Remote User Interface (RVU) now included in DLNA Interoperability Guidelines

13175 Views 32 Replies 15 Participants Last post by tc3400, Jun 4, 2013

Sixto

Discussion Starter · Mar 19, 2012

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rv...n-dlna-interoperability-guidelines-2012-03-19

"The Digital Living Network Alliance® (DLNA®) and the RVU Alliance™ today 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."

...

"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, chief technology officer 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."

1 - 20 of 33 Posts

Scott Kocourek

· #2 · Mar 19, 2012

Is this possibly the beginning of things like the Playstation 3 and BluRay players becoming clients for the HR34 receivers?

Go Beavs

· #3 · Mar 19, 2012

Or your personal computers?

harsh

· #4 · Mar 19, 2012

Seems like a return nod for RVU incorporating DLNA by reference into their spec.

Unless DLNA compliance requires RVU at most levels, this seems like a hollow gesture.

This kind of reminds me of DivX certification and their myriad (and confusingly designated) levels of qualification.

Is the HR34 really a system or shouldn't their be widely available and affordable clients?

smiddy

· #5 · Mar 19, 2012

harsh said:
Is the HR34 really a system or shouldn't their be widely available and affordable clients?

It is a system, but to your point you would need clients in order to be extensible. This indicates potential adoptions beyond hardware clients originally highlight by DirecTV previously, at least it does to me. Time will allow us to judge much better though.

hahler2

· #6 · Mar 19, 2012

I'm not sure I understand this. Does this mean any DLNA device such as PS3 listed above or even DLNA capable TV's could be clients for the HR34? If so that is WAY cool.

Stuart Sweet

· #7 · Mar 19, 2012

Yes, I think it does, although I suspect that it's going to go one of two ways:

-either the client would only have playback functionality (like a DLNA client does now) or,
-if it is full client functionality (like having a receiver built in to your PS3) they'll probably charge for it.

smiddy

· #8 · Mar 19, 2012

hahler2 said:
I'm not sure I understand this. Does this mean any DLNA device such as PS3 listed above or even DLNA capable TV's could be clients for the HR34? If so that is WAY cool.

Kind of, it is really talking about the interoperability of the interface, so you can have a TV that uses the DirecTV interface to view the HR34's content and get the same interface if you had a PC with an RVU interface, can have the very same interface. Nothing new for the user to learn. Similar to how the DirecTV2PC interface looks like the old GUI the STBs had. Now DirecTV2PC needs to be updated with a new interface to "look" like the new GUI. If it had an RVU interface DirecTV2PC could look the very same as say the C30 or C31 clients (or Samsung Smart TV).

Sixto

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 19, 2012

It will be interesting to see how diverse the 3rd party RVU clients become. Windows, iOS, Android, PS3, xBox, whatever.

And how that would work with pricing when the clients aren't for TVs.

harsh

· #10 · Mar 20, 2012

Stuart Sweet said:
-either the client would only have playback functionality (like a DLNA client does now) or,
-if it is full client functionality (like having a receiver built in to your PS3) they'll probably charge for it.

RVU doesn't seem like something you can afford to do part way without substantially defeating the concept. At the same time, there are literally thousands of existing DLNA devices out there that lack the hardware facilities to do even a rudimentary implementation of RVU.

There will always be a question of whether or not software extensions and apps can be reasonably certified given the gamut of hardware they may run on.

As always there's that nagging issue that there remains only one announced RVU server platform and that RVU certification seems to elude it.

inkahauts

· #11 · Mar 20, 2012

I think this bodes well for rvu to end up in a lot of other products. Just think of the possibilities, one xbox in the house could be played at any tv with rvu built in. One tv in the house has all your equipment hooked up, and its all accessible to every tv in the house, without having to buy multiple products, except for maybe one client for each tv. And all of them can now agree on a standard that is widely being used.

I think the key for rvu is the development of clients that can easily switch between multiple servers.

I am hoping that when we see Directvs client, it will be able to connect to multiple servers.

cmich

· #12 · Mar 20, 2012

I'm thinking DLNA is going to have to do more with sharing your DVR content in the home while RVU will still be part of sharing the HR34's 5 channels. As it stands right now, the HR34 has 5 channels coming into it with the capability of sending 3 of those channels out to compatible devices like the Samsung Smart TVs (there is also a RVU set top box in the works called the C30 but no release date is set yet). As far as pricing, DLNA compatibility is a free feature that you essentially pay for when you buy a compatible product. I think DirecTV is stepping into this to make themselves more marketable. Being able to see your internet connected DVR on any DLNA device is a pretty good marketing tool for selling the service....and as far as pricing for using RVU, that's the big, and not very well publicized, advantage of the HR34 and RVU compatible TVs: NO RECEIVER LEASE FEE!!!!!! The coax runs from a SWiM splitter like normal to your tv but instead of being plugged into a receiver, it goes through a BB Deca which receives power from the wall and an ethernet cord plugs into the LAN port on the TV. These RVU compatible TVs have wifi built in because the BB Deca takes up the only LAN port.

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Scott Kocourek

· #13 · Mar 21, 2012

cmich said:
I'm thinking DLNA is going to have to do more with sharing your DVR content in the home while RVU will still be part of sharing the HR34's 5 channels. As it stands right now, the HR34 has 5 channels coming into it with the capability of sending 3 of those channels out to compatible devices like the Samsung Smart TVs (there is also a RVU set top box in the works called the C30 but no release date is set yet). As far as pricing, DLNA compatibility is a free feature that you essentially pay for when you buy a compatible product. I think DirecTV is stepping into this to make themselves more marketable. Being able to see your internet connected DVR on any DLNA device is a pretty good marketing tool for selling the service....and as far as pricing for using RVU, that's the big, and not very well publicized, advantage of the HR34 and RVU compatible TVs: NO RECEIVER LEASE FEE!!!!!! The coax runs from a SWiM splitter like normal to your tv but instead of being plugged into a receiver, it goes through a BB Deca which receives power from the wall and an ethernet cord plugs into the LAN port on the TV. These RVU compatible TVs have wifi built in because the BB Deca takes up the only LAN port.

1. There is a monthly fee for those with the RVU compatible tvs.
2. The tvs with RVU also don't need wifi because if they are connected to the Deca cloud and the HR34 is connected to the internet they will already be to the internet too.
3. A couple other things in your post are a little off.

cmich

· #14 · Mar 21, 2012

Scott Kocourek said:
1. There is a monthly fee for those with the RVU compatible tvs.
2. The tvs with RVU also don't need wifi because if they are connected to the Deca cloud and the HR34 is connected to the internet they will already be to the internet too.
3. A couple other things in your post are a little off.

Well, after your "candid" reply I did some calling around and ended up speaking at the nice folks at DirecTV Case Management. The information I based my statements on was from my supervisors but since the whole RVU/HMC system is still very new there is a lot of miss information. You were right about there being a fee. Instead of there being a receiver lease fee, there is a TV license fee which is the same cost, $6. As far as the Deca cloud thing you were talking about, you, I am afraid, are incorrect. The HMC(HR34) is connected to the internet via a WiFi or Broadband Deca to access Pandora, YouTube and the OnDemand content. Using a BBDeca at the RVU compatible TV, the HMC is able to send up to 4 of its 5 lines to different RVU devices(specific Samsung TVs for now) which would include the internet capable features on the HMC. Because the TV requires the LAN port to be used to utilize DTV through the HMC, Samsung built in WiFi so the owner would have access to the other SmartTV features on the TV like Netflix and surfing the internet. If I was wrong in any of my other statements or in what I just said, please let me know. Also, I would like to know your DirecTV credentials....Tech?(HSP or retail?) Call center rep?(and level?) ISS? R&D? Your profile didn't specify as to your knowledge/experience with DirecTV....I assume you are at least a customer.

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Sixto

Discussion Starter · #15 · Mar 21, 2012

cmich said:
Well, after your "candid" reply I did some calling around and ended up speaking at the nice folks at DirecTV Case Management. The information I based my statements on was from my supervisors but since the whole RVU/HMC system is still very new there is a lot of miss information. You were right about there being a fee. Instead of there being a receiver lease fee, there is a TV license fee which is the same cost, $6. As far as the Deca cloud thing you were talking about, you, I am afraid, are incorrect. The HMC(HR34) is connected to the internet via a WiFi or Broadband Deca to access Pandora, YouTube and the OnDemand content. Using a BBDeca at the RVU compatible TV, the HMC is able to send up to 4 of its 5 lines to different RVU devices(specific Samsung TVs for now) which would include the internet capable features on the HMC. Because the TV requires the LAN port to be used to utilize DTV through the HMC, Samsung built in WiFi so the owner would have access to the other SmartTV features on the TV like Netflix and surfing the internet. If I was wrong in any of my other statements or in what I just said, please let me know. Also, I would like to know your DirecTV credentials....Tech?(HSP or retail?) Call center rep?(and level?) ISS? R&D? Your profile didn't specify as to your knowledge/experience with DirecTV....I assume you are at least a customer.

No need to talk to anyone other then the folks here.

The HR34 can connect to the home network either via the DECA cloud and bridged to the home network via a Broadband DECA, or via the internal Ethernet port. Either works, we've tried both, and both can be connected simultaneously as long as the HR34 is only connected to the home network via one of the above. You do not want both an HR34 Ethernet connection and a Broadband DECA, unless the Broadband DECA is for a second unrelated DECA cloud.

The RVU clients can communicate with the HR34 either by being within the DECA cloud (via DECA dongle), via the home network (Ethernet and into the DECA cloud via the Broadband DECA), or via the home network (no DECA cloud and an HR34 Ethernet connected only).

The fee is at the HR34 level, and is based on the number of clients.

Once a client is registered with the HR34, and it's powered on and communicating with the HR34, it "owns" one of the HR34 tuners throughout that session, and the UI is projected from the HR34 (server) with full Trickplay capability at the client.

The RVU client can also access other internet functionality through that same connection, whether it be from within the cloud (via DECA dongle) and out through the Broadband DECA, or directly if it's entering the DECA cloud through the Broadband DECA. You do not need an Ethernet connection and WiFi at the client in order to both participate in RVU and access the internet.

Feel free to ask whatever you'd like to know, we've been doing this for a while, and Scott and the mods know this stuff cold also.

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inkahauts

· #16 · Mar 21, 2012

"cmich" said:
Well, after your "candid" reply I did some calling around and ended up speaking at the nice folks at DirecTV Case Management. The information I based my statements on was from my supervisors but since the whole RVU/HMC system is still very new there is a lot of miss information. You were right about there being a fee. Instead of there being a receiver lease fee, there is a TV license fee which is the same cost, $6. As far as the Deca cloud thing you were talking about, you, I am afraid, are incorrect. The HMC(HR34) is connected to the internet via a WiFi or Broadband Deca to access Pandora, YouTube and the OnDemand content. Using a BBDeca at the RVU compatible TV, the HMC is able to send up to 4 of its 5 lines to different RVU devices(specific Samsung TVs for now) which would include the internet capable features on the HMC. Because the TV requires the LAN port to be used to utilize DTV through the HMC, Samsung built in WiFi so the owner would have access to the other SmartTV features on the TV like Netflix and surfing the internet. If I was wrong in any of my other statements or in what I just said, please let me know. Also, I would like to know your DirecTV credentials....Tech?(HSP or retail?) Call center rep?(and level?) ISS? R&D? Your profile didn't specify as to your knowledge/experience with DirecTV....I assume you are at least a customer.

And also to clarify one other thing, the hr34 can only have a total of three rvu or mrv streams in any combination. This always leaves two feeds for the hr34 itself (can be used for dlb, recording, or pip). It can not send four lines out at once.

inkahauts

· #17 · Mar 21, 2012

"Sixto" said:
No need to talk to anyone other then the folks here.

The HR34 can connect to the home network either via the DECA cloud and bridged to the home network via a Broadband DECA, or via the internal Ethernet port. Either works, we've tried both, and both can be connected simultaneously as long as the HR34 is only connected to the home network via one of the above. You do not want both an HR34 Ethernet connection and a Broadband DECA, unless the Broadband DECA is for a second unrelated DECA cloud.

The RVU clients can communicate with the HR34 either by being within the DECA cloud (via DECA dongle), via the home network (Ethernet and into the DECA cloud via the Broadband DECA), or via the home network (no DECA cloud and an HR34 Ethernet connected only).

The fee is at the HR34 level, and is based on the number of clients.

Once a client is registered with the HR34, and it's powered on and communicating with the HR34, it "owns" one of the HR34 tuners throughout that session, and the UI is projected from the HR34 (server) with full Trickplay capability at the client.

The RVU client can also access other internet functionality through that same connection, whether it be from within the cloud (via DECA dongle) and out through the Broadband DECA, or directly if it's entering the DECA cloud through the Broadband DECA. You do not need an Ethernet connection and WiFi at the client in order to both participate in RVU and access the internet.

Feel free to ask whatever you'd like to know, we've been doing this for a while, and Scott and the mods know this stuff cold also.

You know, I am still wanting to see what happens when someone wants to register eight rvu clients. What will DirecTV charge for that, since you can only have a max three clients active at one time. Will they have a max client fee of three, and after that, you can just add till your hearts content without additional fees?

And what will happen when someday, they have a rvu client that can connect to two hr34s at the same time? Will they charge up to the first six clients per account, and then the other 10 possible will simply be "free"?

Sixto

Discussion Starter · #18 · Mar 21, 2012

inkahauts said:
You know, I am still wanting to see what happens when someone wants to register eight rvu clients. What will DirecTV charge for that, since you can only have a max three clients active at one time. Will they have a max client fee of three, and after that, you can just add till your hearts content without additional fees?

And what will happen when someday, they have a rvu client that can connect to two hr34s at the same time? Will they charge up to the first six clients per account, and then the other 10 possible will simply be "free"?

Yep, good points, still some open items on max configurations and multiple HR34 RVU configurations.

Scott Kocourek

· #19 · Mar 21, 2012

cmich said:
Well, after your "candid" reply I did some calling around and ended up speaking at the nice folks at DirecTV Case Management. The information I based my statements on was from my supervisors but since the whole RVU/HMC system is still very new there is a lot of miss information. You were right about there being a fee. Instead of there being a receiver lease fee, there is a TV license fee which is the same cost, $6. As far as the Deca cloud thing you were talking about, you, I am afraid, are incorrect. The HMC(HR34) is connected to the internet via a WiFi or Broadband Deca to access Pandora, YouTube and the OnDemand content. Using a BBDeca at the RVU compatible TV, the HMC is able to send up to 4 of its 5 lines to different RVU devices(specific Samsung TVs for now) which would include the internet capable features on the HMC. Because the TV requires the LAN port to be used to utilize DTV through the HMC, Samsung built in WiFi so the owner would have access to the other SmartTV features on the TV like Netflix and surfing the internet. If I was wrong in any of my other statements or in what I just said, please let me know. Also, I would like to know your DirecTV credentials....Tech?(HSP or retail?) Call center rep?(and level?) ISS? R&D? Your profile didn't specify as to your knowledge/experience with DirecTV....I assume you are at least a customer.

I will answer this, I am at least a customer.

The other issues with your post have been addressed by Sixto and Inkahauts.

WestDC

· #20 · Mar 21, 2012

DLNA-Service is on my ONKYO 609 and plays well with my Music content on Win Media 11 & 12 It also Shows all my HDDVR's and content listed (Play list)with a big RED X over all video files

But it does show the D* media center's and list them as HR20's play list (when they are HR22's)

SO at some point in the future streaming on your home network will be with us by the end of the decade if not sooner.

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