仔細(xì)推敲“互操作性(interoperability)”這個(gè)消費(fèi)性電子產(chǎn)業(yè)界的專業(yè)術(shù)語(yǔ)，我無(wú)力地發(fā)現(xiàn)那也許是一個(gè)最夸大且過(guò)度承諾的名詞，而并非意味著最低程度地實(shí)現(xiàn)(under-delivered)。 市場(chǎng)研究機(jī)構(gòu)IHS資深分析師Jordan Selburn 最近問(wèn)我的一個(gè)問(wèn)題加強(qiáng)了我以上的觀點(diǎn)；他問(wèn)的是，有見(jiàn)過(guò)不懂科技的人能輕松將一段視頻發(fā)送到朋友的電視機(jī)上，完全不用進(jìn)行設(shè)備或網(wǎng)絡(luò)的配置設(shè)定嗎？我不會(huì)回答“不曾見(jiàn)過(guò)”，但那確實(shí)是不容易看到的景象。 但從另一方面來(lái)說(shuō)，這個(gè)指控對(duì)數(shù)字生活網(wǎng)絡(luò)聯(lián)盟(Digital Living Network Alliance，DLNA)不太公平。DLNA是一個(gè)成立于 2003年的技術(shù)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)組織，致力于為消費(fèi)者在連網(wǎng)家庭中使用的各種設(shè)備推動(dòng)互操作性；該組織成員有超過(guò)250家廠商，包括三星(Samsung)、索尼(Sony)、英特爾(Intel)以及多家中國(guó)業(yè)者，但蘋果(Apple)不在其中。 如果你沒(méi)聽過(guò)DLNA，可能的原因有三：第一，你太年輕了，不知道十年前曾經(jīng)發(fā)生的事；第二，DLNA雖然在產(chǎn)業(yè)界做了不少重要的事，但因?yàn)槌蓡T們都很低調(diào)，因此媒體界與消費(fèi)者都沒(méi)注意到該組織這十年來(lái)的成就；第三，我個(gè)人認(rèn)為，蘋果搶走了DLNA的風(fēng)頭。 與DLNA致力于讓所有品牌產(chǎn)品都能互通的任務(wù)相反，蘋果的目標(biāo)就是在消費(fèi)者面前展示它們家的AirPlay無(wú)線基地臺(tái)，如何能透過(guò)Apple TV將它們家 iOS 平臺(tái)裝置上(包括iPod、iPhone、iPad等)的多媒體內(nèi)容串流到高畫質(zhì)電視(HDTV)與喇叭播送出來(lái)。 Selburn表示，基本上蘋果已經(jīng)提供了一種互操作性的體驗(yàn)，或是讓該品牌的使用者相信那就是互操作性；但是當(dāng)然，蘋果實(shí)際上是一個(gè)封閉的系統(tǒng)：“盡管DLNA的程序更為明確且令人印象深刻，蘋果的方案看起來(lái)更像是能‘馬上就生效’?！? 對(duì)那些自DLNA自Sony發(fā)源以來(lái)就一直關(guān)注該組織的人來(lái)說(shuō)，它是產(chǎn)業(yè)界一個(gè)大獲成功的案例，但大部分都不為人知。顧問(wèn)機(jī)構(gòu)Envisioneering Group 研究總監(jiān)Richard Doherty形容，DLNA是“產(chǎn)業(yè)界在無(wú)縫設(shè)備覆蓋以及資源共享進(jìn)展上最成功的案例之一”。 DLNA的概念非常簡(jiǎn)單，只有兩種裝置──其中一種是被觀看或是聆聽的DLNA客戶端裝置，另一種是傳輸內(nèi)容的DLNA服務(wù)器。DLNA的目標(biāo)是讓不同品牌的所有裝置能透過(guò)有線或無(wú)線的方式進(jìn)行溝通，并無(wú)縫地分享內(nèi)容。 Doherty指出，舉例來(lái)說(shuō)，若沒(méi)有DLNA十年來(lái)努力奠基，Marvell就不可能在1月的國(guó)際消費(fèi)性電子展(CES)期間，展示其“只要一個(gè)彈指就能無(wú)縫地將手機(jī)與平板上的高畫質(zhì)視頻內(nèi)容傳送到電視機(jī)上”的解決方案。 不 過(guò)要說(shuō)整個(gè)消費(fèi)性電子產(chǎn)業(yè)界已經(jīng)達(dá)到了互通的愿景還稍嫌太早，實(shí)際上還差得遠(yuǎn)；原因有數(shù)個(gè)。DLNA無(wú)法克服的關(guān)鍵挑戰(zhàn)包括：不斷升級(jí)的多媒體格式、編解碼技術(shù)以及媒介；內(nèi)容供貨商訂定的數(shù)字版權(quán)管理方案(Digital Rights Management)；以及各家消費(fèi)性電子大品牌嘗試著以DLNA為基礎(chǔ)，打造在自有品牌裝置之間、自家保證的互操作性。 此外，在未來(lái)幾年，如果DLNA的觸角──以及知名度──將擴(kuò)展至物聯(lián)網(wǎng)(IoT)領(lǐng)域，恐怕將面臨更大的挑戰(zhàn)。Doherty表示，到時(shí)候DLNA必須從有線/無(wú)線設(shè)備覆蓋，往非實(shí)時(shí)性云端服務(wù)、安全性、授權(quán)等方面發(fā)展。 DLNA主席暨總裁Nidhish Parikh最近接受EETimes美國(guó)版編輯訪問(wèn)時(shí)坦承，跟上各種新規(guī)格的發(fā)展腳步是該組織“永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)結(jié)束的任務(wù)”；而在DLNA持續(xù)關(guān)注新編解碼技術(shù)與新標(biāo)準(zhǔn)同時(shí)，該組織也在尋找新的轉(zhuǎn)碼(transcoding)架構(gòu)。 轉(zhuǎn)碼將可簡(jiǎn)化并縮短DLNA客戶端裝置辨識(shí)與播放特定內(nèi)容格式的時(shí)間，Parikh僅表示該組織正在進(jìn)行相關(guān)計(jì)劃，但詳情他不愿多談。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 本文下一頁(yè)：拉攏服務(wù)供應(yīng)商

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{pagination} 拉攏服務(wù)供應(yīng)商 在此同時(shí)，DLNA到目前為止最大的進(jìn)展，或許就是與服務(wù)供貨商的合作；對(duì)此Parikh表示這是與DLNA所訂定的視訊標(biāo)準(zhǔn) Commercial Video Profile (CVP-2)有關(guān)，也是DLNA已經(jīng)進(jìn)行了好一段時(shí)間的最大發(fā)展。 Envisioneering Group的Doherty表示，DLNA訂定CVP-2的工作“非常重要”，這將有助于DLNA覆蓋范圍的擴(kuò)大與傳遞?；旧?，借著新訂定的CVP-2 準(zhǔn)則，DLNA能解除服務(wù)供應(yīng)商在付費(fèi)電視內(nèi)容于家庭網(wǎng)絡(luò)中傳播時(shí)的安全性疑慮。支持CVP-2規(guī)格的客戶端設(shè)備預(yù)計(jì)可在今年稍后陸續(xù)問(wèn)世。 根 據(jù)DLNA的說(shuō)法，包括Comcast、Cox、Time Warner Cable等內(nèi)容服務(wù)供應(yīng)商，現(xiàn)在能安全地將付費(fèi)電視內(nèi)容包括現(xiàn)場(chǎng)直播節(jié)目、隨選視頻、DVR內(nèi)容等，傳遞到訂戶的家庭網(wǎng)絡(luò)終端設(shè)備上，例如電視、游戲機(jī)、藍(lán)光播放器、平板設(shè)備、手機(jī)與PC等等；而無(wú)論在任何一種設(shè)備上，CVP-2能提供使用者一致性的觀賞體驗(yàn)。 CVP-2 規(guī)格加入基本DLNA標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的強(qiáng)制性功能包括：HTML5遠(yuǎn)程用戶接口，能支持PING等遠(yuǎn)程操作的裝置狀態(tài)診斷功能，喚醒省電模式CVP-2客戶端裝置 的功能，以MPEG-DASH標(biāo)準(zhǔn)接收ABR (Adaptive Bit Rate)內(nèi)容的功能(允許高畫質(zhì)多媒體內(nèi)容透過(guò)因特網(wǎng)串流，并適應(yīng)家庭網(wǎng)絡(luò)的帶寬變動(dòng))。 此外CVP-2也支持采用DTCP-IP Link Protection技術(shù)的內(nèi)容保護(hù)、以優(yōu)先性為基礎(chǔ)的QoS (quality of service)，支持所有的技巧模式(trick mode)等等。 隨著消費(fèi)性電子廠商之間的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)日益激烈，要讓DLNA的成員維持合作，并要求它們將“DLNA認(rèn)證”標(biāo)志擺在他們自家品牌互操作性之前，是很不容易的事。例如三星，該公司告訴消費(fèi)者能如何容易地在同一個(gè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)里，將Galaxy Tab平板與三星電視機(jī)無(wú)線鏈接。 此 外索尼與松下(Panasonic)也以類似的方式推銷各自的產(chǎn)品互操作性，雖然大多數(shù)都是藉由DLNA標(biāo)準(zhǔn)所達(dá)成。不過(guò)這種現(xiàn)象Doherty并不擔(dān)心， 根據(jù)他的觀察，這些“垂直”的互通世界，正緩慢屈服于利用支持DLNA之設(shè)備與服務(wù)共享的優(yōu)勢(shì)，畢竟：“很少有人會(huì)采購(gòu)來(lái)自單一制造商的多種產(chǎn)品?！? 有 部分供貨商則是采取更務(wù)實(shí)的做法，也就是讓產(chǎn)品同時(shí)支持AirPlay 與DLNA的功能；產(chǎn)業(yè)界并非分成“蘋果”，以及“非蘋果”兩派，人們?cè)絹?lái)越了解到，這兩個(gè)陣營(yíng)必須共存。藉由結(jié)合兩種技術(shù)，DLNA實(shí)際上能讓人們將蘋果設(shè)備上的內(nèi)容，不一定要藉由iTunes就能在其他設(shè)備上播放。 DLNA正將自己定位成溝通封閉的蘋果生態(tài)系統(tǒng)，以及范圍顯然更廣大、也更開放的DLNA生態(tài)系統(tǒng)之間的橋梁；也許將世界分為“蘋果iOS vs. DLNA”的觀念已經(jīng)過(guò)時(shí)了，DLNA正默默地一步步往前邁進(jìn)。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Judith Cheng 參考英文原文：Did Apple Steal DLNA's Thunder?，by Junko Yoshida

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{pagination} Did Apple Steal DLNA's Thunder? Bridge iOS devices and non-Apple products Junko Yoshida, Chief International Correspondent TOKYO — As I ponder, weak and weary, the jargon of the consumer electronics industry, the term “interoperability” leaps out as perhaps the most overblown and over-promised term, not to mention under-delivered. Jordan Selburn, senior principal analyst at IHS consumer electronics, recently asked me a question that reinforces my point. When’s the last time, he asked, anyone actually witnessed “a completely non-tech savvy person walking into a room and sending a video to a friend’s TV without configuring a device or the network?” I wouldn’t say “never.” But it’s a phenomenon that’s hard to come by. On the other hand, this is a sweeping indictment that isn’t exactly fair to the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). DLNA is a technology standards organization, founded in 2003, to build industry consensus to advance the interoperability of products in consumers’ connected homes. DLNA members include more than 250 companies – Samsung, Sony, Intel, Microsoft and a number of Chinese vendors – but not Apple. If you’ve never heard of DLNA, there are three likely reasons. One, you’re too young to remember anything that happened more than a decade ago. Two, DLNA has done a lot of heavy lifting within the industry, but so quietly that vendors, the press and consumers haven’t noticed the remarkable efforts of the 10- year-old organization. Three, in my opinion, Apple has stolen DLNA’s thunder. In contrast to DLNA, whose mission is to make every product of every brand discoverable and interoperable, all Apple has to do is show consumers how its (proprietary) AirPlay wirelessly streams the content on a (proprietary) iOS device (iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc.) to HDTV and speakers via (proprietary) Apple TV. In essence, Apple has delivered “such an [interoperable] experience, or at least the belief in such, in their user base,” said Selburn. Of course, what Apple delivers is a closed system. “But it seems closer to the ‘it just happens, and it just works’ paradigm despite DLNA’s clear and impressive progress,” said Selburn. DLNA: untold story For those who’ve followed DLNA since its inception at Sony, DLNA is a big industry success story, but largely untold and uncelebrated. Richard Doherty, research director at the Envisioneering Group, described DLNA as “one of the industry’s finest success stories as far as seamless device discovery and resource sharing goes.” The concept of DLNA is pretty straightforward. There are two types of DLNA devices – a DLNA client where the content is viewed or listened to, and a DLNA server that sends the content. DLNA’s goal is for all devices of different brands to communicate wired or wirelessly, and share content seamlessly. Without DLNA’s decade of spadework, it wouldn’t have been possible for Marvell, for example, to show at the International CES last month, “seamless ‘flicking’ of HD video content from mobile phone and tablet to TVs,” said Doherty. It’s premature, however, to assume that the C.E. industry has already reached its interoperability nirvana. That’s still pretty far away -- for several reasons. Key challenges DLNA has been wrestling with include: constantly improving formats, codecs and containers for media; Digital Rights Management imposed by content owners; and big CE brands trying to create their own “guarantee” of interoperability among their own branded devices built on DLNA variations. Further, in coming years, if the industry is to extend DLNA's reach -- and brand awareness -- to the Internet of Things, an even bigger challenge will rear up. Doherty said DLNA would have to extend “what started as a wired and wireless DLNA discovery to non-real time cloud services, security and authentication.” In a recent phone interview with EE Times, Nidhish Parikh, chairman and president of DLNA, acknowledged that keeping up with the new formats is “a never-ending task,” for his organization. While DLNA continues to address new codecs and new formats, the group is also looking at a new “transcoding” scheme. Transcoding would ease and “shorten” the time for a DLNA client to recognize and play back a particular format. Calling the transcoding project “a work in progress,” Parikh declined to elaborate. Bringing in service providers Meanwhile, DLNA’s biggest progress thus far might be its work with service providers. DLNA’s chairman and president Parikh is hanging his hat on the DLNA-developed Commercial Video Profile (CVP-2). He called it “one of the biggest developments [DLNA has pulled off] for a while.” Calling DLNA’s efforts on CVP-2 “very important,” Doherty said it would “enrich DLNA discovery and delivery.” In essence, with the new CVP-2 guidelines, DLNA has solved service providers’ concerns over secure distribution of Pay-TV content within a home network. The CVP-2 profile-based clients are scheduled for release later this year. Companies such as Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable, and others can now “securely distribute Pay-TV content -- which includes live content, video on demand, DVR content -- to their subscribers’ retail home network devices,” according to DLNA. Those retail home network devices include televisions, game consoles, Blu-Ray players, tablets, phones, and PCs. CVP-2 enables “a consistent service provider user navigating and viewing experience regardless of device,” the consortium added. Mandatory features of the CVP-2 profile client, added to the basic DLNA guidelines are: HTML5 remote user interface; capability to diagnose the status of the device allowing remote operations such as ping, trace route; capability to wake up the CVP-2 client if in idle power mode; capability to receive Adaptive Bit Rate content using MPEG -DASH standard (MPEG-DASH stands for MPEG-Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP. It allows for high-quality media to be streamed over the Internet, and adapt to changing bandwidth of the home network); protection of content using DTCP-IP Link Protection; priority-based quality of service; all trick modes; and others. Vertical worlds of interoperability At a time when CE giants are competing fiercely among themselves, it’s not easy to keep DLNA members in line and ask them to put the “DLNA-certified” logo before their own interoperability brand. Take the example of “Samsung All Share Play.” Samsung tells customers how easy it is for a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet to connect wirelessly to a Samsung TV on the same network. The Korean giant’s concept follows Apple’s model, just as Apple pitched AirPlay as something that requires little effort to play content from an iPad to another up-to-date Apple product. Sony and Panasonic have similarly promoted their own world of interoperability, even though much of their work leverages DLNA guidelines. Doherty, however, isn’t worried. He observed that those “vertical worlds of interoperability have slowly yielded to take advantage of DLNA operable equipment and services sharing.” The fact is, as Doherty pointed out, “Very few people own a variety of products from a single manufacturer.” Some vendors are already taking a much more realistic approach by incorporating both AirPlay and DLNA functionality into their products. Rather than pitting Apple’s iOS products against a host of non-Apple devices, there is a growing recognition that both need to coexist. By incorporating both technologies, DLNA is practically enabling people who have Apple content to connect with and play that content on other devices, by using players and services other than iTunes. DLNA is positioning itself to bridge the gap between the closed Apple ecosystem and the significantly broader and more open DLNA ecosystem. Maybe, dividing the world in two – Apple’s iOS universe vs. DLNA – is becoming an outdated concept. In is quiet style, DLNA might have already moved on.