Streaming thanks to DLNA

Uniform standards allow the user maximum freedom. With HDMI, all new TVs, Blu-ray players, AV receivers and HDTV set-top boxes can be connected as desired.


This was not the case for media streaming in the network for a long time: some manufacturers added a PC software to the DVD player to provide media from the computer over the network, but players from other manufacturers were able to get data from the network cable Do not do anything.


The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) was the first to establish a uniform language for entertainment electronics. The advantages for the user: Except more freedom, the user gets more comfort through a simpler installation.


In order to enjoy these amenities, a lot of preparation was needed. After founding Microsoft, many major computer and entertainment electronics manufacturers joined forces in the UPnP forum in 1999. The goal: The standard Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) should simplify the control of devices from different manufacturers in the home network.


The result: If UPnP-certified components are now connected to the network, they are automatically assigned an IP address, which is important for the data transfer. They log on to the other devices on the network and tell them what they can do. After that, the other UPnP-certified devices have access to the "newbie" without the user having to search specifically for the device on the network.


The UPnP AV extension is designed to meet the requirements of audio and video streaming. It identifies different device classes, such as servers, renderers, and control points, which are found in the DLNA specifications.


This means that UPnP AV certified devices are capable of streaming video, pictures and music on the network, as is known from DLNA. The extension also supports Quality of Service (QoS), which allows certain users and content to share the data transfer rate.


DLNA goes one step further. The association, founded in 2003, aims at ensuring the greatest possible degree of interoperability and therefore lays down even more details. In the "Interoperability Guidelines v1.0" of 2004, it is described in detail about which video, audio and video formats must support DLNA-certified devices. The number is extremely low.


DLNA wants to determine only minimum requirements. Files include JPEG images, audio tracks as stereo LPCM, and MPEG videos. In addition, the "Guidelines" list the two device classes Digital Media Player (DMP) and Digital Media Server (DMS).