I only want the users on the local network to be able to PLAY the movie, NOT TO COPY the movie to their PC.
I have a MyCloud 4TB with movies, and like to stream the movies to TV and PC on local network for all users connected. To the TV’s it works great, but to the PC (Windows) I actually have to enter the movie-folder and play the content as normal. The problem is - even if I make the folder as READ ONLY, the users can still copy the movie to his PC, which I don’t want. Is this somehow possible?
Why not have the PC users use a DLNA client software? Like Windows Media Player (Windows 7/8.x/Vista) or iTunes (audio only) or Media Monkey or even Kodi. Then disable User access to the Shares containing the media through the My Cloud Dashboard Shares page.
Bennor, thanks! Something like that would be great, never worked with DLNA sw for PC, so I’ll have a look how it works. So if I’ll use DLNA software on the PC’s and not give them permission to the actual folder, there will be no way for them to copy or download the movies?
Thanks for the reply Tony, that’s a pity. And is there no way to restrict copy with DLNA? Or else - how can you copy the movie with DLNA, do you need special software for that?
While files can still be copied with DLNA it would be in some respects dependent on the DLNA client.
The bottom line if one wants to get real technical here there is no way, without doing some serious modifying of the My Cloud, to prevent the file from being copied by the client PC. Even if you could lock down the My Cloud, once the file is being streamed it can be captured. It will all come down to how far one is willing to go to prevent their users from being able to access a Private Share’s contents.
For the average Joe/Jane user confining them to using DLNA client software and setting shares to private and limiting User access to that share is about the most one can officially do. There are probably a number of steps one could take on the client PC to try and prevent the file from being copied but that is up to the user themselves to figure out and not dependent on the My Cloud.
Bennor, thanks! This is exactly what I need - I want to let the average Joe/Jane to watch movie’s on their own PC, but not let them copy the movies easily. OK, if they really want, they can, but if I understand it well with the DLNA client, it’s just not that easy to copy the movies as in “right-click/copy/paste”.
On more question on this issue - is it possible to let them stream the movies with DLNA from the folder from MyCloud, but disable the MyCloud and it’s folders to be shown in the Windows Explorer - network?
Don’t think its (easily) possible (if at all) to hide the Shares from Windows Explorer. It’s a question that gets asked from time to time (hiding the My Cloud Shares from Windows Explorer). Do a subforum search, magnifying glass icon upper right, and you’ll find several past discussions on it.
Once you configure a Share as a Private share through the Dashboard, then set all users to No Access, no one will be able to access the Share with Windows File Explorer. One can still stream content if using DLNA (and Media Serving is enabled on the now private share) because DLNA currently doesn’t honor the password/private settings on a Share.
