[JzJad]

Why are so many users using standalone media servers when most smart TV's are able to utilize DLNA?
Just curious.

Well my server is used for things like that, and besides my tv isnt a smart tv lol

[fuqinspam]

Why are so many users using standalone media servers when most smart TV's are able to utilize DLNA?
Just curious.

I use a MediaBrowser3 for the presentation factor. It has DLNA available but I don't just want to throw a piece of media on the screen, I want to be able to display a more pleasing sight to my guests.
I also use it to watch my movies away from home on my phone and computers.

I use SickBeard, Couchpotato, and SABnzbd to pull in content automatically so there is always something new to watch.

I do virtualize some systems like newznab to limit the resources it uses.
I also virtualize an FTP to isolate it from my main system.

[roger_smith]

Why are so many users using standalone media servers when most smart TV's are able to utilize DLNA?
Just curious.

I also don't have a smart TV and a smart TV won't serve my media for me...

[Fury]

I also don't have a smart TV and a smart TV won't serve my media for me...

How would it not "serve" your media? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean.

DLNA is built into windows and streams media and documents over your home network.

[roger_smith]

How would it not "serve" your media? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean.

DLNA is built into windows and streams media and documents over your home network.

The point of my media server is to serve the media housed on it to the rest of my network. the SmartTV would be acting as a client in that scenario. My media server is designed to handle requests for the media. The way I am working to have it setup will allow media to be served simultaneously to multiple devices on my network at once, including PS3, Desktop, Laptops, smart phones, tablets.

A smartTV does not hold the data being served

[Fury]

The point of my media server is to serve the media housed on it to the rest of my network. the SmartTV would be acting as a client in that scenario. My media server is designed to handle requests for the media. The way I am working to have it setup will allow media to be served simultaneously to multiple devices on my network at once, including PS3, Desktop, Laptops, smart phones, tablets.

A smartTV does not hold the data being served

Right the server is hosted from whichever PC has the media file on it.

The machine listed in my signature is where I torrent from and is connected via CAT5's to the rest of my network and I am able to send data simultaneously as well.

Not talking shit at all here, I have contemplated having a dedicated machine for my media. Popping in 10+TB with a shit CPU, couple sticks of cheap RAM, and a gigabit port. Curiosity is all!

[roger_smith]

I think we may be looking at two sides of the same coin here. It sounds like the machine in your sig is serving your media to your smartTV. In essence, that machine is your media server. My main laptop is not always on and therefore isn't a good device choice for media server.

I have an older laptop that I got for free. It took a spill and hinges were broken, keyboard is hosed, it's pretty broken. However, I can administer it via ssh, so no need for screen/keyboard.

That's why I have/want a dedicated machine for it, because my other machines tend to be powered down/sleep/batt die at various times. Additionally, my future plan is to have a VPN setup so I can access my internal network from outside locations. The media server will likely serve as the VPN server in the future.

[Fury]

Very cool. I haven't done much research on home servers at all, I stumbled upon the DLNA method on accident to be honest.

[JzJad]

DLNA, is a rather nice feature, especially with androids, as well as my pc, allowing me to mirror my phones screen, as well as serve media to all my devices in my house

[Null_Byte]

Let's see, I have a few virtual servers for testing and development then I have about 3 1U's sitting here in my room and about 2 old computers I turned into servers back in texas. My 1U's are used for media, local web server for developing stuff and one for just messing around with stuff. The two old computers back home are running home media software for my family ^~^