Minidlna - how to integrate?

Configuration
1

I’m trying to integrate my minidlna server into HA but don’t seem to find any working configuration. The minidlna server is working fine (streaming music or movies to VLC clients, network receiver, smart TV etc)

Reading the documentation of the DLNA Digital Media Renderer there is a required paramter URL pointing to an XML descriptor file.

What would be the correct URL for a default minidlna install ? Is there anything to be edited on the minidlna.conf file (presentation_url, perhaps)?

Looking forward to learn from your experience with minidlna + HA

2

The descriptor URL for minidlna is http://[DLNA-SERVER]:8200/rootDesc.xml

Doesn’t work though. I get an error when trying to add the integration:

Device is not a Digital Media Renderer

3

Not sure how you made out after this, but if you found a useful setup I’d love to hear about it.

The integration you’re using here is the DLNA ‘renderer’ so it is referring to devices that media can be played on (smart tv and that sort of thing).

What I think you were looking for (and I am too) is a DLNA ‘server’ integration (this is where the media comes from). As far as I know home assistant does not have this, but I don’t understand why.

The other thing I don’t understand is how the DLNA renderer integration is useful without a server integration.

So for now I ignore the media side of things in HA, feels like something I’d just spend a lot of time fighting with instead of watching my movies.

1 Like
4

I second that, why would the DLNA renderer integration not integrate DLNA servers? is there an alternative for this integration?

1 Like
5

I have minidlna running fine on my system.

Things to note are:

minidlna is a server only (will not play music - just stores it and sends it to the player when required . So the ‘dlna renderer’ integration will not understand it.

So - the way to get it to work is

  1. Install the DLNA Server (the place where your music is stored) integration in HA
  2. This will detect the minidna server - it should be listed under the known servers in the server integrations ‘box’ on the integration page
  3. Install the DLNA renderer integration, it should detect your player (media renderer) - here I am using an Arylic Upstream2 - other renderers are available

Now go to the MEDIA tab on you HA home page - you should see a number of sources

I have:

  • DLNA Servers
  • Local media
  • Radio
  • TTS

Click on DLNA servers - and you should see you mldna server - click on it to choose music - click on the ‘cast’ icon in the bottom right corner to choose the destination (dfaults to browser - should be able to choose your renderer)

1 Like
6

@ian_b Thanks for this clear explanation. Seems to be working fine at my end.

7

hello,
I have the problem to install my DLNA from HA integrations. it tells me that there is no DLNA server,
but I run OMV6 and here I have my mini DLNA server instaled and properly working on all other machines, so what can be the matter that HA DLNA server not found my mini DLNA on OMV6?

8

here is the exact words written: DLNA Digital Media Server

No devices found on the network