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The router that is able to display the info and images is using miniDNLA (Netgear NightHawk R7000 w/ddwrt firmware). [image 1 and 2 below]
My other one is not able to display this info, just has a MediaServer feature, for USB sharing. No metadata, no image in box. (TP Link Archer C5 w/manuf. firmware). [image 3]
When the flash drive is directly connected to the Ultra USB, no metadata is seen but the image is visible. [image 4]
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Even with the Netgear, I had to place jpeg images into the same folder (and named exactly as the movie) for them to show up as the thumbnail on left of movie text. Kind of like dealing with subtitle (srt) files. I have the SRT files in this same folder (they just aren't visible in RMP folder view) but will work when played. You can also ffmpeg the subtitles into the movie quickly w/o reencoding but I just keep them in the folder. RMP will display whatever text I place in the metadata, but won't display the image I have in cover art - needs that seperate jpeg.
The image all the way to the left is the only thing I haven't figured out. Displayed clearly when using a seperate server (Plex or Kodi) but just kind of distorts the one used for the thumbnail. (I am not sure if it ever displayed the jpeg image on the drive clearly to tell you the truth.) The Kodi workaround seems to now have been fully disabled in Roku OS11. (for now).
It is a little balancing of settings between the DLNA and the RMP. I have a setting on the router's DLNA "Keep Metadata on Storage", that when Enabled, then just provides me a clean RMP display. Removes all RMP folder icons and system images (like the folder icons and the default green play button image) but retains metadata comments/info (episode description). This is the normal manner I usually keep it. However, I also have to make sure that the movies are properly encoded or they will fail to show up as available when I have this Enabled. Sometimes, I just disable this setting in order to get a particularly troublesome movie to appear and then play under RMP.
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I had actually settled on just using the flash drives/portable hard drives on the routers with the movies/shows that everyone in the house regularly watch because I had too many machines/servers running 24/7 between work and leisure. Since the routers are always on anyways, easiest to just keep everything there and then still available to everyone depending on which network they connected to. Allowed me to power down unneeded computers and servers that were simply running waiting for someone to watch the occasional movie.
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The Roku Media Player works great for accessing your stored media, whether directly from flash drive at the Roku device or router USB port, but if you want more of a home media server experience,(full metadata access and viewing), most likely will have to use a router that includes some sort of integrated dlna server software if you do not want to use a seperate server. I like using custom firmware like ddwrt and openwrt because you can repurpose older routers to give them additional functions like this. Of course, you are limited to the supported codecs of the router's dlna server and the connected clients, but I haven't run into anything that ffmpeg or handbrake couldn't remedy.
The one thing I did notice though is that the image displayed in the box when using the router did distort the image in the info screen when I used larger jpeg ratios. When attached directly to Ultra, images displayed properly and clear.
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Click on images to enlarge
