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Can anyone recommend a good DLNA server (software or hardware)?
I've tried a few of the server softwares that I've found and they all seem to have problems (can't play some audio or video codecs, refuse to quit-locking up the server at shutdown, or just stop responding).
Anything you like or hate?
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Good question. I'd like to know one as well.
I gave my mom a Vizio router that has a built-in DLNA server and accompanying USB port for a connected drive, but I'd never used the DLNA functionality. Perhaps I should do some tests next time I visit.
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I also am looking. My Blu-ray player has the capability to connect to a DLNA server for video. They provide software for Windows, nothing for Mac.
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Saint,
There are two things going on in this situation. The first is the client device. It may not support the videos you're trying to send it, regardless of DLNA server. SO, if you're sending video in X format to your TV/blue-ray player/etc and they don't support it, you're SOL.
You can work around this by using a DLNA server that supports transcoding aka "on the fly" conversion to a different format. But, for it to work well, the machine upon which you installed the DLNA server needs a reasonable amount of horsepower. PS3 Media Server supports transcoding.
The second issue is the DLNA server. They aren't created equal. PS3 Media Server is free and actually does an overall great job. It supports the transcoding feature I mentioned previously. But, I'm not a fan of this package. It has a horrible interface and I found it somewhat flakey when running it on my Mac Pro to send content to my Sony TV and my PS3. That and I have to remember to open it or leave it asa login app so it opens automatically.
The DLNA server I've found the most reliable is EyeConnect from El Gato. . It works well and has a nice interface. It works as a preference pane rather than as a stand-alone application. But, it has two drawbacks. The first is that it doesn't support transcoding. So, the client device must be able to work with the content EyeConnect sends to it. If you're using media that isn't supported, you're SOL. The other problem is price. EyeConnect is on the expensive side at $49.95. the funny thing is that I'd have no hesitation whatsoever to pay $49.95 for EyeConnect if it supported transcoding. But it doesn't, so I have yet to fork over the cash.
One issue with all of the DLNA servers is that they only work when the computer is powered up. Turn off your computer, no more content. This brings me to two other options: NAS boxes with built-in DLNA servers or an AppleTV
Network Attached Server (NAS) boxes with DLNA servers are becoming more and more common and less expensive. Throw content onto the storage device and its built-in DLNA server streams it for you. Unfortunately, they have their own limitations, i.e. no transcoding, some use a linux file system, etc.
Another option is to drop the bucks for an AppleTV2 and use iTunes media sharing capabilities. The content has to be in an iTunes compatible format and the computer (and iTunes) must be running for the media to be available to the AppleTV. This system works well but it does require the investment of an AppleTV2 converting your content into an iTunes compatible format.
I've used PS3 Media Server successfully. Flakey but successfully. EyeConnect worked very well. Unfortunately, my Sony TV doesn't support a large variety of media formats. Not an issue at all with my PS3. And, I've used the iTunes/AppleTV2 combination successfully.
Robert
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I like YazSoft’s
Playback.
I've been happy with it for a few years.
The only issue I've had with it is that the automatic updating feature occasionally has hiccups. Making sure I stop the server before updating has always worked around this.
I haven't tried many different codecs. I primarily use MPEG4 H.264 optimized for iPhone.
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I played around with a couple over Christmas break - I was trying streaming to my 2 Sony BluRay players.
I tried iSedora and that works pretty darn well. Except I have two BluRay players, so that would be $69.
PS3 Media server barely works. I am sure if I applied a patch or tweaked it - it would work better.
Serviio works pretty well. A little jumpy after fast forwarding on my Sony S570, but good.
Twonky - works out of the box if all your files are supported. Transcoding is there, but not out of the box. Not sure how to enable, so of the 300 video files only 1 works.
