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How to enjoy multimedia contents stored on Synology NAS with DLNA/UPnP-compliant DMAs

Overview

Synology NAS can serve as a multimedia server on the local area network, allowing home devices, such as TVs/stereo systems and Sony PlayStation3/Xbox 360, to play its multimedia contents. These devices are DLNA/UPnP-compliant DMAs. To stream multimedia contents from your Synology NAS to DMA devices for playback, you need to configure media playback settings, including adjusting the basic settings of DMA devices, managing browsing settings of media files, and enhancing the compatibility of the files.

This article will guide you through the steps to browse and stream multimedia contents from your Synology NAS to DLNA TV (Samsung TV – Model: LA40B650T1M – is taken for example here) and Sony PlayStation3.

What is DLNA?

Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is a cross-industry organization of consumer electronics, computing industry, and mobile electronics manufacturers. DLNA actively promotes wired and wireless networks of consumer electronics products, personal computers, and mobile devices, in the home and on the road, for sharing new digital media and content services.

What is UPnP?

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a collaboration of protocols that allows a wide range of devices to be interconnected, both wired and wireless, and to work seamlessly with one another by establishing network services, of which media streaming is the most popular in that media files can be directly streamed to TV and no transfer of files is required for playback. UPnP supports zero configuration networking. In other words, it spares users the trouble of setting up networking configurations as it is automatically completed once UPnP devices are connected to a network, which exhibits the concept of “plug-n-play” technology.

What is DMA?

DMA, commonly known as digital media adapter, is a home entertainment device that can connect to a home network to retrieve digital media files (such as music, photos, or video) from a personal computer or other networked media server and play them back on DLNA/UPnP-enabled devices.

Contents

  1. Before you start
  2. Configure media playback settings on your DiskStation
  3. Enjoy your multimedia with DLNA/UPnP-compatible devices

1. Before you start

Before you start to play multimedia with DLNA TV/Sony PlayStation3, make sure you have completed the following tasks:

  • Hardware installation for Synology DiskStation
  • Software installation for Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM, web-based operating system of DiskStation)
  • Creating at least one volume (See this tutorial)
  • Installing Media Server from Package Center (See this tutorial)
  • Using a LAN cable to connect DLNA TV/Sony PS3 to the Internet
Note: For more information about setting up your DMA devices, please refer to the User’s Guide that comes with the devices.

Refer to Quick Installation Guide for more information about hardware and software installation. You can also see Chapter 17 of Synology DiskStation User's Guide (available at Synology's Download Center) for a general idea about topics related to this article.

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2. Configure media playback settings on your DiskStation

In order to play multimedia contents on your DMA devices, you need to manage the settings related to media playback including the following:

  • Set DMA menu language and style to organize your multimedia files by selecting a predefined menu style or customizing your own.
  • Adjust media browsing settings depending on your preferences and enable transcoding support to play more multimedia files of various formats.
  • Manage the device list to enhance DMA compatibility to make sure the multimedia contents are played smoothly on your DMA devices.
  • Categorize multimedia files within the indexed folder to be browsed and played by the DMA devices within the local network.

To configure media playback settings on your DiskStation:

  1. Go to Main Menu > Media Server.
  2. Under the Media Server tab, do the following with the drop-down menu to adjust the settings of your DMA devices, and click Apply to save the changes.
    1. Depending on the network you are located, choose a network interface (This option is only available on specific models).
    2. Select your preferred language and style. You can decide how your multimedia files would be organized by selecting a predefined menu style or customizing your own. The system can save up to three different sets of customized menu style.
      • Creating a new menu style: Choose one of the three custom styles from DMA menu style, and then click Customize. Click Create under the tab (Music, Photo, Video) to which you would like to add a category folder. In the window that appears, fill in the folder name and select the type of the folder according to your preference. Click OK to save the changes, and the customized menu is created.
      • Editing an existing menu style: Choose one of the three custom styles from DMA menu style, and then click Customize. Select a category folder under the tab (Music, Photo, Video) which you would like to edit. In the window that appears, you may change its folder type and relevant settings. Click OK to save the changes, and the new settings will apply.
        • Note: Not all languages and styles are supported by your DMA devices. For the supported list of languages and styles, please refer to the User’s Guide of the devices.
  3. Under the Browsing Settings tab, you can decide how you would like the media files on the DiskStation to be browsed by your DMA devices. For more information, click the Help button at the top-right corner of the window.
  4. Under the DMA Compatibility tab, you can do the following to enhance DMA compatibility, making sure the multimedia contents on your DiskStation are played smoothly on your DMA devices.
    • If you would like to check whether your DMA device is properly installed and found by your DiskStation within the local network, click Device list. A list of DMA devices will appear with their device info. For example, if the DMA accessed by Media Server is a Samsung TV, the type of the device will be detected by the DiskStation and displayed in the Device column.
      • Note:
      • Please make sure you have not ticked Restrict access to Media Server for newly detected UPnP/DLNA devices. Otherwise, Media Server will not be accessible to your DMA device.
      • Default profile will be used if Media Server cannot identify the type of your DMA device. If your device is not listed here, you can try using Generic DLNA (for devices that support DLNA) or Generic Non-DLNA (for devices that do not support DLNA).
    • For more information about technical support on multimedia files of other formats, click the Help button at the top-right corner of the window.
  5. If you would like to add more indexed folders in which media files are stored for DMA devices within LAN to browse and play the media files within those folders, go to Main Menu > Control Panel > Media Indexing Service, click the Indexed Folders tab, and click Create.

    In the window that appears, fill in the folder name and select the folder you would like for indexing. File Type is for you to decide which type of media files to include in the indexed folder. Click OK and the new indexed folder is created.
    6. Note:
    • By default, only the media files within the photo, video, and music shared folders are indexed.
    • The mounted shared folders from remote servers cannot be added as indexed folders.
    • You can add up to 100 indexed folders on your DiskStation.

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3. Enjoy your multimedia with DLNA/UPnP-compatible devices

Multimedia contents can be played back via DiskStation on DLNA/UPnP home devices (such as TVs and stereo systems) and DMA devices (such as Sony PS3 and Xbox 360). These DLNA/UPnP-compatible devices can easily connect into your home network just like any other desktop or notebook computer, printer, or media player. Once the connection is established, you can browse selected folders on your media server and select music to listen to, or photos and videos to watch.

This section explains how to access your media files stored on your DiskStation with DLNA/UPnP TV and DMA device.

Note: Following are the links to the lists of DLNA/UPnP TV and DMA devices which have been verified by Synology for your reference. Should you have encountered any TV or device not compatible with Synology Product, you are welcome to report its model name to us at here.
  • For the list of DLNA/UPnP TV supported by Synology Product, please see here.
  • For the list of DMA devices supported by Synology Product, please see here.

To access the media files stored on your DiskStation with DLNA TV

  1. Go to Main Menu > Application > Media Play (USB & DLNA) to enable DLNA service, press the Device button on your remote, and then select your DiskStation from the list of devices on which media files you would like to access.
  2. Once the DiskStation is selected, you can view photos, listen to music, and watch videos on your SAMSUNG TV.
    • Photo: Go to Main Menu > Application > Media Play (USB & DLNA) > Photo.
      • Note: Ticking Transmit low resolution images instead of the original images under Main Menu > Control Panel > Media Server of your DiskStation will enable you to browse more quickly, but the photos displayed on TV are of smaller size. If you would like to view photos of larger size, please do not tick Transmit low resolution images instead of the original images.
    • Music: Go to Main Menu > Application > Media Play (USB & DLNA) > Music.
    • Video: Go to Main Menu > Application > Media Play (USB & DLNA) > Movie.
      • Note: Not all multimedia file formats supported by DiskStation can be played on your DLNA/UPnP-compliant TV. For the supported list of file formats, please refer to the User’s Guide of your TV.

To access the media files stored on your DiskStation with Sony PS3:

  1. Turn on both your TV and PS3, you will see the input source (depending on which type of video output cable used) shown at the top-right corner and Main Menu of PS3.
    2. Note: For more information about hardware installation of PS3, please refer to the User’s Guide that comes with your device.
  2. Select your DiskStation from the list of devices on which media files you would like to access under Photo, Music, and Video.
  3. Once the DiskStation is selected, you can view photos, listen to music, and watch videos with your PS3.
    • Photo: Go to Main Menu > Photo.
    • Music: Go to Main Menu > Music.
    • Video: Go to Main Menu > Video.
      • Note: Not all multimedia file formats supported by DiskStation can be played on PS3. For the supported list of file formats, please refer to the User’s Guide of your PS3.

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2013-03-28 17:05:53

Tags :

AudioConsumer ApplicationOther CompatibilityPhotoVideo

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