Hello! In this article, we will take a very detailed look at the process of setting up a DLNA server on a computer or laptop that runs on Windows 7, 8, or Windows 10. We will set up DLNA for the TV so that you can watch movies on your LG TV that are on your computer ( as well as watch photos, and listen to music). And all this over Wi-Fi, or when connected via a network cable. In this article, we will consider specifically LG TVs with Smart TV function, or simply with DLNA support. By the way, Smart TV can be either an older version or a new one - Web OS, on which all new LG TVs with support for smart functions work.
What is DLNA, I wrote in this article, you can read. If your LG TV supports DLNA, then this means that by connecting your TV and computer to the same network (through the same router), you can watch movies on the TV that are in folders on your computer. We will consider setting up this function in this article.
This method has also been tested on a computer with Windows 10... Everything works without problems.
You can customize it in several ways, and using different programs.
- DLNA setup for watching movies on LG using a special proprietary Smart Share program.
- DLNA setup by standard means, through Windows Media Player.
- Using the program "Home Media Server (UPnP, DLNA, HTTP)".
In order not to get confused, in this article we will consider setting up using a proprietary programSmart Share... I will write about other methods in separate articles. It seems to me that the option with Smart Share is the simplest, and definitely working. Verified.
What we need to configure DLNA:
- Stationary computer, or laptop. We will start the server on it. The TV will display the movies that are on this computer.
- LG TV with DLNA support. If your TV has a Smart TV, then it definitely supports DLNA.
- Home network to which the computer and TV are connected. Simply put, the computer and TV must be connected to the same router.
By the way, the TV to the router can be connected both via a Wi-Fi network and a network cable. A computer (laptop) can also be connected via cable, or Wi-Fi. It is possible to connect the TV to a computer directly, without a router, using a network cable. To be honest, there is not much point in this. It's better to connect your computer to your TV using an HDMI cable.
In the case of DLNA, only the movie itself, or a photo, will be displayed on the TV. Well, the music will play. The entire desktop, folders, etc. will not be displayed. To do this, you need to connect via HDMI, or wireless Miracast technology.
DLNA setup using Smart Share
The first method is DLNA setup using the proprietary Smart Share program, which we need to download and install on the computer. You can download the Smart Share program from the official website: http://www.lg.com/ua/support/smart-share. The size is about 182 MB, the version at the time of this writing is 2.3.1507.2802.
Download the archive with the program, and start the installation by running the filesetup.exe from the archive. Installation is very simple, there is a Russian language. Don't change anything, just click Next.
You can start the program with a shortcut on the desktop. Smart Share by the way will start automatically when you turn on your computer.
Advice! Autostart is performed through the Windows Task Scheduler (Computer Management / Utilities / Task Scheduler / Task Scheduler Library / [File - SmartShare] [Status - Ready] [Triggers - When the computer is turned on]).
When you delete this task, autoload will no longer be performed!Thanks to TVZ, suggested in the comments.
After launching Smart Share, an icon will appear on the notification bar (bottom right corner). Right-click on it and select Configuring Smart Share.
Immediately put the switch in position ON And press the button Apply.
By doing this, we open the shared access to files on your computer so that they can be displayed and opened on the LG TV. If you later want to close file sharing, then simply set the switch to OFF.
Next, go to the most important tab My shared files... Here you can specify which folders, or discs, will be available on the TV. That is, for example, we can add only one folder with movies, photos, or music. Or open access to a local drive.
By default, shared folders are already added. To add the folders we need, we press a special button, and select the folders or disks that we want to share with checkboxes. For example, I opened only the Movies folder, which is located on drive D. When you select the folders you want, click Ok... Then, click on the button Apply.
You can delete unneeded folders by simply highlighting it and pressing a special button. You can open access to new folders.
I recommend that you open access only to those folders that contain movies (videos), photos, or music. Since only this content you can open on TV.
In the tab My device parameters, you can change the name of your DLNA server to be displayed on your TV. Or you can leave the standard one.
Well, the last tab Allow / block other devices... On this tab, you should see your TV. If it is turned on and connected to the same network as the laptop.
You can lock the device you want. If, for example, you have two TVs at home, and you do not want to share files with one of them.
That's all Smart Share settings. Press the button again Apply and Ok... If in the future you want to open new folders, or delete, you can do this in the settings, as I showed above. The Smart Share icon will be displayed on the notification bar.
We start watching a movie from a computer on an LG TV
After setting up the program, it's time to start the movie on the TV, which is located on the computer, in the folder we have opened. We go into Smart TV (on old remotes, this is a blue button). Then, we look for and select the item thereSmart Share.
But new models with Web OS, it looks something like this:
Next, open the tab Connected devicesand select the server that we created on the computer.
If you did not see a DLNA server on your TV, but Smart Share on your computer was configured correctly, and the computer and the TV are connected to the same network, then first try disabling the antivirus or firewall. Then, check your Smart Share settings, restart your computer and TV. Also, be sure to make sure the TV is connected to your router.
Next by selecting the folder All folders, we will see the folders that we opened access to on the computer.
We open the folder we need, and launch a movie, photo, or song.
That's all. Opening the tabs: Videos, Photos and Music, which can be seen on the TV, will display all content, such as video, which will be found in all folders open on the computer.
Other Smart Share Features: Control movie playback on your computer
I only showed you the settings of the Smart Share program. There is also the ability to control the playback of video, music, or viewing photos directly from your computer (laptop). To do this, just right-click on the program icon (in the lower right corner) and select Open Smart Share.
A small window will appear where you need to select MOVIE, PHOTO, or MUSIC. In principle, no difference. You can switch between types of content in the program itself.
A window will open with a list of eg Movies (if you selected the MOVIE tab). The program will display all the videos that were found in the folders that we added during the setup process (see above). To start watching a movie (photo, or playing a song) on an LG TV, just click on the file we need with the right mouse button, and select Play withand the name of your TV... Let me remind you that it must be turned on and connected to the same network as the computer.
Playback starts immediately on the TV. And a new window will appear on the computer in which you can control playback.
As you can see, it is not at all necessary to search for a movie on the TV itself.
There are many more interesting functions in the program itself. For example, you can add movies to a playlist. Queue them up. Everything is simple there, I think you can figure it out. And ate what, ask questions in the comments.
Possible Problems When Watching DLNA Movies on TV
The computer cannot see the TV, and the computer cannot see the TV. What to do? Check the connection on your computer and TV. They must be connected through the same router. Disable antivirus or firewall on your computer (for a while). Restart the device.
When watching big films, everything slows down and freezes, what's the problem? The problem may be that there is not enough speed. Very often, this is observed when watching movies over Wi-Fi. Try connecting with a network cable. If the films are very large, in good quality, then you can watch them from an external hard drive or flash drives. And also, you can connect via HDMI cable. Yes, not by air, but reliable.
In fact, setup is very quick and easy. It's just that I painted everything :) If you have questions - ask in the comments. And don't forget to share tips on the topic. How does DLNA technology work there on LG TV, how do you use it, what movies do you watch?
