DLNA and VortexBox

[andrew]

Since the start of VortexBox we have been using Ushare as the built in DLNA server and Twonky Media and the addon (pay) DLNA server. I have been looking for a better free DLNA server as Ushare dosn't work with a lot of devices. minidlna seem to work well so I want to start a BETA program to test it out. Follow these steps from command line to replace ushare with minidlna and report the results here. Thanks!




yum clean all


yum update


/opt/vortexbox/vbcleanup.sh


reboot

[gmeister]

I followed the CLI commands above. I get and error as follows when doing the /opt/vortexbox/vbcleanup.sh script:


Error Downloading Packages:
Trying other mirror.http://yum.vortexbox.org/releases/11/i386/RPMS/minidlna-1.0.17-1.i586.rpm: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404: Not FoundDownloading Packages:




Any suggestions?

[andrew]

My bad. Should be working now.

[cphan]

Yup, all good now. I'll report back with any issues I have.

[andyd37]

Hi, I have never had any problem with UShare, but am keen


to understand how miniDLNA is 'better' than UShare?


The documentation on the miniDLNA website is sparse.


Does it just work or is any configuration required?


Does it have a web interface?


Anyone have any further observation/information?


Thanks

[andrew]

Ushare doesn’t work with many DLNA devices such as Windows 7 and new DLNA TVs from Samsung, Sony, etc It also doesn’t work with PS3. minidlna is very simple and seems to work with almost everything. It doesn’t have a web interface because it doesn’t really need one. If you can think of what this web interface might need I could add it to the regular interface.
I would like to replace Ushare with miniDLNA as the primary DLNA server for VortexBox. We would probably still support Twonkey Media.

I’m really interested is anything that Ushare does that miniDLNA DOESN’T do since obviously that would need to be resolved before we could make the switch.

[vdeknock]

Going to need some more help to see if this works. Where should movies ie avi be located so they appear in a list. My xbox 360 sees Vortex Media Server but I can see any movies. Without a web interface this is way harder than twonkymedia server. On the web they talk about editing the minidlna.conf file but I could not find the location.


Will wait for more information and try again.

[andrew]

Put your avi files in /storage/movies


the minidlna.conf file is in /etc/minidlna.conf but there's not much in there. This is a super simple server.

[andyd37]

Hi, I have installed miniDLNA on my vortexbox and experienced


no issues during the installation.


I then tested it with my PS3, XBox 360 and Windows 7.




Works well with all three based on my testing, below:


PS3: Appears as VortexBox Media Server with Linux Penguin


icon on XBM Music/Video/Picture menus


Displays and allows playback of mp3's and displays embedded album art


once at track level.


Displays and allows playback of MKV's, no other video formats


tested.


XBox 360: Appears as Vortexbox Media Server on My XBox


Music/Video/Picture libraries


Displays and allows playback of mp3's, does not display


embedded album art (I think this is an XBox limitation)


Does not display and therefore will not play MKV's, but again


I think this is an XBox limitation. No other video formats tested


Windows 7: Appeared as an option when I added a media


library within Media Center, so Windows is picking it up




Based on my limited testing, it looks good to me and I


am happy with the way it works so far http://vortexbox.org/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif


PS, can anything be done once the text starts to dissapear


off the right hand side of a forum topic page?

[andrew]

Good to hear it. Unless there are any objections I'll probiblly replace ushare with minidlna in VortexBox 1.4

[vdeknock]

I am guess I just had to wait for the program to build its database of files. What is lacking is any feedback on what the program is doing. ie when I installed it showed no files but also gave nil feedback that it was scanning the library. This would be the one feature that is missing but it works:


Results for the beta test


Tested avi files, MP3 and photos (jpg)




I can report that the media server appears on windows 7 machines using windows media player and on the xbox360 using the predefined filters (video/music/photos).


It would be nice if art work for avi files came across. avi files work with xbox360 as they do in twonkymedia server. For a free application this is great, see no reason to not include it but I expect a few posts like my original - what now it does not work - a config page which shows it is scanning and a count of files would solve this.