Overview - IEC 62481-1-3:2017 (DLNA Cloud access)
IEC 62481-1-3:2017 specifies DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) guidelines for Cloud access by home networked devices. It defines how devices inside the home discover, associate with, and control Apps that enable consumption of media stored or served outside the home (Cloud Services). The standard extends the DLNA device model with a Cloud Access Device Function and relies on the UPnP ApplicationManagement Service to realize basic support.
Keywords: IEC 62481-1-3:2017, DLNA cloud access, UPnP ApplicationManagement, Cloud Service, DMR, XDMR, dlna-service URI
Key topics and technical requirements
- Cloud Access Device Model & Function
- Defines the Cloud Access Device Function for renderers (DMR / XDMR) to express support for cloud-based content sources.
- Discovery, Association & Control of Apps
- Guidelines for discovering cloud-capable Apps and associating them with DLNA devices.
- Control mechanisms to invoke and manage App-based cloud content consumption.
- UPnP ApplicationManagement Service
- Core mechanism used for app lifecycle management, initialization and invocation.
- Cloud Service advertisement & URI syntax
- Advertisement of Cloud Services via UPnP/HTML5 RUI elements.
- Syntax rules for cloud-service-name, ProtocolInfo, dlna-service URI (cloudservice-URI) and upnp:resExt::dlna:serviceInitialization elements.
- Support rules for dlna-service URIs with and without app-id parameters and search support.
- Service invocation parameters
- Requirements for parameterized initialization of cloud Apps and safe invocation only when Cloud Access is supported.
- Interoperability-focused conventions
- Extends DLNA architecture and uses normative UPnP and URI syntax references (e.g., IETF RFC 3986).
Practical applications & who uses it
- Device manufacturers building smart TVs, set‑top boxes, media renderers (DMR/XDMR) and hybrid devices that must play or control cloud-hosted media.
- Firmware and application developers implementing UPnP ApplicationManagement for app discovery, initialization and control.
- Cloud media service providers who need to advertise services to home devices via dlna-service URIs and HTML5 RUI integration.
- System integrators and test labs validating interoperability between local DLNA devices and external Cloud Services.
Benefits:
- Enables seamless playback of cloud content on in‑home devices.
- Standardizes app discovery and control to improve interoperability across vendors.
- Clarifies URI and advertisement conventions to reduce implementation ambiguity.
Related standards
For implementers, IEC 62481-1-3:2017 is essential when adding cloud media capabilities to DLNA-compliant home devices and services.