How to Connect a Roku to a Windows DLNA Media Server?

Connect Roku to Windows DLNA Media Server:

Digital living network alliance (DLNA) is a standard that enables the sharing of images, audios, and videos from a network device or a PC to Roku or a Smart TV. It makes it easier for a person to watch movies he or she has on other devices.

Before we start with the process to connect a Roku to a Windows DLNA Media server, let us dig deep into what Digital Living Network Alliance is.

What is DLNA?

DLNA is referred to as a service, which you can run on a computer and enable access to its media library on other devices on your home network. This is the easiest and quickest way to share the media library from your PC to other devices on your home network.

DLNA Server

Here in this guide, you are going to create a DLNA server on Windows 10 PC. After that, you will connect your media services such as smartphones, tablets, streaming media players, and smart TVs.

Steps to Connect Roku to a Windows DLNA Media Server

1) Enable Media Streaming

The first thing that we need to do is to turn on the media streaming server.

Step 1: Launch the Start menu and then go to Settings.

Step 2: Click on Network and Internet.

Step 3: Select Wi-Fi (If your PC uses a wireless connection) or an ethernet connection (If your PC has a wired connection).

Step 4: Go to the right and select Network and Sharing Center.

Step 5: Choose media streaming options given on the left.

Step 6: Click on Turn on media streaming.

Step 7: Name your media library and then click on Ok.

2) Shared Files

After that, you need to ensure that you are sharing the files that you need to share.

• Launch File Explorer, then go to the left and choose This PC and then select videos given on the right side.
• Please ensure that your movies are listed here and you have given them sensible names. Move any other movies or videos that you wish to keep in this folder.
• This folder can be opened on your other devices as well. So, you can keep all the video files here that you wish to play on other devices.

3) Roku Media Player Check

The Roku media player is available with a free streaming app, which can have access to the DLNA media server. In almost all cases, this app is already installed on your Roku player but this app can be removed from your player because of not being used or due to an accident. However, there is nothing to worry about as it is fast and easy to reinstall.

Steps to follow to do a Roku media player check.

• Pick up your Roku remote and press the Home button on it.
• Search for the Roku media player.

4) Install the Roku Media Player

Mentioned below are the steps that you need to follow in order to install your Roku media player.

• On your Roku remote, press the home button.
• Go to the left and select the streaming channels.
• Go to Search Channels and select it.
• Enter the Roku media player in the search area and then select the Roku media player given on the right side.
• Select Add Channel.
• Once you are done adding the channel, select Ok.

5) Roku Media Player

• On your Roku remote, press the home button.
• Now, select the Roku media player.
• Select any one of the options from the photo, audio, video, and all.
• Choose the PC from the list of sources.
• Select the folder that contains the file that you wish to watch.
• After that, choose the media file that you would like to see.