only considered opening file sharing, and starting the server. When I started watching the movie through Smart program Share, the laptop would go to sleep and playback would be interrupted. There is a lock in “Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)” that prevents the computer from going to sleep when it is used as a server.

I hope everything worked out for you, and you are now watching your favorite movies on a large TV screen using DLNA technology.

If something did not work out, then write in the comments, we will try to figure it out.

If you want to create based on TV and computer home network entertainment that will provide all the features to play content of various formats, then you should be interested in learning how to set up a home media server. Let's learn how to install a server creation program and then see what features it provides to users.

Connecting a computer and TV

Before you start installing a home media server, you need to resolve the issue of connecting your computer to your TV. It is better to wire the devices using a LAN cable and a router. Of course, you can use a wireless connection, but then you become dependent on the power of the antenna and the presence / absence of obstacles.

To avoid possible problems with Full HD movie playback, it is better to use a LAN cable, neatly laying it between the computer, router and TV.

The router, of course, must be configured to access the network, otherwise no media server will work. If you have figured out the question of how to set up the Internet on Windows 7, then you can proceed directly to installing and configuring the program.

Program installation

Download the distribution package of the program to start installing it. It is better to download from the official site, as the current and verified version of the utility is located here. You can select two types of download - as a *.exe file or in archive format. There is no difference between them, so choose according to your taste.

The installation process itself is extremely simple: you just need to specify the directory where the application's executable files will be stored, and decide whether to create a program shortcut on the desktop.

After setting the installation parameters, click the "Install" button. Wait for the installation to finish to start setting up the program.

Program settings

The first time you launch the program, it should appear with the initial settings where you need to select your media device.
Depending on the type of hardware you specified, the Native Support field will display a comma-separated list of supported formats.

If your TV can play some formats that are not in the "Built-in support" field, then check the "Custom device" box. Write manually the formats supported by your hardware and click "Next" to go to the next settings window.

In the "Media Resource Directories" window, you need to make directories or local and network drives. By default, standard folders are open, but in order not to be confused with them, it is better to allow access to local drives. To perform this procedure, check the boxes that you want to make available through the media server and click the "Scan" button.

You can also manually add directories or external media. To do this, click the "Add" button, select the directory you need and start the scanning process.

After scanning local and removable drives in the program interface, you can see a complete list of audio, video and photos stored on your computer.

Remember that the more multimedia information the program has to check, the longer it will run, so do not overdo it with the number of "shared" directories.

The next setting item is settings. Reserve copy. You can specify your storage path backup, used to restore the data of the program, or leave everything as it is.

After clicking the "Run" button, the backup process will start. You can specify which parameters you want to save in the backup file by checking their boxes. After completing the data backup procedure, click the "Close" button.

Server start

After setting all the important parameters, you can proceed directly to enabling the DLNA server on your computer. To do this, click on the "Start" button - a message will appear on the screen that the start was successful.

After starting the server, you need to turn on the TV. If the connection is established correctly, then it will appear on the "Playback devices" tab in the program. If the list is empty, update it using the special button on the panel on the right.

Test the server by running the files from the computer on the TV screen:

If the Home Media Server program is configured correctly, then the file you launched from the computer will appear on the TV screen. But opening media files from a computer is not always convenient, so you need to learn how to additionally launch them directly on the TV.

To prevent the program from interfering with your computer, close it by clicking on the red cross. The work of the home server will not be completed, since the application will not turn off completely, but will only be minimized to the system tray.

Viewing files on TV

After setting up the server on your computer, you can go to the TV and try to open “shared” folders through it. On different TV models, the connection to the created server is made in its own way. For example, LG devices have a built-in Smart Share app.

Select the created home server as the signal source. If such an item is not in the list, update the list of sources.

Don't forget to set up your firewall by temporarily disabling it; otherwise, the firewall will block the TV's attempts to connect to the home server.

After selecting the signal source, you will see a directory of folders, among which there will be directories "shared" on the computer. You can launch available files and watch them on your TV screen.

Application possibilities

Program " home media Server" provides users with several interesting features that allow you to expand the functionality of a conventional TV to the level of a real home entertainment center.

Interactive TV

To enjoy all the benefits of interactive broadcasting, you can set up Rostelecom television. But there is another option that allows you to do without concluding an additional agreement with the provider - download an interactive television playlist and run it through a home media server.

For IPTV to work, you need to install the VLC Player program. Installing this application will not cause any difficulty even for a novice user, since the convenient installation wizard does everything automatically - all that remains is to press the "Next" button.

The next step is to restart the home media server, which is done by pressing a special button on the top panel of the program.

After that, you can go to the TV and select the "Internet TV" folder in the media server directory. If you have downloaded a working playlist and installed it correctly, you will see a list of the channels presented in it.

Of course, this is not the most convenient option for playing interactive TV, especially if the user has a Smart TV or the IPTV function from the provider is configured. However, if there is nothing but a home server, then using the Home Media Server program can be called the most adequate solution.

If your TV does not support Smart TV, but you want to be able to watch online broadcasts, then you can delegate some of the smart TV functions to the Home Media Server program using installed podcasts.

Podcasts in this case are files that allow you to directly launch online movie theaters on your TV. For example, on the forum of the official website of the "Home Media Server" application, it is fashionable to download a podcast to play and manage video files from social network In contact with.

Download the desired podcast to your computer and drop it into the main window of the program, as you did with the interactive TV playlist file.

Expand the "Podcasts" section and select the application you downloaded for online broadcasting. Right click on it and select Update.

Wait for the update process to finish and go to the TV. Find the "Podcasts" folder and select the application downloaded via the media server inside it.

Before starting the story configuring the Home Media Server program I would like to clarify that this program help resolve the issue "How to watch movies, listen to music from PC on TV with DLNA technology". These include 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"- chapter "Media Resources"- page "Directory List" — "Add"
• from Windows Explorer, drag (and release) the required directories with the “mouse” 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 server's constant port in the section Settings - Server - "Port" field(value from 1024 to 65535). Accessing the server from a browser:

http://server IP address: server port specified.

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

Launching Home Media Server

Be attentive to any messages that may appear from network protection 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" becomes unavailable, but buttons become available "Stop" And "Restart", there will be lines in the message log
"Server start".

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

• check the list of available network connections in the application 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 the button "Search".
• check the settings of the network protection program you are using, 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 port specified in the TCP program settings must be available for incoming connections.

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

Automatic start of home media server

• Enabling automatic server startup at program startup: button Settings - section "Advanced" - "Autostart the server when the program starts".
• Autostart the program when the user logs in Windows system: button Settings - section "Advanced" - "Startup of the program at the start of a Windows session".
• Installing the server as a Windows service: Settings button - "Advanced" section - "Install Windows service Home media server (UPnP)".

Options for connecting media devices to the server

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

1. Computer - Media device. A crossover cable must be used for the connection.
2. Computer - Switch - Media Device
3. Computer - Router (router) - Media device. Direct cables must be used to connect devices.
4. A computer - wifi router- media device. You can find more information about the wireless connection method in the article. .

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

Finding a server in a media device

The search for a server with shared folders is performed according to the user manual of the media device. If you have any questions, please refer back to the above articles on Allshare and Smart TV.
If the server was not found, but all connections were made correctly, then in the application settings (Server section) check that the list of allowed client devices is empty or that the device's IP address is included 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, switch the network protection program to learning mode, restart the Home Media Server (UPnP) program. If other media servers are used, then it is better to turn them off at the setup stage.

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

The settings of the Home Media Server (UPnP) program that can help solve this problem, in section Device: "DLNA 1.0", "DLNA 1.5", "Authorization service", "Russian names of the main folders" mode, in the Server section, set the server's constant port (from 1024 to 65535).

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

If the device supports the Russian language, then in the program settings (Device section) you can enable the “Russian names of the main folders” mode, this affects the names of the main folders of the media resource base. If the media device does not support the Russian language, select Translit for the Russian names encoding mode, the “Russian names of the main folders” mode is turned on / off at the request of the user (if it is turned off, then there will be English names of the main folders of media resources).
The names of folders can be changed in the main form of the program by right-clicking the mouse - the item "Change name".
Extra folders of media resources can be deleted in the main form of the program by right-clicking the mouse - the item "Delete folder" or the "Exclude empty folders when transferring information to UPnP devices" mode can be enabled in the Device section.
Slow navigation through the database of media resources may be due to 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 enabled "Automatic scanning directories when they change while the server is running. The "Exclude empty folders when transferring information to UPnP devices" mode can be turned off, the "Removable media" folder can be deleted in all sections of media resources (Movies, Music, Photos).
Navigation through the directories of media resources in the structure of their storage on disk can be done through the folder "Watch Folders" (Russian language is turned off), "Catalogs of media resources" (Russian language is included).
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 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 to 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 if a transcoding profile is selected for the movie. Setting the movie file extensions supported by the media device: button "Settings"- chapter "Device" — "Integrated file support" — "Films". The list of file extensions is formed according to the media device user manual or information on the website of the media device manufacturer. 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 this choice is supported by the media device. When you select a movie through the Transcoding folder, you can select the audio track, internal and external subtitles, audio delay, transcoding profile for converting the movie.

A transcoding profile is a script (macro) that generates parameters for calling the transcoding program or performs transcoding using DirectShow. Edit transcoding profiles: button "Settings"- chapter - button "Profiles".

The transcoding profile to be used can be selected:

• for all movies: Settings button - section "Transcoder" - "Parameters of the transcoded file" - Movies - "Transcoding profile"
• for movie files of a certain type (extension) - Settings button - "Media resources" - "File types" button - select file extension - button Change - "Transcoding profile"
• for a specific movie: in the list of movies of the main form of the program, right-click the mouse - "Transcoding profile" or through the navigation of the media device, if the movie is selected through the Transcoding folder in the Settings folder generated by the server for each movie.

When playing movies, media devices usually stretch the video to fill the entire screen, therefore, to preserve the proportions of the movie frame, the server generates parameters for complementing the original frame size with color to the frame size specified in the settings. The setting of the transcoded frame size and the color of the add-on are set in the program settings - the Settings button - the "Transcoder" section - the "Codecs, frame" page - "Frame size". Color supplementation is not supported by all transcoder programs, so if you select a transcoding profile other than the main one, 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, video encoding or audio track is not supported by the media device, Possible Solution problems - select a movie through the folder Transcoding
• a movie is selected through the Transcoding folder, in which video or audio encoding 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 audio 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 not available: Reboot media device or server.

Reasons for stopping / slowing down content playback:

• browsing may be terminated 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 - "Transcoded file settings" - Maximum size).
• the movie transcoding speed is insufficient for viewing, you can check it in the main form of the program: perform test transcoding by RMB in the movie list — The transcoding speed (fps parameter) must be greater than the movie frame rate. If the “Show transcoding panel” mode is enabled in the program settings (section Transcoder), 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 movie frame at the location specified by the user.

Solutions to the above problems:

• choose to view a transcoding profile with a smaller frame size, video quality
• if the video track encoding 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 (transcoding profiles "Movies - TsMuxer" - the formation of m2ts files, "Movies - WMF" - the formation of wmv-files). For the “Movies – TsMuxer” transcoding profile, you must additionally download the TsMuxer transcoder program from home page(in the Transcoding profiles setting)
• stop watching a movie on a media device to form a transcoded movie file large enough for viewing
• specify a drive other than the one used by the system to store the paging file to store temporary transcoding files
• optimize the system as a whole - check disk fragmentation, the list of startup programs, etc.

Program settings Home media server using 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 appropriate 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 changes have occurred there. The green circle notifies that the type of these files is being scanned.
Now pay attention to the File Types button on the right panel. On some TV models, PAL video files cannot be played, NTSC must be added in order for the content to be recognized. (eg MPEG-PS_PAL_NTSC for *avi).

For the *mkv container, select Transcoding Profile - Core AVC. In DLNA, enter the line MPEG-PS_PAL or MPEG-PS_NTSC, depending on your TV.
Now consider 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. You can also configure Web access to the server here. Let's move on to the next category of the left panel of the "Server" section of the settings.

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

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

I draw your attention to the parameter section "Sound - Original audio track if compression is the same". Unchecking this checkbox will help to avoid losing the Russian track when playing a video. Remember that before transcoding each file can be viewed and modified if necessary.
The next tab we'll look at is "Subtitles".

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

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