Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)

Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)

Assume you have a mobile, TV, PC and multimedia devices at home and you would like to play a video taken from your camera over TV. Previously, you would have transferred the contents to DVD drive using PC, then play that DVD using some multimedia device. But think of a technology where you can play the videos from you camera directly connecting to TV. Yes, this possible using DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance). DLNA helps various multimedia devices in the home to communicate between each other. DLNA was started by Sony.

Multimedia devices like TV, DVD/Blu-ray players, smart phones, tablets, PCs and other commercial devices can be part of this network. For this you only need a wireless/wired connection and a application installed on these multimedia devices.  The only requirement is both the devices must be DLNA compliant. DLNA defines standards like any other protocols.

In DLNA also, the same Client-Server architecture applies. If you want to transfer data from your PC, install softwares like Twonky to make it a server. Also, TVersity is another example.  On the receiver side you have Smartshare, Allshare.

Except Apple all other smart phone vendors like Intel, HP, Motorola, HTC, Microsoft, Samsung, LG and Panasonic are making products that will happily communicate with each other. Apple uses AirPlay. This is just not a feature of android phones, NOKIA is bringing it to windows phones also.


You can detect a DLNA device by seeing a DLNA logo on the product you have purchased.

Post a Comment

0 Comments