Streaming from Desktop?

parambir

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Hello. I am looking at an option of configuring my desktop computer (windows) to stream HD movies stored on its local hard drive to my Minix U1 streamer. How do I configure my PC to serve as NAS? Any special software required to be installed? Though I am awaiting delivery of Minix U1, any configuration required to be done for Minix? Oh by the way, the streamer and desktop are at home and connected through the same Internet router.

Thanks for any input.
 
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Hello. I am looking at an option of configuring my desktop computer (windows) to stream HD movies stored on its local hard drive to my Minix U1 streamer. How do I configure my PC to serve as NAS? Any special software required to be installed? Though I am awaiting delivery of Minix U1, any configuration required to be done for Minix? Oh by the way, the streamer and desktop are at home and connected through the same Internet router.

Thanks for any input.

I use TP-Link powerline adapter for connecting my desktop to media player. I suppose your streamer should be having a LAN port. Most 1080P movies buffers when connected wireless. I bought the powerline adapter specifically for this. You can also connect your desktop and the streamer through LAN and configure. You may need to tweak the network setting in your home group to share the desktop.
 
My desktop and streamer as well as yamaha receiver all are on same router through wired connection. Last night after posing this question I installed kodi on my desktop and after some tweaking was able to share my media on my android mobile phone using bubble upnp.
Though I was not able to see them as folders when I pend bubble in mobile. It shows me playlist genre artist and other but not folders. How do I exactly see the media I have shared using kodi?
 
Hello. I am looking at an option of configuring my desktop computer (windows) to stream HD movies stored on its local hard drive to my Minix U1 streamer. How do I configure my PC to serve as NAS? Any special software required to be installed? Though I am awaiting delivery of Minix U1, any configuration required to be done for Minix? Oh by the way, the streamer and desktop are at home and connected through the same Internet router.

Thanks for any input.

No need for any configuration and no need for any NAS or anything. Once you have your minix U1 and PC on the same network, your minix u1 should be able to see your PC hdd. Couple of things you can make sure are enabled.

1. Under->Control Panel\Network and Internet\HomeGroup->stream my pictures, music and video to all devices on my home network is selected

2. Under->Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings->Everything is turned on.

My desktop and streamer as well as yamaha receiver all are on same router through wired connection. Last night after posing this question I installed kodi on my desktop and after some tweaking was able to share my media on my android mobile phone using bubble upnp.
Though I was not able to see them as folders when I pend bubble in mobile. It shows me playlist genre artist and other but not folders. How do I exactly see the media I have shared using kodi?

No no thats the not the fastest way to view media on mobile stored on a PC on the same network. Forget UPnP streaming. Just install an app called ES File explorer and MX Player. Open ES File explorer, go to network->LAN and scan for your PC, or manually add the PC via the IP. Once done, you should be able to see all the drives of your PC on your mobile, navigate to your media, click on it and choose MX Player to play it ....simple ..... :)
 
Thanks Sam for the valuable inputs. I guess I should wait for Minix U1 to arrive before I start any experiments. Although when I installed Kodi and selected the media folder, why was my mobile not showing folders but only genres or artist etc? Just curious.
Also, whats the difference between MX Player and VLC? Can't I use either of the players?
 
Thanks Sam for the valuable inputs. I guess I should wait for Minix U1 to arrive before I start any experiments. Although when I installed Kodi and selected the media folder, why was my mobile not showing folders but only genres or artist etc? Just curious.

Coz thats the way UPnP work, but you should be able to see folder structure as well, just browse around BubbleUPnP and you should find the option of browsing Folder structure as well.

Also, whats the difference between MX Player and VLC? Can't I use either of the players?

MX Player is much much better than any other android player I have tested, else you can use VLC as well, both are media players no functional difference as such.
 
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I already had ES file explorer and I just configured my PC and was able to play the files from VLC on mobile. But it shows all the files and folders which is a mess and unsafe. Can I selectively share only media folders?

Secondly, is this the way Minix U1 will see my PC?
 
Why not have Plex Media Server on the Desktop. My thoughts are it should serve as a transcoding platform too, in case if that is needed depending on the device, and should server the Minix well.
 
I already had ES file explorer and I just configured my PC and was able to play the files from VLC on mobile. But it shows all the files and folders which is a mess and unsafe. Can I selectively share only media folders?

Secondly, is this the way Minix U1 will see my PC?

Unsafe ..???? this is in your own local network LAN you are accessing the files, how is it unsafe, unless you have kept your wifi unprotected (which I highly doubt).

BTW it will show exactly the way you have organized your drives and folders on your PC, if its messy, its gonna show messy ... :) ....

And yes this is pretty much how Minix will see your PC.
 
Why not have Plex Media Server on the Desktop. My thoughts are it should serve as a transcoding platform too, in case if that is needed depending on the device, and should server the Minix well.

+1.

I've done Windows share, ES File Explorer, MX Player, etc. but honestly that's all too much work when there are so many media servers available with free apps for all platforms and OSes.

Simply install either Kodi or Plex and run that app on Minix. There are a ton more options to pick from, but between these 2 you would cover every need.

Android makes it so easy, even has the apps that let you run directly from the Android TV box/stick... why muck around?
 
Coz thats the way UPnP work, but you should be able to see folder structure as well, just browse around BubbleUPnP and you should find the option of browsing Folder structure as well.

When I launch BubbleUPnp on my mobile and connect to my Kodi running to my desktop using the same wifi network, I see the following:-
Music Library -> genres, artitsts, albums, songs....
Video Library
Under bookmarks
Albums
Folder (this is blank and does not show me folder structure)
Under Virtual Folders
Saved playlists
recently played
random track

So no option is showing me the folder structure just the way I have shared in Kodi. Any help on this?
 
When I launch BubbleUPnp on my mobile and connect to my Kodi running to my desktop using the same wifi network, I see the following:-
Music Library -> genres, artitsts, albums, songs....
Video Library
Under bookmarks
Albums
Folder (this is blank and does not show me folder structure)
Under Virtual Folders
Saved playlists
recently played
random track

So no option is showing me the folder structure just the way I have shared in Kodi. Any help on this?

You are looking in wrong location. Refer the screen shots below ...

Open BubbleUPnP, click top left corner which will show you renderer and library. Renderer is the destination player where you want your file to output/play. Library are your UPnP servers in your local lan from where you can pick media to play to your renderer.

I clicked on samstation which is my NAS, then it shows my NAS UPnP folder structure. I choose Music and then BubbleUPnp shows how do you want to display your music collection I then choose BY folder..... BubbleUPnP now shows me my exact NAS folder structure.


P0ZLZX2.jpg


mOlPwda.jpg


WTG2gwm.jpg


q2ybKzl.jpg
 
Just a thought, is it really a good solution to have your desktop on all the time or at least while you wish to enjoy your music? It seems inconvenient, if it was a laptop maybe, but a desktop is not an option for me. Specially if it is a full fledged one, power consumption remains a factor for me.

Maybe you could consider an alternative like a NAS Box, WD Live or Netgear Readynas, these will act as a DLNA server and any client will be able to stream from them. A spare laptop with any NAS utility will do the job nicely, or a RPi!
 
Couple of things you can make sure are enabled.

1. Under->Control Panel\Network and Internet\HomeGroup->stream my pictures, music and video to all devices on my home network is selected

2. Under->Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings->Everything is turned on.
Sam, can you please post the same settings that can be done in Windows XP? I am running on XP and cant see "HomeGroup->stream my pictures, music and video to all devices on my home network"

Thanks a lot
 
Just a thought, is it really a good solution to have your desktop on all the time or at least while you wish to enjoy your music? It seems inconvenient, if it was a laptop maybe, but a desktop is not an option for me. Specially if it is a full fledged one, power consumption remains a factor for me.

Maybe you could consider an alternative like a NAS Box, WD Live or Netgear Readynas, these will act as a DLNA server and any client will be able to stream from them. A spare laptop with any NAS utility will do the job nicely, or a RPi!

Well as they say journey is more enjoyable than destination so is this trial. I am looking at various options with me. I know it's not the best option. What I will actually do is connect a 1Tb usb hdd to my minix U1. That's the best option. All Media files are locally available and no streaming required. I just have to figure out then how to make these files universally available for eg if I wish to connect to minix from my office through Internet.
 
You are looking in wrong location. Refer the screen shots below ...

Open BubbleUPnP, click top left corner which will show you renderer and library. Renderer is the destination player where you want your file to output/play. Library are your UPnP servers in your local lan from where you can pick media to play to your renderer.

I clicked on samstation which is my NAS, then it shows my NAS UPnP folder structure. I choose Music and then BubbleUPnp shows how do you want to display your music collection I then choose BY folder..... BubbleUPnP now shows me my exact NAS folder structure.


P0ZLZX2.jpg


mOlPwda.jpg


WTG2gwm.jpg


q2ybKzl.jpg

Thanks. Will try that. Would request your views on my previous post of using hdd directly on minix u1 to play my videos. I guess that is the best option.
 
Just a thought, is it really a good solution to have your desktop on all the time or at least while you wish to enjoy your music? It seems inconvenient, if it was a laptop maybe, but a desktop is not an option for me. Specially if it is a full fledged one, power consumption remains a factor for me.

Maybe you could consider an alternative like a NAS Box, WD Live or Netgear Readynas, these will act as a DLNA server and any client will be able to stream from them. A spare laptop with any NAS utility will do the job nicely, or a RPi!

Take a look at Raspberry Pi, much better option.
 
Thanks. Will try that. Would request your views on my previous post of using hdd directly on minix u1 to play my videos. I guess that is the best option.

Yes best as far as your requirements are concerned .... or MX Player, ES Explorer option incase you wanna play on mobile ....
 
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