How to use DLNA

Hi ruubs,
I'm afraid you are going to have a very tough, probably impossible, time. I say probably as most likely there is a solution, somewhere, but after 3 weeks of owning the i8910, I can't figure it out.
What you need is what is called DLNA client software. The i8910 is acting as a DLNA server, serving off music/photos/(and so Samsung reckon...)videos.

I am using my PS3 as the DLNA client, which it is designed to do. I have not been able to find any Windows (XP/Vista/7) DLNA client software available, so I have never managed to stream any content at all from my i8910 (the server) to my XP box (the client) wirelessly. I just cut/copy off the content via the microUSB cable and then playback using any mp3/jpg typical softare, but found only Quicktime will play the 'HD' (if you call them that, IMO they are not) i8910 movies.

My PS3 accepts the .mp3 music / .jpg picture streams ok from the i8910 (albeit there is 5/10/15 sec lag between each track or image, depending on how big the original files are), but the .mp4 movies do not play at all (as they are .mp4 but with a rubbish AMR codec encode (Samsung's choice)). If the i8910 movies were .mp4-AAC (AAC audio) encoded, then maybe the PS3 would see them.

AFAIK, unless you have a PS3, or wish to spend ��� on a Samsung wireless dongle, which I have not read anywhere actually works, or mega-��� on a brand new OLED Samsung TV with a DLNA client builtin (which again, my or may not work), or, there might even be

As far as I can see on the DLNA.org website, the i8910 is not even DLNA-certified! (no certificate!)

So, my recommendation to you as I write is 'give up'. DLNA on the i8910 is currently 'vapourware' for 99.5% of end-users. As I said, I do have a PS3, but even then the experience is very incomplete (slow .jpg/.mp3 transfer rates, & you have to force the i8910 server to refresh (1-2mins) on each PS3 connect) and no i8910 encoded movies stream at all - I've only used it twice, in two weeks, for testing.

However, I am sure someone out there will put me right...
Hope the above helps
also
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/forum//forum/thread/84687/

Cheers!

PS IMHO the i8910 has two major flaws out of a stellar feature set
1) the use of the AMR codec for its own movie encoding, even if you assume the 1280x720 outpus is 'HD' (hoho)
2) it is, in practice, not DLNA-certified AFAIK
http://www.dlna.org/retail/products/
click on search & try & find it... (PS good luck 😊 )

Aah ok, well i should give it up then.
thank you VERRY much for you information.
i can try it with my ps3. but i borrowd my ps3 to my friend so i can try that an other time.
maybe i will buy a high end samsung oled screen who is dlna-certified. just need one to so why not:P

well good lucky with your i8910 and ps3!

cheers

I can stream the helicopter video to the ps3 but it has an incredibly slow frame rate and freezes all the time. Apparantly it needs about 50mps which a 54mps router doesn't come close to. Anybody trying this with a faster router?

Hi shug - I haven't heard about this 50mbps requirement for the Helicopter video, so can't comment on that - all I can say is that with my own ripped low-end .mp4-AAC files e.g. 368x208 pixel, 64kbps joint stereo AAC sound, at ~ 512kbps (a very low rate) I still cannot get smooth streaming from the i8910 to my LCD TV via my PS3 acting as the DLNA client through a 54g router, with a proven (my own tests) max rate of 21 mbps, and typical rate of 14 mbps. The i8910 still needs 2-3 secs of buffering every 2-3 secs of playback. As far as I have been able to figure out in almost 4 weeks owning an i8910, it's DLNA streaming function is practically nonsense. My current belief is the handset's chipset doesn't have the streaming power, somehow.
Have you also found that if you delete any files from either the i8910 or DLNA client e.g. your PS3, you must then compeltely Refresh the library on your i8910 (which takes AGES up to 2 mins), otherwise all the non-updated content still appears on the PS3 as being 'corrupted' data files. All very boring. Still, it was a 10 minute wonder/gimmick when I realised the i8910 actually had any form of DLNA, just disappointed that it really doesn't work.

For what it is worth - the i8910 is STILL not 'certified' on the DLNA website:
http://www.dlna.org/products
Unless someone can correct me, then I think that speaks volumes, no...?

http://www.multizoneav.com/Product/SONY/LCD+&+Plasma+TV/KDL32V5500/GoogleBase/

This is the cheapest TV I can find at 32" with DNLA - has anybody got a DNLA TV and had the i8910 streaming video?

Ok folks - here's the latest - I spent some of my Saturday wandering central London trying to understand this DLNA business once and for all... I visited several high-end stores which stock the latest and greatest Samsung LED TVs and 'Home theatre' systems, which are LOL "advertised" by Samsung as allowing the i8910 to act as a DLNA server (NB the i8910 is still uncertified by DLNA.org) and stream your (for the second time LOL) i8910's "HD-recorded" content to your HD TV...

in the UK, the latest Samsung TV is the B8000 LED model
is (Google for) :
UE46B8000

the latest Home theatre system is:
HT-BD7200

All Samsung DLNA-enabled systems are just that, they just SUPPORT DLNA, they DO NOT have any wireless chipsets built-in as per the PS3! You need an additional dongle...

All the stores I visited a) confirmed this
and
b) did not stock the Wireless DLNA dongle you would need to buy to plug into one of these new generation LCD/LED TVs, assuming you had just bought a UE46B8000 or equivalent.

So, it remains that I have not been able to see any HD-ready encoded content from my i8910 on a suitable TV, except by the XP-PC + HDMI + quicktime route.

Conclusion: For 99% of people I imagine the DLNA advertising is complete vapourware.

The Wireless dongle is this:
WIS09ABGNX
and retails for about 40-50 gbp

The UE46B8000 tv is 1600 gbp+

If anyone actually has any of this new Samsung kit, and actually takes the plunge to buy the dongle, do please give us an insight as to whether it actually works. (just out of curiosity)
I contain my laughter.

😊

oh, PS, if I take the plunge and do the IG2 AAC-fixed firmware upgrade, I might report on a PS3-DLNA streaming attempt (as PS3 is DLNA certified for AAC .mp4 encoded data streams), & let you know just how poor the streaming probably is - unless some kind person can report on it first!

I have the latest Italian firmware and have access to a PS3 and a Samsung HD tv but won't be able to try this for 2 weeks. Sounds intriguing though, if it works at all...

so how would you do it? You shoot some HD content on the phone, open the DLNA app on the phone, let PS3 see it and then try to stream or what..?

with my pre-debranded xxIE2 the DLNA app did work with PS3, slowly, with pics and mp3, but not videos.
With xxIG2 italian, the DLNA app "connected home" appears totally broken, doesn't save settings and makes no external connections...

The .mp4-AAC videos encoded with the i8910 remain unplayable on the PS3 - still 'data type unsupported' even though is it AAC encoded on the audio side of things... (I used the USB cable to mount the e: on the PS3)

Dudes i have just bought Samsung Full HD TV. (Samsung 37LB650) Which supports DLNA! 😃
I dont use the Samsung Dongle but just a UTP Cable.
And it works great with my PC and with my laptop. I want to try it with my
I8910 but i aint got it atm. I thit send it warranty a couple of weeks ago. So i only have to wait till i have my phone back and ill let you folks know how it works 😃

Ok guys. I figured this out. With a few caveats. First one. You MAY need windows 7... It's what I'm using. I haven't tried it on xp or vista. It may or may not work.
Second one. And this is bigger, if you intend to stream HD videos(the 720p ones recorded by the phones) you're basically out of luck. There simply isn't enough bandwidth to stream them with any kind of satisfactory framerate. At least not on my home w-lan(Again, if you have a super duper home wlan it may work, but I suspect the bottleneck is in the phone itself somewhere).

Here's how to get it working.
From the start screen. Click on the upper right corner of the screen(On the little battery icon). This should bring up the notifications menu. Click on the connectivity symbol next to the time.
Then click wireless lan. Click on your home network and select Start DLNA. After this you have to make a few choices of what to share(music,video etc. And from where you will share this, mass storage,memory card). When this is done. Fire up your computer which must also be connected to the same network. Star windows media player and your i8910 should be on the list of devices.

And you're set. I'm currently streaming an episode of 24 from my phone to my computer with no problems.

P.S. If you're not using windows 7, Get the release candidate. It's free and full of love and joy.

Hey Tenkom,

I have Vista not windows 7, and I can see the i8910 in network neighborhood but after I double click it, it opens WMP and it doesn't show up there.

But that doesn't really matter -- what I would LIKE to do is be able to play back my media from my desktop server on my phone.

Is this phone a DLNA server only or does it have a client as well?
This is what I do not understand..

Also, RE: to the buffering..have you tried disabling power saving mode for WLAN (on the phone in WLAN settings).
I've found that when I play back youtube content over wifi on the phone -- if I have this turned ON, the connection drops all the time and the videos are jittery.
However, if I turn power saving off, the videos play fine...even tho it prob. eats battery like no other.

surge wrote:But that doesn't really matter -- what I would LIKE to do is be able to play back my media from my desktop server on my phone.

Man that is uber gay...i tried downloading an episode of star trek voyager off of my orb server, it's been about 5 minutes and the progress bar hasn't even got to 10% yet.

The file in question is 343 megabyes -- my server has two gigabit ethernet nics connecting it to my managed switch, then off the switch is my wifi router.

Why is this so slow? I cancelled the video, screw that i'm not waiting an hour to copy something that takes two minutes over usb.

Also tried to Copy a 15.31MB mp3 file, took 5:20 seconds (timed it).
thats around 50 kilobytes \ second...what is this going over 3g or something?!

There is something seriously wrong with this..

I just did a flash speed test (from the internet mind you) using wifi and I got 3 MBPS downloads.
Something is seriously messed with this DLNA application.
Prob why this device isnt certified.

I've done a small benchmark of DLNA with the only two phones I own that support it, namely the Samsung i8910 HD and the Nokia N82. The test consisted in copying a 358MB xvid video file from a Fedora 11 desktop running uShare. Here are the results:
i8910 HD: 14:15
N82: 21:27
Both phones were very slow at transferring the file. By comparison, copying the same file using scp to my laptop (also running Fedora) only took 2:42.
A couple of bugs came up with this test, which are probably worth mentioning:
- Initially, I intended to use MediaTomb, another DLNA server for Linux. With MT, the i8910 HD was able to browse the content normally, but not to copy files. Each copy resulted in the progress bar being stuck at 0% with no data being transferred. Copying using MT worked normally on the N82. Perhaps these incompatibilities are what's preventing the i8910 HD from being certified.
- On the N82, I wasn't able to monitor the progress of the data transfer. In any copy operation, the progress bar starts at about 65% and doesn't move for all the duration of the transfer.

rvirga wrote:I've done a small benchmark of DLNA with the only two phones I own that support it, namely the Samsung i8910 HD and the Nokia N82. The test consisted in copying a 358MB xvid video file from a Fedora 11 desktop running uShare. Here are the results:
i8910 HD: 14:15
N82: 21:27
Both phones were very slow at transferring the file. By comparison, copying the same file using scp to my laptop (also running Fedora) only took 2:42.
A couple of bugs came up with this test, which are probably worth mentioning:
- Initially, I intended to use MediaTomb, another DLNA server for Linux. With MT, the i8910 HD was able to browse the content normally, but not to copy files. Each copy resulted in the progress bar being stuck at 0% with no data being transferred. Copying using MT worked normally on the N82. Perhaps these incompatibilities are what's preventing the i8910 HD from being certified.
- On the N82, I wasn't able to monitor the progress of the data transfer. In any copy operation, the progress bar starts at about 65% and doesn't move for all the duration of the transfer.

Thanks for taking the time to test man, I appreciate it.

I think we need to bring samsung conclusive evidence that this feature does not work properly. I posted a thread on their mobile innovator forums, and one of their employees responded that he has only tested DLNA with the samsung WMG100 device (which I cannot find for sale ANYWHERE -- what a shocker) and it works fine without buffering.

However -- he has only tested streaming from the phone, and since the WMG100 only supports a maximum resolution of 480p -- this definitely make sense compared to Tenknom's results.

I do not have any other DLNA mobile devices to test out with orb or windows media player 11's built in DLNA server.

I suppose if the Omnia II has DLNA then I could have someone rip it and I could test it out on my HTC touch cruise..that's pretty much the only other option I have for a comparison.

Are the DLNA applications the same on both phones?

I suppose there are different interpretations of the results of my little benchmark, but the impressions that I got is that DLNA is slow, period. If there's something wrong with the implementation of the i8910 HD that took 14 mins. to copy a 358MB file, there's something wronger with the N82 that took 21 mins. to do the same thing.
Anyway, to test the server-side of the DLNA program in the i8910HD, this morning I downloaded XBMC, a cross-platform media center software that can stream different sources, including DLNA servers. Using this, I was able to play HD video, shot with the i8910 HD and streamed using the phone's DLNA program, both audio and video, both on Windows and on Linux. So my conclusions are:
1) a media center PC is a viable alternative to the limited, and probably expensive, Samsung WMG100 thingy
2) if you just want to stream to your PC, go ahead and download XBMC. It's free, it works, and it's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Edit: OMG, it's so awesome! XBMC can be configured as a DLNA rendererer (Settings - Network - UPnP Settings - Autostart UPnP Client & Enable UPnP Renderer), allowing the i8910 HD to act as a remote control between the DLNA server and XBMC. Just set XBMC to be the default renderer in Settings (on the i8910), browse the DLNA server, and double-tap on a video. The video will start playing on XBMC, and the screen on i8910 will display a music player-like interface, allowing you to pause/play, ff and rewind.

rvirga wrote:I suppose there are different interpretations of the results of my little benchmark, but the impressions that I got is that DLNA is slow, period. If there's something wrong with the implementation of the i8910 HD that took 14 mins. to copy a 358MB file, there's something wronger with the N82 that took 21 mins. to do the same thing.
Anyway, to test the server-side of the DLNA program in the i8910HD, this morning I downloaded XBMC, a cross-platform media center software that can stream different sources, including DLNA servers. Using this, I was able to play HD video, shot with the i8910 HD and streamed using the phone's DLNA program, both audio and video, both on Windows and on Linux. So my conclusions are:
1) a media center PC is a viable alternative to the limited, and probably expensive, Samsung WMG100 thingy
2) if you just want to stream to your PC, go ahead and download XBMC. It's free, it works, and it's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Edit: OMG, it's so awesome! XBMC can be configured as a DLNA rendererer (Settings - Network - UPnP Settings - Autostart UPnP Client & Enable UPnP Renderer), allowing the i8910 HD to act as a remote control between the DLNA server and XBMC. Just set XBMC to be the default renderer in Settings (on the i8910), browse the DLNA server, and double-tap on a video. The video will start playing on XBMC, and the screen on i8910 will display a music player-like interface, allowing you to pause/play, ff and rewind.

Good post. I will share your results with the i8910 forum and try it out for myself. Any stutters or buffers with XMBC?

surge wrote:Good post. I will share your results with the i8910 forum and try it out for myself. Any stutters or buffers with XMBC?

This is great information and exciting news: many thanks!
My Connect Home app remains broken, as I've discussed previously (even after another round of reflashing the italian firmware, hard rest, xxIG2 update, hard reset). No idea why I lost that app, it worked fine on my original xxIE2. Another weird i8910 experience for me. I'm going to have to find time to try out XMBC - does XMBC circumvent the need for the Connected Home app?
In all honesty, my i8910 is no longer my main handset - I've gone back to my older WinMo one, as I don't have enough confidence in the software yet.
Also, rvirga - I'm having the odd complete crash i.e. about once a week, at a random time. I think my handset has some hardware bugs (it was an early unit in the UK, late May) - so, when is the best time to go for a warranty to get the latest Orange firmware... mmm... may start another thread!

rleader wrote:
My Connect Home app remains broken, as I've discussed previously (even after another round of reflashing the italian firmware, hard rest, xxIG2 update, hard reset). No idea why I lost that app, it worked fine on my original xxIE2. Another weird i8910 experience for me. I'm going to have to find time to try out XMBC - does XMBC circumvent the need for the Connected Home app?

rvirga - many thanks as ever. I'm going to look into XBMC anyway & will try your suggestions to avoid my broken Connected Home app tonight. I will await the next Italian firmware update & see what happens after that. Thanks; oh, I've also run into c😛hone memory (low memory error messages; I think from a self-cancelled Route 66 install couple to QuickOffice 6 then failing to install - from latest, great, AAS podcast # 144 I believe Quickoffice 6 requires install to c: - well, it didn't give me any option to go for E:, and suddenly I found I went from 40mb free c: to 0mb !) and now I can't find anything I can easily delete. With Y-browser there just doesn't seem to be any old Route 66 or Quickoffice files you can get rid off (?). I'm going to reflash all over again to solve that, probably in the next hour or so. The straightaway try Quickoffice update install, and put back R66 onto e:. Then restore my latest backup.

The read process call does not use the start/end time.

It uses something like processinginterval/number of intervals".

The HDA spec will explain the parameters in detail. The code uses the same names as described in the spec.

rleader wrote:Hi ruubs,
As far as I can see on the DLNA.org website, the i8910 is not even DLNA-certified! (no certificate!)

2) it is, in practice, not DLNA-certified AFAIK
http://www.dlna.org/retail/products/
click on search & try & find it... (PS good luck 😊 )

I emailed DLNA about the fact that the i8910 was not listed as a certified product on their website, and this was their reply:

Thank you for your comment. The GT-i8910 Omnia is a DLNA Certified device.
The information in our Search & Match database is updated on a rolling basis
by the manufactures, so check back periodically and newer devices will have
populated the list.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions,

Best regards,
DLNA Administration

@capitaine : Hi - many thanks! Interesting stuff. I just checked the database again at DLNA. It is still not listed AFAIK. So, that means, although they can add other devices to their databases during the last 4 months (since I have been checking regularly e.g. every other week), they haven't added the i8910. mmm...
in practice (well, the first 5 weeks i.e. up until my DLNA has refused completely to work: @rvirga - I know, I probably need an exchange...) DLNA never did work 'properly' for me even when I could link it up to my PS3 (see other threads), and, in practice, I still say that for 99% of people it doesn't do any sort of a practical job. Of course, if anyone else is of a different opinion, and DLNA does work flawlessly for them as advertised - please comment, and/or suggest the cheapest ways of achieving this advertised function. 😊

Hi Guys

I like most of you on here have been struggling trying to get my phone (i8910)to stream video or anything to my laptop or elsewhere.

I have no idea at all how anybody as got this phone working with windows media player at all. ive tried everything but cannot get media player to see anything from the phone or play, and I cannot download or take anything from windows media player to my phone either. no idea why it doesnt work ??

Ive tried XMBC server and was surprised how easy that worked, I streamed the helicopter video from my phone to XMBC server on my laptop and it played great. but again look at the actual screen resolution of the file its way small. Any how it played great streaming to my phone using 54g wireless conections.

Ideally I wanted to stream from my mobile to my Xbox, but I dont think im clever enough to work that one out. ive tried media sharing on the xbox and laptop and can see files from xbox and laptop both ways. However when I goto my mobile I see the both my laptop and xbox as the players, but the settings do not hold for them so I cant stream to them for whatever reason I dont know.

Anyhow ive just seen what I think might be a possible solution to the problem we all seem to have and that is a blu ray player which is DLNA certified. The player in connection is an LG BD390 im wondering if this could be the answer to the problem, surely with this device I will be able to stream straight to the blu ray player. What do you guys think ??

Ive just spoken to LG to ask and they say it should work if the I8910 is DLNA certifified to DLNA Interoperability verison 1.5 or above, but like you how do we find that out ???

I might take the plunge and try it, if I can get my hands on one of this players for Xmas and find somewhere with one in stock!!

Hello there; *shock* it's almost 11 months since I decided on the i8910, and only now (without Samsung input) is this handset finally getting some unofficial, ex-warranty, software love (aka HyperX, big Kudos).
But, I'm someone who just wants to use their handset, not become a high-level ��� software consultant... so, confessing to my ultimate laziness... can I just ask people out there how (are they at all?) they are using DLNA 'successfully', by which I mean, as advertised by Samsung i.e. 720p movies (especially those recorded on the handset, even if they are poor quality), streaming 'perfectly' to an HD-ready or above television direct from the handset?
I've seen a few YouTube movies on this, and I'm open to all solutions...
PS I STILL can't find the i8910 as being certified for DLNA officially 😃
www.dlna.org/products

I have bought a Samsung 7 series with the dongle and have also upgraded to an N router and this does play videos from the phone although it's not flawless - often the video will play a couple of secs then buffer then play the video properly. Quality is good though. Unfortunately videos recorded on the phone are just about the only ones the tv will play. Still worth the dongle though since it works great with a media server on the pc.