{"id":712,"date":"2012-04-16T23:16:09","date_gmt":"2012-04-16T20:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/saisa.eu\/blogs\/Guidance\/?p=712"},"modified":"2012-04-16T23:16:09","modified_gmt":"2012-04-16T20:16:09","slug":"dlna-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saisa.eu\/blogs\/Guidance\/?p=712","title":{"rendered":"DLNA, Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is DLNA?<\/strong><\/p>\n

DLNA = Digital Living Network Alliance<\/p>\n

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About.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The DLNA sets standards and guidelines for home networking media devices. A device can receive a DLNA certification. This certification lets the consumer know that once connected to your home network, it will automatically communicate with other connected DLNA certified products.<\/p>\n

DLNA certified devices can: find and play movies; send, display and\/or upload photos, find, send, play and\/or download music; and send and print photos.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The figure below is from DLNA’s marketing material<\/a> showing some use cases.<\/p>\n

\"DLNA-marketing\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A typical setup example is shown in 2 figures below. (This is from Panasonic, see links chapter). PC is used as Media Server, and TV is Media Server\/Renderer.<\/p>\n

\"DLNA-panasonic-example2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"DLNA-panasonic-example\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DLNA Devices<\/strong><\/p>\n

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ie. components in DLNA<\/p>\n

About.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Digital Media Player (DMP<\/strong>) – finds and plays media from other devices and computers.<\/p>\n

Digital Media Server (DMS<\/strong>) – stores a media library. It may be a computer, a network attached storage (NAS) drive, a smartphone, a DLNA certified networkable digital camera or camcorder, or a network media server device.<\/p>\n

Digital Media Renderer (DMR<\/strong>) – similar to a digital media player, it plays digital media. However, the difference is that this device can be seen by a digital media controller, and media can be streamed to it from a digital media server.<\/p>\n

Digital Media Controller (DMC<\/strong>)- the go-between device that can find media on a Digital Media Server and send it to the Digital Media Renderer. Often smartphones, tablets, computer software like Twonky Beam, or even cameras or camcorders are certified as Digital Media Controllers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Technical side<\/strong><\/p>\n

DLNA Interoperability Guidelines<\/a> are not freely available. However, Discover & Control and Media Management are using UPnP<\/a>, for which specifications are available.<\/p>\n

\"dlna-interoperability\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What is UPnP?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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upnp.org<\/a>: The UPnP architecture offers pervasive peer-to-peer network connectivity of PCs of all form factors, intelligent appliances, and wireless devices. The UPnP architecture is a distributed, open networking architecture that leverages TCP\/IP and the Web to enable seamless proximity networking in addition to control and data transfer among networked devices in the home, office, and everywhere in between.<\/p>\n

UPnP standards are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The figure below shows an example of Controller, Server and Renderer (from here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\"upnp\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Links<\/strong><\/p>\n