MiniDLNA

MiniDLNA

MiniDLNA is a free, open source media server software designed for streaming audio, video, and images to renderers like smart TVs, gaming consoles, and media players. It scans media files on a computer and makes them available over a home network.
MiniDLNA image
media streaming dlna upnp audio video photo

MiniDLNA: Free Media Server Software for Streaming Audio Video Images

A free, open source media server software designed for streaming audio, video, and images to renderers like smart TVs, gaming consoles, and media players.

What is MiniDLNA?

MiniDLNA is a lightweight, easy-to-use media server software that is designed to stream audio, video, and image files from a computer to devices on a home network. It works by scanning media files stored locally on a computer, indexing the metadata, and making the files discoverable and streamable to certified devices like smart TVs, media streamers, gaming consoles, and other home entertainment systems that support the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard.

Some key features of MiniDLNA include:

  • Open source software released under the GPLv2 license
  • Auto-discovers media files like MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, WAV audio files, AVI, MKV, MP4, etc. video files, and JPEG and PNG images.
  • Streams media over WiFi or wired home network to DLNA/UPnP-certified devices
  • Very lightweight and requires minimal system resources
  • Available on Linux, Mac OS, and Windows platforms
  • Active development and user community support

MiniDLNA is a popular choice amongst tech enthusiasts looking for a no-frills media server option to stream homemade media libraries across devices in the home. It integrates nicely into ecosystems with other UPnP and DLNA certified devices and apps. The streamlined nature and broad format support makes it easy to set up even for less technical users.

MiniDLNA Features

Features

  1. Media streaming
  2. Support for common media formats
  3. Automatic media library scanning
  4. Transcoding media on the fly
  5. DLNA/UPnP media server
  6. Web-based UI for configuration
  7. Access control for media files
  8. Support for multiple languages

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Easy to set up and use

Good format support

Transcoding capabilities

Wide client device support

Lightweight and low resource usage

Cons

Limited configuration options

No remote access without port forwarding

No built-in authentication

No mobile apps

Lacks some advanced media server features


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