Q: I'm trying to stream music from my Windows 10 PC to my Samsung Blu-ray player (model BD-J5700) using the Windows "cast to device" feature. When I did this with my previous PC, the music went over my home Wi-Fi network to my Blu-ray player, then played on my TV's stereo speakers.
But with this PC, the "cast to device" software doesn't seem to recognize the Blu-ray player, even though both the player and PC are connected to the Wi-Fi network. I'm being told to "follow the directions in the DLNA installation/instruction manual to set up devices and files," but I don't know what that means. What should I do?
Kenny Young, New Orleans
A: Making the connection between a PC and a Blu-ray player is easier than it sounds. The mysterious DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is just the name of the standard method for wirelessly sending data from a PC to another device over a Wi-Fi network.
The first thing to do is set up the Windows 10 "cast to device" feature. Use the Windows File Explorer to find the song you want to play (you can locate a song in File Explorer by clicking "This PC," then "Music.") Then right-click the song icon, and in the resulting list select "cast to device." You will then be shown a list of devices on your home Wi-Fi network to "cast" the song. Choose your Blu-ray player.
If your Blu-ray player isn't in the PC's list, you will need to set up the player to recognize your PC. You will find directions in the player's user manual on page 20, under the heading "Using DLNA." (If you don't have the manual, you can find it online at tinyurl.com/z8g9l3g).
Once you locate the Blu-ray player's home screen, select "change device" and press the "enter" button (which looks like a rectangle with an arrow halfway through it.) You will see a list of devices on your Wi-Fi network that are available for a DLNA connection. Choose your PC and press the "enter" button. You will then be asked to use the Blu-ray player's directional buttons to select whether you want to access the PC's music, videos or photos. Then press "enter."
If neither setup routine solves the problem, you may need to fix the Windows 10 DLNA function by running some automatic repair software from Microsoft. (To download the repair software, see tinyurl.com/yckazvjj and click the "recommended" solution. To make repairs yourself, follow the instructions on the same page.)
Q: The card reader in my relatively new HP Slimline PC can't read my 2-gigabyte mini SD memory cards. However, the PC's card reader can read a 16-gigabyte regular-sized SD card. What's wrong?
Brant Wilson, Milford, N.H.
A: The card reader in your PC probably requires an adapter in order to read a 2-gigabyte mini-SD card. The adapter is a sleeve the size of an SD memory card. The mini-SD card slides into the sleeve, which fits into the card reader. (See tinyurl.com/yaa5fhjl.)
If you are already using an adapter sleeve, try some potential card reader fixes (see tinyurl.com/y7prhkp8). They include updating the reader's software driver and cleaning the SD card or the card reader. Also try the mini-SD cards in another PC to make sure they work.
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