Last update : June 17, 2012
A personal computer running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 can be used as a DLNA certified media server simply by activating this capability in the Windows Media Player (WMP) 11 or above. Some tutorials how to configure the WMP are listed hereafter :
- Making Your PC a DLNA Certified Media Server, by jehill
- Evolve Your Living Room with a DLNA HDTV and Windows Media Player, by Kevin Ivanca
- How to set up a DLNA server using the Windows 7 operating system, by Sony eSupport
- Media Streaming with Windows 7, by Steven Sinofsky
In the past the media server components, now integrated in the WMP, were called Windows Media Connect (WMV) or Home Media Ecosystem (HME). The Windows Media Center (WMC) includes a digital video recorder.
Late April 2012 I set up a DLNA system in my home network with a Fritz!Box Media Server and two Windows Media Players 12 running on Windows 7 personal computers.
Six weeks later I replaced the Windows Media Player system by the outstanding Serviio DLNA server. I disabled the Windows 7 Media Player Network Sharing Service (wmpnetwk) to avoid conflicts in media sharing and to speed up the system’s perfomance. A tutorial how to turn off wmpnetwk.exe is available on numerous websites.