The basis for the transmission of films or music via the local network is the UPnP protocol. The UPnP abbreviation stands for “Universal Plug and Play”. The UPnP protocol takes care of the communication between the data store (media server) and the player (media client).
Windows Media Server as a data center
The playback of the contents is carried out by the terminals or the software players installed on them. If a format for movies, photos or music is unknown to the playback device, a conversion of the contents is necessary before the transfer. DLNA-certified devices rely on UPnP and are designed for streaming.
Get content from media server
The streaming client scans the local network for sources with digital content after the start. This works e.g. On smart TVs or media players with built-in UPnP clients. For smartphones or tablets you have to install a suitable app and can thus retrieve the data from the media server. Owners of a web radio or AV receiver with mains connection use the integrated play function for music from the net
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The central storage for multi-media content is a server. For this purpose, the user optionally needs a computer or network hard disks. In order for the system to deliver the content in the local network, the Media Server must be activated on the system. This indexes all available data and offers it in the home network. The easiest way to try such a server is Windows Media Player. To do this, start the program and click the "Streaming" button in the middle of the bar.
Alternatives to the Windows Media Server
From the menu, select Enable Media Streaming and follow the instructions in the following window. Specify a name for the Media Server in the Media Streaming Options window in the "Rename Media Library" box. There are a selection of available players. This allows you to access the various devices. For example, In the children's bedroom, a networkable TV, you can block the access to the server for this terminal.
The Windows Media Player is then available as a server in the local network. Copy some MP3 files to your Libraries / Music or My Music folder. Check the availability of the server with a network-enabled player or smartphone with UPnP app.
After the Windows Media Server is activated, the content stored there is available to all devices on the home network. On a media player, search for an available media server in the "Network" or "Network Media" area. The name depends on the name of the computer under Windows. For Windows 7 and 8, you can use the search function to search for this - enter the keyword "name" in the Windows search. Select the "Show PC Name" option.
For Windows XP, right-click on the My Computer icon and select the "Properties" tab and the "Computer Name" tab from the context menu.
Access to the media library on smart TVs or mobile devices is via a suitable app for UPnP / DLNA. The server delivers the content in three categories: photos, music, and video. There are further subdivisions for the headings. This includes music artist, album, rating or genre. This information can be found in the file's metadata.
The Windows Media Server is a satisfactory solution for music lovers with MP3 files. However, if you want to use other formats such as OGG or FLAC, you can quickly reach your limits. The same is true for movies that are available in non-Windows-specific formats. Microsoft's Media Server does not recognize and index the data. For the players on the net such media are simply invisible. As an alternative to the PC with Media Server own network storage (NAS). Most modern NAS solutions have UPnP servers. The movies, music and images are stored centrally on the NAS. Advantage: The PC does not have to run constantly as a media source and with a NAS one saves energy.
Through cloud solutions, the content on a NAS server at home can also be accessed via the Internet on the road. Nearly all NAS providers offer such cloud extensions for current network hard drives. Before accessing the data at home, the registration with a service account of the NAS manufacturers is necessary. This establishes a secure connection to the user's network and then releases the data for access. An encrypted connection prevents third party access to the network. Users can listen to their music via the mobile cloud service or get the latest holiday pictures on the NAS at home.
Digital content of a media server is also available on the smartphone or tablet. The right software is available in the App Store. This transforms mobile devices into a minifernseher or a music box. Bubble UPnP for Android is a mobile solution. It has yet another important function. The program turns the smartphone into a remote for the home network.
The UPnP protocol allows you to freely define source and destination for streaming. After starting Bubble UPnP, click the "Devices" button in the lower right corner. In the upper part of the screen, set the target device under "Renderers". Under "Libraries" you will see all sources in the home network - these are the media servers. If you have a media player or smart TV, use it as a renderer and then your UPnP server as a source. In the app, go to the "Library" section. Find a song in the "Music" section.
Use mobile devices for media streaming
Stay with your finger longer on a title entry. Select "Play" from the pop-up menu. This sends a signal to the media server to send the current track to the other player on the network. Besides "Play" to play a title, Bubble UPnP also has the function "Play all from here" for all titles in the list. Tap "Now Playing" at the bottom left - the app shows the pause, stop, and pause functions in the title bar.
Another application: You have taken some photos with your smartphone. Define as source the phone and as a renderer (target) your Smart TV. Go to the Images area and tap the first theme longer. With "Play" from the menu, send the picture to the TV. You can switch to the next photo by simply swiping on the phone screen.
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