Questions about different server types

[jayctech]

So I have an app on my phone/tablet that lets me watch videos over my network and I was fiddling with it last night when trying to watch The Dark Knight and noticed a few things.

 

 

So I have the video on my Windows desktop pc and have the folder shared. I also have Plex installed which sets up a media server and is set to share the same folder.

 

Through the app I can view the media through my Windows desktop as smb.

Alternatively I can watch through the server which is detected as upnp.

 

I noticed from my tablet playback is smoother when connecting through upnp, why is that? When I tested the smb through a Windows laptop it played a lot smoother than both smb and upnp on the tablet?

 

 

Plex' actual use is to allow you to watch your own local content remotely. I noticed if I watched the same movie through the Plex app on my tablet instead it played back smoother than both smb and upnp on the tablet. How does this work? I'm not sure if even though the media server is detected locally and connected over upnp actually streams the data locally or it is actually sending it to the cloud and back down to my tablet but I know for sure that when I watch through the Plex app this is what it does.

Surely it should be worse playback as it needs to be sent up and then back down vs the upnp connection or smb since data is streamed locally within the network (only a maybe with upnp but for sure with smb).

 

 

Let me know if I'm not clear about anything and I'll try to do a better job explaining.