The heartening news is that along with Windows 7 comes you get the latest new version of the highly developed Windows Media Player. The significant supplement to Media Player 12 is the unique capability to share music through the local network, as also over the broader internet. They can also download ringtones and stream it online.
In other words, you can treat your local computer as one’s own media server, and stream your favorite music to the computer in your workplace (provided your workplace firewall permits it) or to a laptop wherever you are.
Setting up the feature is quite simple as long as you follow the details outlined below:
- Needless to say, you must first start your Windows Media Player.
- There will be a suggestive icon on the Windows 7 taskbar.
- On the main view, go to the Stream menu and click “Allow Internet access to home media…”
You will then see the ‘Home Media Access’ dialog box pop up. Before clicking on “Allow Internet access to home media”, you have to necessarily link your computer to an online ID account. Click “Link an online ID” to start the process.
You will now reach the “Link Online IDs” view that is a Windows component isolated from Media Player that dwells in the ‘User Accounts’ realm. Now you will have to click “Add an Online ID provider”.
You will thereafter reach a web page displaying available providers. As of now, however, only Windows Live is there and hence click it. This will carry you to the download page of the Sign-in Assistant application. You will have to download and then install it.
The next obvious step would be to sign in with your ID. Return to the Link Online IDs view and there will appear a “WindowsLiveID” entry. Click “Link Online ID” and sign in with your preferred ID that you wish to use. You have almost come to the end and all that remains is to stream the music.
If you have scrupulously followed the procedure outlined on your home computer and the computer you wish to use to enjoy remote access, you will notice that the home computer’s library is displayed in the ‘Other Libraries’ view in Media Player.
Please know that Windows Media Player has for long provided the ability to stream media to other computers within a home network. But the significant fact is Remote Media Streaming feature of Windows Media Player 12 is special to Windows 7
Music lovers will be happy to know that it is now feasible to stream music across an Internet connection also. This will enable you to listen to your favorite music, watch your favorite video, or view whatever pictures are stored on a Windows 7 system at your home from any other Windows 7 even while you are out of your house.
But to enjoy the Remote Media Streaming feature, you will require minimum two Windows 7 systems because Remote Media Streaming is not supported on Starter/Home Basic
Other basic requirements are the system that will serve as the media must be on a network defined by Windows 7 as Home (and not Work or Public).
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