I have had this tv now for about a month and I’ve recently got Tversity & Samsung DLNA to work even if it’s just partially. I spent many hours reading the tversity forums & googling for tutorials in order to get these two to talk to each other. For some this may not be the easiest solution and I guess that just depends on your home setup. While our setup is not exactly complicated, I wanted a cheap temporary alternative while I decide on whether I will continue with the HTPC build or purchase a Networked Media Tank such as the Popcorn Hour C-200, Egreat, Asus O!Play or the yet to be released WD TV 2 which now features the much needed ethernet port. I’m not going to get started on the NMT because that requires a different post altogether. I’ll just stick to my budget setup for now.
My network configuration is as follows – Belkin ADSL2+ Modem –> Netgear WNR854T Gigabit Router (DHCP) –> Netgear RP614 (configured as switch but soon to be replaced with a Netgear GS605 Gigabit switch). The PC running Tversity is directly connected to the WNR854T router, the Xbox 360, the Samsung TV and Sony BDP-S550 is connected to the RP614. It’s a little messy I know but the addition of the Netgear GS605 should fix that up quite nicely. I hope!
With this setup, I had been switching between the 360 & Tversity Media server and Samsung DLNA & Tversity Media server depending on which one works at the time or what type of file I’m playing. The Samsung DLNA natively supports MKV which I’m fast getting addicted to. Watching Dexter in 720p with AC3 audio (5.1 surround) has been flawless and the TV is able to pass through the audio to my Sony receiver via optical. The xbox 360 does not do that, in my experience anyway. Using Samsung’s DLNA means that no transcoding is required on the server end which is a bonus, it’s just a matter of streaming the content. I have had a few buffering issues with files that are approximately 8Gb in size but I suspect this is due to the Netgear Rp614 that I’m using, I’m expecting big improvements once I get the gigabit switch on this network.
While the Samsung DLNA has its advantages there are also some major disadvantages – the ability to stop, pause, rewind and fast forward the video is severely lacking. This can get very annoying. I have accidentally pressed the wrong button on the Logitech harmony remote while I was 30 minutes into a two hour movie and there is no function to resume. That’s enough to make you burst out in profanities which is not good when you’re living next to a Presbyterian church.
