Digital Lifescapes

The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) are two industry standards that enable consumer electronic (CE) devices to easily connect for data sharing, communications, and video entertainment applications. However, most mainstream consumers are unaware of the apparent benefits. Despite the current low consumer awareness of these standards, shipments of DLNA-enabled devices will surpass a billion units by 2014, up from several hundred million in 2009, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . Over 85 million DLNA-enabled Blu-Ray players and recorders will ship in 2014. The fastest growth is expected in the photo-frames product category. While less than 1 million units shipped in 2009, In-Stat expects over 33 million DLNA-enabled digital photo frames to ship in 2014. "Including DLNA in Windows 7 is a key market driver," says Norm Bogen, In-Stat analyst. However, adoption of UPnP and DLNA is broader than just PCs. Handsets and d...

Support for DLNA in Windows 7 will spark significant growth in Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) technology, which is used to make in-home media sharing easier, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . Shipments of DLNA-enabled devices will surpass a billion units by 2014, up from several hundred million in 2009. Attached rates for UPnP are also growing and will slightly exceed those of DLNA. UPnP enables devices from multiple vendors to communicate with one another. DLNA builds upon UPnP to provide interoperability of media across devices. "While UPnP and DLNA are seeing increased adoption and unit shipments, it may take several years before large numbers of consumers use the technology" says Norm Bogen, In-Stat analyst. "The number of consumers who realize they have this functionality and understand its implications continues to be very low." Apparently, yet another example of how an effective market develo...