IPTV

Encyclopedia : I : IP : IPT : IPTV

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) describes a system where a digital television service is delivered using the Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. For residential users, this type of service is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand and may be part of combined Internet services such as Web access and VoIP, where it may then be called Triple Play or Quad Play, and is typically supplied by a broadband operator using a single infrastructure. In businesses IPTV may be used to deliver television content over corporate LAN's and business networks. Perhaps a simpler definition of IPTV would be television content that, instead of being delivered through traditional formats and cabling, is received by the viewer through the technologies used for computer networks.

In the past, this technology has been restricted by slow download speeds. In the coming years, however, residential IPTV is expected to grow at a brisk pace as broadband is now available to more than 100 million households worldwide. Many of the world's major telecommunications providers are exploring IPTV as a new revenue opportunity from their existing markets and as a defensive measure against encroachment from more conventional Cable Television services.

Contents

1 Architecture
2 Protocols
3 Advantages

3.1 Interactivity
3.2 VoD
3.3 Better compression
3.4 Triple Play
3.5 IPTV based Converged Services

4 See also
5 External links

Architecture

IPTV has two major architecture forms: free and fee based. As of June 2006, there are over 1,300 free IPTV channels available. This sector is growing rapidly and major television broadcasters worldwide are transmitting their broadcast signal over the Internet. These free IPTV channels require only an Internet connection and an Internet enabled device such as a personal computer, iPod, HDTV connected to a computer or even a 3G cell phone to watch these IPTV broadcasts. See also: Internet television

In December 2005, independently produced mariposaHD became the first original IPTV broadcast available in an HDTV format. Various web portals offer access to these free IPTV channels. Some cite the ad-sponsored availability of TV series such as Lost and Desperate Housewives as indicators that IPTV will become more prevalent.

Because IPTV uses standard networking protocols, it promises lower costs for operators and lower prices for users. Using set-top boxes with broadband Internet connections, video can be streamed to households more efficiently than current coaxial cable. ISPs are upgrading their networks to bring higher speeds and to allow multiple High Definition TV channels.

Protocols

IPTV covers both live TV (multicasting) as well as stored video (Video on Demand VOD). The playback of IPTV requires either a personal computer or a "set-top box" connected to a TV. Video content is typically an MPEG2 or MPEG4 Transport stream delivered via IP Multicast, a method in which information can be sent to multiple computers at the same time, with the newly released (MPEG4) H.264 format increasingly used to replace the older MPEG-2. In standards-based IPTV systems, the primary underlying protocols used for IPTV are IGMP version 2 for channel change signaling for live TV and RTSP for Video on Demand.

Currently, the only alternatives to IPTV are traditional TV distribution technologies such as terrestrial, satellite and cable TV. However, cable can be upgraded to two-way capability and can thus also carry IPTV.

Another alternative is (Video on Demand VOD). VOD in the US is usually delivered over cable TV using the DVB protocol and is not labelled as an IPTV service.

Advantages

There are several advantages to IPTV, including Interactivity, Video-on-Demand (VoD), better compression technologies, and triple play efficiencies. Other advantages include better program guides.

Interactivity

IPTV provides two-way capabilities, lacked by traditional TV distribution technologies. Interactive television allows for signals to be sent back up to the TV provider which can be used in many ways - such as altering what you are watching (eg: switching camera angles or commentators on a sporting event), requesting more information (eg: interactive news, or advertising), or for statistics.

VoD

IPTV allows for point-to-point distribution, allowing each viewer to view individual broadcasts (VoD, or Video on Demand). This enables stream control (pause, wind/rewind etc.) and a broad selection of programming much like its narrowband cousin, the web. IPTV can emulate Digital Video Recorders (DVR), such as TiVo, and may also download programs to a hard disk for local control.

Better compression

IPTV uses a more efficient compression standard than FTA digital television, resulting in smaller file sizes or higher quality TV.

Triple Play

Traditionally, TV has come down one wire (cable TV), the telephone has used another (the "Plain Old Telephone System"), and the Internet has been available on either. Both cable operators and telcos are starting to offer all 3 on one wire, which is more cost effective. Triple play is an expression used by service operators describing a package of telephony, data and video down a single connection.

Triple play does not require that the phone and TV use the Internet Protocol ((Voice over IP & IPTV respectively) - most still offer phone in an analog form. However, TV over phone connections almost always uses a form of IPTV, which is more compatible with DSL technologies.

Quad play refers to the triple play package AND mobile telephony - though this is a package of products rather than sharing a single wire.

IPTV based Converged Services

One of the important services that many Telcos are harping upon for drawing on new revenue streams is Converged Services. Converged services implies interaction of existing services in a seamless manner to create new value added services. One good example is On Screen Caller ID. Getting Caller ID on your TV and ability to handle it(send it to Voice mail etc).

External links

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