CES to feature DLNA media streaming on CE devices

At CES next month, attendees will get a close look at interoperable media streaming across multiple DLNA-compliant devices from myriad vendors, across home networks enabled by WiFi, coax, and Ethernet.

After four years of existence, the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) specification for digital media sharing on home networks seems ready to start kicking into higher gear, especially with an announcement by chip maker Broadcom today of plans to showcase a multi-vendor demo at CES.

In the demo, CES attendees will be able to view DVR recordings on mobile phones, send photos from phones to printers, and listen on a home stereo system to MP3 files stored on a PC over wireless Wi-Fi and wired coax and Ethernet networks, for example.

First published in 2004, the DLNA's interoperability guidelines for streaming media were expanded twice in 2006. The guidelines now include ten more device classes beyond the initially supported "digital media servers" and "digital media players." The updates also covered a number of issues specific to mobile devices, printing, and quality of service (QoS).

Microsoft gave the spec a boost by announcing at its last Professional Developer Conference in October that Windows 7's "Play To" feature will let computers send media to DLNA devices.

Meanwhile, vendors have also been touting DLNA a lot lately at industry trade shows. At CEATAC in Japan during October, Sony showed off a camcorder concept featuring a Wi-Fi module for streaming video from its hard drive to a DLNA-compliant HDTV or PS/3 gaming console. And NTT DoCoMo demo'd Mobile Home to Home (MH2H), a service for streaming videos, songs, and photos from phones to other devices.

At the Future of Television Conference in New York City last month, Kurt Scherf, VP and principal analyst, Parks Associates, led a panel that focused largely on DLNA home networking. Speaking with BetaNews during the conference, Scherf contended that the spec has been gaining considerable traction with vendors, particularly over the past year.

As of November, the DLNA had certified more than 3,100 DLNA-compliant devices from 36 manufacturers, according to a statement from Broadcom this morning.