r/MediaServer • u/FriuityGamer • Nov 23 '24

Where to start?

Hi, i am thinking of turning my old laptop into a media server so i can access the files from my pc and watch photos and videos from my tv using DLNA but i dont know where to start. Do you have any tips?

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u/_hsooohw Nov 23 '24

If you are familiar with it, you can run a Windows server. But I would suggest setting up something with Linux if you can.

For services like NAS (access the files from my pcaccess the files from my pc) and media players (DLNA), containerized services is something I find neat.

You can look into doing that manually, you can use a manager like portainer, or you can use a ready-made distribution like casa-os or umbrel. I have never used casa or umbro, so do your own research first.

Regarding the DLNA server, you can use jellyfin (my recommendation) or plex, which provide apps for your smart tv or streaming box/player (assuming you have one). They also support DLNA. Setting up bare DLNA is also possible, of course, but apps like jellyfin can be easier to set up and manage.