RVU Alliance remote user interface included in DLNA interoperability guidelines

PORTLAND, USA: The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and the RVU Alliance announced that the RVU Alliance Remote User Interface (RUI) has been incorporated into the DLNA Interoperability Guidelines. The relationship between the two organizations underscores the importance of consumer access to service provider content throughout the digital home. These new guidelines allow service providers to export the look and feel of their features to DLNA Certified devices.

“DLNA understands that today’s consumers aren’t tied to the living room for watching movies. They expect to be able to access the premium content that they receive from their service provider subscriptions on a multitude of devices,” said Nidhish Parikh, chairman and president of DLNA. “By incorporating RVU RUI into our Interoperability Guidelines, we’re providing consumers with new, innovative ways to connect and consume their digital content. Imagine being able to access DVR functionality on a non-DVR device. RVU RUI makes this possible and can now be included in DLNA Certified products.”

The RVU Alliance is an industry alliance consisting of service providers, technology companies and consumer electronics manufacturers. RVU RUI is a Remote User Interface technology that provides for pixel-accurate display of a service provider’s User Interface on compliant client devices when used with a compliant RVU server.

“Incorporation of RVU RUI into DLNA Interoperability Guidelines is another major milestone in the evolution of the RVU specification,” said Henry Derovanessian, president of the RVU Alliance Board of Directors. “Cooperation with DLNA furthers adoption of RVU into the worldwide community of connected home devices, assisting both consumers and service providers alike.”

RVU systems are already on the market, with service provider DIRECTV having launched its HR34 RVU server in late 2011. At the 2012 International CES event in January, Samsung showcased the protocol in three of their 2011 connected TV models, indicating that RVU support will be in all 2012 connected TV models.

“I applaud DLNA for adopting the RVU protocol into its Interoperability Guidelines,” said Romulo Pontual, CTO and executive VP at DIRECTV. “The availability of this light-footprint Remote User Interface technology in the DLNA Guidelines will accelerate DIRECTV's rollout of products capable of delivering our service directly to DLNA Certified devices.”

“Samsung embraces widely available standards for our CE products,” said Stephen Goldstein, VP, sales and marketing at Samsung. “This latest addition to the DLNA specification paves the way for consumers to enjoy Pay TV operator class services on a growing suite of interoperable devices.”

“AwoX believes in the added value brought by Remote User Interface technologies to DLNA,” said Alain Molinié, CEO of AwoX. “Support for RVU RUI technology builds on our current support for the Consumer Electronics Association’s Web-based Protocol and Framework for Remote User Interface. We look forward to introducing our Software Development Kit for RVU in the US this fall.”