Audio/Video Streaming Jargon Buster by myBoomBox Confused by all the technical jargon? Looking for some plain English descriptions of what UPnP or DLNA actually means? Let our glossary of useful audio/video streaming terminology help make some sense of it all. If there is anything you think is missing or something you would like explained in more detail please Contact the myBoomBox Team and we will be more than happy to help.

DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) - is a trade body made up of vendors and manufacturers who work in the home entertainment industry. Members offer "DLNA CERTIFIED™" branding for those products that follow their Networked Device Interoperability Guidelines. The aim being that if you buy two devices that are DLNA certified they should be able to work together.

The DLNA’s mission statement is to "share a vision of a wired and wireless interoperable network of Personal Computers (PC), Consumer Electronics (CE) and mobile devices in the home enabling a seamless environment for sharing and growing new digital media and content services".

Firefly Media Server (formerly mt-daapd) - is an open-source media server for the Pinnacle / Roku SoundBridge and also for the Apple iTunes software. It serves media files using the Roku Server Protocol (RSP) and Apple's Digital Audio Access Protocol (DAAP).

Network Media Player - a standalone device that is able to play back music, video and/or pictures stored elsewhere on a computer network. For example music in MP3 format stored on a NAS or a PC can be streamed across a network to a Network Media Player such as the Logitech / Slim Devices Squeezebox.

SlimServer - is a streaming audio media server supported by Slim Devices, developed in particular to support their range of digital audio receivers - the Squeezebox & Transporter. It is open source software, meaning the source code is freely available to anyone for updating and/or modification. SlimServer is designed for streaming music over a computer network, allowing users to play their music collections from virtually anywhere there is an Internet connection.

SlimServer supports a large number of audio formats including MP3, FLAC, WAV, Ogg, and AAC. It can stream to both software and hardware receivers, including Slim Devices Squeezebox, as well as many media players capable of playing MP3 streams.

There are numerous plug-ins and device drivers available for SlimServer, which include features such as support for home automation systems from AMX LLC and Crestron Electronics as well the ability to listen to BBC RealAudio streams with a plugin called AlienBBC.

The SlimServer software can run on a computer and also a number of NAS devices, such as QNAP TS-101, QNAP TS-201, Infrant, Buffalo Linkstation, and Linksys NSLU2. Although some NAS devices may require more effort than others to get SlimServer installed and running.

TwonkyMedia – is a DLNA certified UPnP AV media server developed by TwonkyVision that can be installed on a computer or NAS device. TwonkyMedia lets you share your digital photos, music and videos across a computer network so that you can play them back on UPnP AV compatible client devices.

UPnP AV (Universal Plug ‘n Play Audio Video) – is a standard developed by the UPnP Forum for storing and sharing digital media, such as photographs, movies, or music between electronic devices. UPnP Media Servers are available for most computer operating systems and many electronic devices. Hardware devices such as Network Attached Storage Devices (NAS) often come with a UPnP AV Media Server pre-installed or it may be possible to install one.

Examples of UPnP AV Media Servers include TwonkyMedia, Mediabolic, Windows Media Connect, Media Tomb, WIZD, GeeXboX.

Examples of UPnP AV media player devices and software include Pinnacle/Roku Labs Soundbridge, Helios X3000/X5000, SnaZio Digital Media Player, Buffalo LinkTheater, Nero ShowTime, Philips Streamium and Terratec Noxon2.