How to turn on DLNA on the Xiaomi Mi TV 4S: full instructions with photos and tips

Xiaomi Mi TV 4S supports DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology, which allows you to stream videos, music and photos from other devices over the local network wirelessly. However, many users face difficulties when connecting for the first time: the feature can be hidden in the depth of the menu, and the settings of the media server require additional configuration. In this article, you will find a step-by-step picture instruction, tips for troubleshooting errors and a table of compatible formats.

It’s important to understand that the Mi TV 4S (2018-2020 models) works with DLNA through the built-in Miracast protocol and Media Player app. If you tried to connect through third-party programs (such as VLC or BubbleUPnP) and you got an error, the problem may lie in the router settings or file format. We’ll break down all the nuances, including the hidden option “Media Server Mode” that Xiaomi hid in the service menu.

What is DLNA and why is it needed for Xiaomi Mi 4S?

DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a standard for sharing media between devices on a single network, which means you can:

• 🎬 Watch movies from a laptop or smartphone on a big screen Mi TV 4S without USB- drives.
• 🎵 Play music from your phone through your TV speakers.
• 📷 Show pictures from a tablet on TV in slideshow mode.
• 🎮 Use the TV as a second monitor for gaming (up to 200 ms latency).

The Xiaomi Mi 4S DLNA is implemented through two protocols:

1. UPnP/DLNA is a standard for streaming.
2. Miracast is Xiaomi’s proprietary screen mirroring technology (only works with MIUI or Android 5.0+ devices).

The main difference from Chromecast or AirPlay: DLNA does not require installing additional applications on the TV, but depends on the stability of the local network. If the router gives IP- addresses in the 192.168.x.x range, and the devices are in the same subnet, the connection will pass without problems.

Preparing for connection: checking network and devices

Before you turn on DLNA on the Xiaomi Mi 4S, make sure that:

Connect TV and source (smartphone/PC) to one Wi-Fi network | Update TV firmware to the latest version |Disable VPN on all devices |Check if router distributes IP over DHCP-->

If the TV is connected to the network via cable and the smartphone is connected via Wi-Fi (or vice versa), DLNA will not work. Both devices must be on the same subnet.

1. On TV: go to Settings → Network → Network Status and write down IP- address (e.g., 192.168.1.105).
2. On your smartphone: open your Wi-Fi settings, click on the network name and look at the IP (should match the first three digits, for example 192.168.1.102).

If the IP- addresses are different (e.g., 192.168.0.x and 192.168.1.x), then the router is distributing two subnets.

• 🔄 Reboot the router.
• 📡 In router settings (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), disable the Guest Network function.
• 🔗 Force static IP- addresses to be assigned to one subnet (manually in the network settings on each device).

⚠️ Warning: If you are using a Mesh system (e.g., Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router AX3600), make sure that the TV and smartphone are connected to the same node. In Mesh networks, devices on different nodes can receive IP from different subnets.

Step-by-step: how to turn on DLNA on Xiaomi Mi TV 4S

On the Mi TV 4S, the DLNA function is hidden under the name Media Server to activate it:

1. Open the main menu with the Home button on the remote.
2. Go to settings: ⚙️ Settings → Applications → System applications.
3. Find the Media Player and select it.
4. Activate the Mediaserver switch (some firmware called the DLNA- server).
5. Enable the option "Allow access over the local network".

Once activated, the TV will become visible on the local network as a Xiaomi-MiTV-4S-[ID] device.

• 📱 On Android: Open Files → Network → Find the TV in the list.
• 💻 On Windows: enter in the Explorer in the address bar \\192.168.x.x\ (IP television).
• 🍎 On Mac/iOS: Use the VLC or Infuse app to search for DLNA- devices.

If the TV is not displayed:

Set up a media server on the TV: hidden options

By default, Mi TV 4S only allows access to the Download folder, to add other directories or change the server name:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Media Player → Media Server settings.
2. In the Device Name field, enter a unique name (e.g., MiTV-Living Room).
3. In the "Shared Folders" section, click "Add folder" and select the directories you want (such as Video or Music).
4. Activate “Show Hidden Files” if you want to stream system media files.

Advanced settings are available for experienced users (hidden behind a button combination):

• 🔧 Press the remote sequentially: Menu → Up ×3 → OK — the Engineering menu will open.
• 📡 Select Network Settings → DLNA Config.
• 🔄 You can change the DLNA port here (by default 1900) or disable authentication.

⚠️ Warning: Changing the port DLNA may interfere with standard UPnP applications (e.g., Kodi or Plex).

Compatible DLNA formats and limitations on Mi TV 4S

Xiaomi Mi 4S TV supports most popular formats, but there are nuances:

• 🎥 Video: MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV (max. resolution 4K @ 30 FPS).
• 🎵 Audio: MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV (without DTS in MKV!).
• 📷 Photo: JPEG, PNG, GIF (without animation).

Frequent problems with formats:

• 🚫 MKV with DTS — No sound is played (needs to be converted to AC3).
• 🚫 AVI with DivX – artifacts are possible (use Xvid).
• 🚫 HEVC (H.265) in 4K - can brake (needs bitrate <40 Mbps).

If the file is not reproduced:

1. Check the codec through MediaInfo.
2. Convert your video to H.264 at 20–30 Mbps bitrate (e.g., via HandBrake).
3. Enable "Transcoding" in the settings of the TV media server (see the previous section).

💡

If the video is slowing down by DLNA, try reducing the bitrate to 15 Mbps or using a wired connection (Ethernet). 2.4 GHz wireless network may not be able to handle the 4K- stream.

Problem Solving: DLNA is not working or shutting down

If the Mi TV 4S cannot see the device or the connection is broken, check:

Additional steps to troubleshoot:

• 🔄 Network reset: Settings → Network → Network reset.
• 📦 Reinstall media player: Settings → Applications → Media player → Delete data.
• 🔧 Firmware update: Settings → About TV → System update.

⚠️ Warning: If after the firmware update DLNA stopped working, reset to factory settings (Settings → About TV → Reset).MIUITV 2.0.120+ had a bug with UPnP fixed in the patch from 03/15/2023.

Alternative ways to transfer files to Mi TV 4S

If DLNA is not suitable (for example, due to unstable Wi-Fi), consider alternatives:

• 📁 Local Area Network (SMB): On a PC, enable folder sharing (Properties → Access → Share). On your TV in Media Player, select Local Area Network → Add Network Storage. Enter IP PC, username and password.

Mi Screen Mirroring (only for Xiaomi)

1. On a Xiaomi smartphone, open Settings → Connection and Sharing → Transfer to the screen.
2. Select the TV from the list.
3. 🌐 Cloud Services: Upload the file to Google Drive/Yandex Disk. On your TV, open your browser and play the file online.

Comparison of methods:

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For maximum quality 4K- video use SMB over cable. DLNA is suitable for Full HD and music, but can brake at high bitrates.

FAQ: Frequent questions about DLNA on Xiaomi Mi 4S