PS4 Media Player Photos Music Videos DLNA App PlayStation

Sony put a big accent on games when it launched the PlayStation 4, and its laser focused marketing won the hearts and minds of gamers. But every bit its new PlayStation Vue commercial and so astutely illustrates, just because games are the focus of the format, doesn't mean that owners aren't interested in photos, music, videos, and other kinds of media. It'southward a good matter that the platform holder released the PS4 Media Player during E3 2015, then – but how does this new application actually work? We've put together a quick guide to help you lot to get up to speed with the overdue addition.

Downloading the Media Player app

As Sony's wont to practise these days, y'all'll detect the Media Thespian app on the PS4's dwelling ribbon. Clicking on information technology will take you to the PlayStation Shop where you'll be able to download it for costless. If you can't see it on your dashboard, then but search 'Media Thespian' using the PlayStation Store's search function. It'll pop upward in the search results equally an App, and clicking on it will, again, have yous to the download page for the tool.

How to Use PS4 Media Player App on PlayStation 4

Organising your photos, music, and videos for USB

The PS4 Media Actor accepts media from both USB and a abode network. We'll get to the latter in a moment, but let'due south first focus on USB. This works similarly to the USB Music Role player, but patently includes support for media beyond audio. Y'all're going to need a FAT or exFAT formatted USB drive, only don't worry if y'all don't sympathize these terms, equally chances are your device will be.

In order to organise your content, yous're going to want to create a trio of directories (or folders) at the root level of your USB drive: 'Photo', 'Music', and 'Video'. You lot should and then create additional directories inside each of these depending on the content you're going to bring beyond: 'Holiday Photos 2015', for example, or 'Taylor Swift'. Once you've done this, copy beyond the media you want.

Information technology's worth noting that the PS4 Media Thespian app merely supports certain file extensions, which yous can discover listed in total below. If your media uses culling file extensions, and so you may demand to convert them before they're compatible with the PS4. This applies to networked content, besides. If you find yourself in this position, there'southward tons of software on the spider web that can help you to get this done for free.

Accessing your photos, music, and videos using a Media Server

Connecting with a Media Server is a little more complicated, as at that place are dozens of dissimilar pieces of software and operating systems to consider here. We're going to focus on Windows 8.1 because that's what we tested, but yous should be able to find information for other setups on Google. Remember to provide as much data as possible when searching for the best results.

If you happen to be a Windows viii.ane user, though, here's what you lot need to do:

  1. Get to 'PC Settings'.
  2. Click 'Network'.
  3. Select the Wi-Fi Router that y'all're using:
    This must be on the same network as your PS4.
  4. Set the toggle beneath 'Find Devices and Content' to 'On'.
  5. Return to 'Network' and click 'HomeGroup'.
  6. Gear up the toggle for 'Music', 'Pictures', and 'Video' to 'On'.
  7. Set the toggle beneath 'Let devices on my network (like TVs and game consoles) stream my music and videos' to 'On'.

With this completed, you should see your PC or laptop listed in the PS4 Media Player app. The same will be truthful if you've correctly setup an alternate operating system or piece of software. Every bit above, however, information technology's worth noting that the PS4 Media Role player app only supports sure file extensions, which y'all can find listed in full below.

Setting up Media Server DLNA with PS4 PlayStation 4

Using the PS4 Media Player app

With all of the above consummate, you'll be able to admission your media via USB, your habitation network, or both. Selecting the source that you lot wish to apply will bring upwardly a list of folders on USB and media types on your home network. Select them to admission your content. Each detail tin can be added to your favourites for quick admission by pushing the R3 button. You lot tin can actually mix and match betwixt USB and habitation network files, building playlists and such across the differing sources. Information technology'southward worth noting, however, that you cannot copy files to your PS4 hard drive, so you need to have either your USB stick inserted or your Media Server switched on in society to access your favourites.

Here are a few additional tips for specific media types:

Photos

  • Utilise the right counterpart stick to zoom in and the left analogue stick to move around.
  • Press X (cross) to first playing a slideshow and again to suspension it.
  • Press triangle to view file information and the options push to access the Control Panel.
  • In the Command Panel yous tin can prepare slideshow speed, transition type, and more.

Music

  • Press the foursquare button to bring up the Music Command Console.
  • Using the Music Control Panel, yous tin shuffle songs, modify the book, and more.
  • Once you've started playing a song or playlist, you tin return to the PS4's domicile screen by pushing the PlayStation button. Your music will keep playing, and will play during games. Y'all tin skip songs while y'all're in-game by holding downwards the PlayStation button and using the mini Media Histrion in the Quick Menu.

Video

  • Apply the L2 and R2 triggers to rewind and fast-frontward respectively.
  • Press triangle to view file information and the options button to access the Control Console.
  • In addition to skipping and more than, you can also enable Continuous Playback using the Control Panel which enables a series of videos to exist played in sequence. This is handy if you lot're wanting to watch a sequence of videos in gild.

What file types and codecs are supported by the PS4 Media Player app?

Below y'all'll find the list of file types and codecs supported by the PS4 Media Player app at the time of publication. Be aware that, while every effort has been fabricated to ensure the accurateness of this slice, compatibility could change depending on hereafter patches or software updates.

Video

  • MKV
    • Visual: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Contour Level4.2
    • Sound: MP3, AAC LC, AC-3 (Dolby Digital)
  • AVI
    • Visual: MPEG4 ASP, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Contour Level4.2
    • Audio: MP3, AAC LC, Air conditioning-iii (Dolby Digital)
  • MP4
    • Visual: H.264/MPEG-iv AVC High Profile Level4.2
    • Sound: AAC LC, AC-three (Dolby Digital)
  • MPEG-2 TS
    • Visual: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Level4.2, MPEG2 Visual
    • Sound: MP2 (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2), AAC LC, AC-3(Dolby Digital)
    • AVCHD: (.m2ts, .mts)

Photo

  • JPEG (based on DCF 2.0/Exif two.21)
  • BMP
  • PNG

Music

  • MP3
  • AAC (M4A)

Have you been using the PS4 Media Player app on your panel? Are you happy with information technology or do you call up that information technology all the same needs comeback? Have you got whatever Media Server setup hints for operating systems other than Windows 8.1? Spread the joy in the comments section below.