Local network over a Windows share¶
A Windows SMB file share is one of three options for serving video files to clients. The other options are the built-in HTTP server (the recommended default in version 10) and an external web server. See How to setup the server for a comparison.
A Windows share is a good fit when:
- All clients are on the same local network as the server.
- You want the fastest possible playback and the broadest video-format support, including older formats that do not stream reliably over HTTP.
- All video files live under a single common root folder that can be exposed as one share.
It is not a good fit when clients connect from outside the local network, or when video files are spread across folders or drives that cannot be combined under a single share root. For those cases, use the built-in HTTP server.
How it works¶
The Fast Video Cataloger server still handles all metadata, catalog access, and uploads. Only the video and companion-image playback path goes through the Windows share. If the share is disabled or unreachable, clients can still browse and edit the catalog, but they cannot play videos or view photos.
Setting up a share¶
The Share Catalog wizard in the desktop application can create the share for you — see Share a Catalog Using the Server.
To configure a share manually, share the folder that contains your videos in Windows, then point the server's Shared Video/Actor/Photo root setting at the share path. The server expects the standard UNC format:
Drive letters are normally exposed as Windows' implicit admin shares — for example, the C: drive is shared as C$. You can list everything currently shared on a machine from the command line: