News

Digital Living Network Alliance, formerly called the Digital Home Working Group, Announces New Interoperability Guidelines (1/7/2004)

Global cross-industry organization announces new name and release of open standards-based interoperability guidelines that enable consumers to share content across multi-branded devices.

Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), formerly called the Digital Home Working Group (DHWG), today announced the availability of its Home Networked Device Interoperability Guidelines v1.0.

A year in the making, the Interoperability Guidelines define the design principles necessary to move content from one consumer electronics (CE), personal computer (PC) or mobile product to another in a wired or wireless home network.

The organization's name change, also unveiled today, reflects DLNA's collaborative role in realizing the vision of true digital living. Publication of the Interoperability Guidelines marks DLNA's first major achievement.

DLNA is led by 16 founding members including Fujitsu, HP, Intel, IBM, Kenwood, Lenovo, Microsoft, NEC Personal Products, Nokia, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Industrial), Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, STMicroelectronics and Thomson, all of whom have promoter-level status in the organization. Additionally, DLNA today announced Texas Instruments' advancement to promoter-level status.

Research reports predict that 52 percent of U.S. online households(1) and 47 percent of European broadband households(2) will deploy home networks by 2008. Regarding Asia Pacific, a recent study suggests that home networking will grow in proportion with the number of broadband households.(3)

Reaching a cross-industry consensus, DLNA has defined two major components -- the media server and media-rendering device -- that are necessary for seamless interoperability among devices accessing a home network. These components are based on open standards such as Internet Protocol (IP), HTTP, and UPnP(TM) and Wi-Fi(R) protocols. Digital Living Network Alliance uses widely-accepted specifications to encourage adoption within the CE, PC and mobile product manufacturing industries.

"Using a networked product to access content stored on another networked product from a different manufacturer is a consumer expectation and should be simple. In just one year, DLNA has made great progress toward reaching this goal," said Scott Smyers, chairman of the DLNA board of directors. "The Interoperability Guidelines represent a global consensus among the member companies to make this vision a reality."

The Interoperability Guidelines v1.0 specify a set of required formats for image, audio and A/V media classes. The first addendum will define optional media formats to broaden the guidelines' scope. The use of smart remotes and mobile devices like cellular phones is also targeted for future inclusion.

Name Change to DLNA

In announcing the change from the Digital Home Working Group name, DLNA underlined its shift from working group status to a formal alliance. The trademarked name communicates the group's progress in shaping the digital living experience. Under DLNA, major global brands continue working together to maintain and to drive adoption of the Interoperability Guidelines -- ultimately enabling development of consumer-friendly products.

Major Milestones

Launched in June 2003 with only 17 member companies, DLNA now lists more than 140 member organizations representing 14 countries. The rapid growth indicates a major interest in collaborating interoperability initiatives across all related industries.

Digital Living Network Alliance hosts compliance workshops where member companies can test product interoperability. Currently planned through the fourth quarter of this year, DLNA Interoperability Guidelines Plugfests rotate around the globe with the second official plugfest scheduled this June in the U.S.

Digital Living Network Alliance anticipates that member companies will begin marketing products based on the Interoperability Guidelines v1.0 by the end of this year. Consumers will soon be able to quickly identify compliant devices when DLNA launches its official certification and logo program in mid 2005.

Notes

(1)"Who Will Network the Home?", Forrester Research Inc., May 2003
(2)"Europe's Homes Get PC Home Networking", Forrester Research, Inc., February 2004
(3)"Asia/Pacific (Excluding Japan) Home Networking Trends", IDC, March 2004

www.dlna.org