What is DLNA and why is it for the user

As a rule, all multimedia content is stored on the computer's hard drive. A few years ago, in order to play multimedia files from a computer on a TV, it was necessary to use an external player, as well as a USB flash drive or optical disc. But many modern TVs can already do this on their own, either directly from a flash drive or via the DLNA protocol.

The DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) standard is designed to transfer media content (images, videos and music) between devices with using a wired Ethernet connection or wireless Wi-Fi. An important feature is the ability to automatically configure devices for data transfer - the user does not need to figure it out for a long time, re-read manuals or ask for advice on specialized forums. Thus, the technology is intended primarily for users who do not want to go deep into network settings and want everything to be as simple, fast and convenient as possible.

All devices with the DLNA logo are able to communicate with each other

Another example is the ability to send a photo with digital camera directly to printer, bypassing the computer. Of course, both devices must be DLNA-certified for this to work.

So DLNA is just very convenient. Thanks to this standard, on a home network, a variety of devices can interact with each other, and the procedure for setting them up is as easy as possible.

Which devices support DLNA

All DLNA-certified devices are conventionally divided into three main groups:

• Home Network Devices (HND). This group includes TVs, audio systems, media centers, DVD/Blu-ray players, network storage , AV receivers, Home theaters and more.
• Mobile Handheld Devices (MHD). The main representatives of this group are smartphones and tablet computers. It also includes various portable players, photo and video cameras and other similar devices.
• Home Interoperability Devices (HID). This technique is distinguished by the support of various communication standards and the ability to convert formats from one to another. Needed to ensure compatibility between the first two groups.

Most multimedia files are stored on your computer. DLNA technology allows you to broadcast them on your TV screen

Despite the large number of the most diverse electronics, the first thing people usually remember when mentioning DLNA is TVs. Moreover, it is precisely with the development and ubiquity of TVs supporting Smart TV and the standard began to grow in popularity. The fact is that "smart" TVs are, in fact, the center of multimedia entertainment in the modern "smart" home. And DLNA is most actively used to transfer video from a computer to a TV.

Naturally, first of all, the user needs to create a home network. It is best to organize it through an ADSL router/switch in order to get Internet access at the same time. As noted above, the connection can be wired and wireless. However, when there is no desire or need to build a complex network, you can simply connect the TV directly to the computer. Although you can find images of the most complex home networking schemes with a bunch of all kinds of equipment on the Internet, in reality it usually boils down to 4-6 devices: personal computer or laptop, router, smartphone, TV and tablet.

Classic scheme of home entertainment platform based on DLNA technology and wireless router

Communication between devices is carried out in the client-server mode. The role of the server is usually performed by a computer, and the client is a TV. In this case, the appropriate software must be installed on the server. If your laptop or monoblock has a corresponding sticker, all the necessary software is already included. In principle, you can use the services of the usual Windows Media Player, which comes bundled with the Windows operating system. But many users find its interface not very user-friendly. So, for example, it completely ignores the directory structure that is used to store various multimedia files.

Today, there are dozens of similar applications for various operating systems - Windows, OS X, Linux. Some of them are distributed completely free of charge, others will have to pay, sometimes quite a lot. Examples of such applications include LXI Media Center, MiniDLNA, Songbird, and others. Each of these programs has its own advantages and disadvantages. And what works for one user may not work for another. It is with the server setup that you will have to tinker the longest, which will require a certain set of knowledge.

Synology DS214 is an advanced NAS server with 2 storage slots, built-in BitTorrent client and DLNA technology support

But in most cases, computers are rarely used 24/7. Therefore, it would be much better to get NAS NAS that will be used around the clock and on which all media content will be stored. From a technical point of view, such drives are a kind of computers, the main purpose of which is the storage and exchange of data. A variety of NAS models are available on the market today, designed for all kinds of requests.

Each new device connected to the network must find the paths to the appropriate folders that are open for viewing and stored on servers. If this does not work, then some error was made during the configuration. Unfortunately, it is still very far from the final simplicity, a simple user will have to tinker.

However, users with experience sometimes also have problems. For example, it is highly likely that you will encounter a format that your TV does not understand - this issue should be given special attention, pay attention to the list of supported formats in the description of each TV model in our catalog.

Too many formats

Today, the number of different audio and video formats exceeds all reasonable limits. At the same time, sometimes new ones appear. So be prepared for the occasional occurrence of such problems when the TV refuses to play a movie just downloaded from the Internet. You will have to convert, or download again, but in a different format. When choosing a TV, it is better to give preference to those models that are able to read the maximum possible number of formats. Fortunately, manufacturers today pay maximum attention to this issue.

Modern Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Sony added support at the request of users

Standing apart from everyone else, as usual, is Apple, which is developing its own AirPlay standard. Note that Apple products do not support DLNA. Choosing a home entertainment platform leads to a choice between DLNA and AirPlay. But if the first option works with a wide variety of devices, then the AirPlay protocol interacts exclusively with products from Apple or approved by Apple. This is the official policy of the company. But at the same time, users have already found several workarounds. For example, applications like media:connect provide DLNA support on the iOS platform.

However, no complexity, no problem, deters users who want to build a home network that combines various devices. At least in order to be able to watch movies from a computer on a TV set in the next room without resorting to "crutches" in the form of flash drives.