Media gallery

Configure the videos that the DLNA server serves to clients.

The file resources/gallery.json is the single source of truth for your media library. When a DLNA client browses the server, the server reads this file and returns the list of videos it contains. To add, remove, or update videos, edit this file and restart the server.

Schema

The file has two top-level keys: metadata and videos.

metadata

metadata.version · number · required

The UpdateID sent to DLNA clients. Increment this value whenever you change your library so clients know to refresh their cached view.

metadata.totalVideos · number · required

The total number of video items in the library. This value is sent to clients as TotalMatches in Browse responses. It should always match the length of the videos array.

videos

videos · array · required

The list of video items the server advertises to clients.

Show Video item fields

videos[].id · string · required

A unique identifier for this item, used as the id attribute in the DIDL-Lite XML response. Use simple strings like "1", "2", and so on.

videos[].title · string · required

The display name shown in the DLNA client’s media browser.

videos[].mimeType · string · required

The MIME type of the video file. Common values:

• video/mp4 — H.264/AAC in MP4 container
• video/x-matroska — MKV container
• video/mpeg — MPEG-1/2
• video/quicktime — MOV container

videos[].url · string · required

The full HTTP URL the client uses to stream the video. This must be reachable from the client device over the network.

Example

resources/gallery.json

{
  "metadata": {
    "version": 1,
    "totalVideos": 3
  },
  "videos": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "title": "Big Buck Bunny",
      "mimeType": "video/mp4",
      "url": "http://192.168.1.100:8000/big-buck-bunny.mp4"
    },
    {
      "id": "2",
      "title": "Elephants Dream",
      "mimeType": "video/mp4",
      "url": "http://192.168.1.100:8000/elephants-dream.mp4"
    },
    {
      "id": "3",
      "title": "Nature Documentary",
      "mimeType": "video/x-matroska",
      "url": "http://192.168.1.100:8000/nature-doc.mkv"
    }
  ]
}

Important notes

• totalVideos must match videos.length — if the values differ, some clients will display incorrect counts or fail to display all items.
• The file is read at startup — changes to gallery.json do not take effect until you restart the server.
• IDs must be unique — duplicate id values will cause undefined behavior in DLNA clients.

Do not use file:// paths in the url field. DLNA clients are separate network devices and cannot access your local filesystem. Every URL must be an HTTP URL reachable from the client over the network.

To serve video files stored on your machine, use a simple HTTP file server in the directory containing your videos:

npx serve /path/to/your/videos

This starts a local HTTP server (default port 3000) that exposes the files in that directory. Use the resulting URL — e.g., http://192.168.1.100:3000/my-video.mp4 — as the url in gallery.json. Make sure the port is accessible from client devices on your network.