In playing with UPnP and JavaScript (now possible thanks to the Network Service Discovery API), I’ve been trying to grasp how UPnP works and what’s possible with it. The potential of the technology is exciting but there seems to be a lack of basic, easy-to-digest information. So here you go — a simple cheatsheet for the main services of UPnP, concentrating on the audio/video subset (UPnP A/V).
Download: UPnP A/V Cheatsheet [PDF]
And whilst I’m at it, here’s the overall structure of UPnP in a nutshell:
- UPnP contains ten categories for devices
- Each device offers one or more services
- Each service implements various functions
- Each function requires zero or more parameters
For example, a PC could have a media server installed which would expose a ContentDirectoryservice, containing functions such as Browse and Search. Similarly, a TV could expose an AVTransport service (to play media) and a RenderingControl service (to control the device itself).
Resources
- UPnP/AV Device Capability Database: A user-generated collection of UPnP data from real devices.
- DLNA Certified Product Search: DLNA-certified means some UPnP services should work.
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