DLNA certification

DLNA acts as a bridge between different types of home electronics, making it easier to access media across devices within a network. As an example, you may watch a movie from your media storage server on your TV. DLNA-certified products follow standards defined by the Digital Living Network Alliance (previously Digital Home Working Group), an organization established by Intel, Sony, Microsoft, and other industry players in 2003.

Supported devices include game consoles, media servers, smartphones, TVs, printers, Blu-ray players, to name but a few categories. They must be connected to the same network to communicate via UPnP protocols (Universal Plug and Play). Many other tech titans, such as HP, Samsung, LG, and Panasonic, have joined the organization and agreed to comply with its standards, making DLNA connectivity available across over 25,000 products, according to the Digital Living Network Alliance. Neither Apple nor Google joined the organization, but it's possible to download third-party apps that make DLNA connectivity possible on Google devices and Apple's iOS.

DLNA makes it very convenient to watch any content from your smartphone on a bigger screen or to print anything you want with no hassle, to name just two of many possibilities.