How to quickly turn Windows 10 into a DLNA media server and media player

Did you know that if you have your music, pictures and video collections stored on a Windows 10 PC you can access the content from other Windows devices on your network? Did you know you can also access them from an Xbox One, Android phone or smart TV? Well you can and configuring it is really easy.

We are actually going to be using Windows Media Player and enable media sharing which is compatible with other Windows devices and DLNA devices on your network. So load up Windows Media Player from the start menu (via the “All apps” button”).

The next step depends on whether the PC is part of a Windows Homegroup (Homegroup is Microsoft’s system for sharing PC resources across your home network).

If your PC is part of a Windows Home Group

From Windows Media Player click on the Stream button and select the “Automatically allow devices to play my media”

It will then ask you to confirm the action and if you accept the option it will turn on DLNA media sharing (Technically called DLNA Media Server).

That is all you need to do to be able to access the PCs music, video and pictures from another DLNA player such as Windows Media Player on another PC.

You can also easily setup Windows Media Player to act as a media player for your network, from either another PC with Windows Media Player or via DLNA.

To enable this from the Stream menu click on “Allow remote control of my player” which enables the DLNA Media Receiver role.

If your PC is not part of a Windows Home Group

From Windows Media Player click on the Stream button and select “Turn on media streaming…”

This will bring up a dialog box with a “Turn on media streaming” button, so click on the button and accept the confirmation dialog box.

Click OK on the media streaming options dialog box.

You can also turn on the ability for Windows Media Player to act as a DLNA media player so other devices on your network can send media to the PC. Click on the “Automatically allow devices to pay my media” option and Windows Media Player will ask you to confirm the setting. That is all you need to do.

Once you have enabled media sharing the PCs music, pictures and videos will be accessible from other Windows Media Player devices on your home network plus any other DLNA enabled media players on the network including Sonos, Xbox, PS4 and so on.

If your require more advanced DLNA functionality, you should look at other media server software like Plex, Media Browser or Kodi but for the basics Windows Media Player will do the job.