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This article is about Internet Protocol Television. For the television network in Iowa, see Iowa Public Television.

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) describes a system where a digital television service is delivered to subscribing consumers using the Internet Protocol over a broadband connection. This service is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand and may also include Internet services such as Web access and VOIP where it may be called Triple Play and is typically supplied by a broadband operator using the same infrastructure. Perhaps a simpler definition would be television content that, instead of being delivered through the traditional format, is received by the viewer through the technologies used for the World Wide Web.

In the past, this technology has been nearly impossible with slow dial-up download speeds inhibiting any form of video content to be received. Now, however, IPTV is expected to grow at a brisk pace in the coming years 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.

Architecture

IPTV is a service that will likely first be offered by telephone companies and then added to other current television carriers later. Because it uses the Internet and sends less information than standard analog or digital television, IPTV promises lower costs for operators and lower prices for consumers. Using set-top boxes with broadband Internet connections, video can be streamed to households more efficiently than current coaxial cable. AT&T and Verizon have both upgraded or plan to upgrade their networks with fiber-optic technology to bring higher speeds across their networks. In addition to higher speeds, Digital Video Recorders (DVR), such as TiVo, will be able to record multiple programs at once and improve current program guides.

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 MPEG2TS delivered via IP Multicast, a method in which information can be sent to multiple computers at the same time, with the newly released H.264 format thought 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 IPTV services.

Advantages

'''' Advantages of IPTV include two-way capability lacked by traditional TV distribution technologies, as well as point-to-point distribution allowing each viewer to view individual broadcasts. This enables stream control (pause, wind/rewind etc.) and a free selection of programming much like its narrowband cousin, the web.

Tripleplay is an expression used by service operators describing a consumer package including telephony, data and video. Offering tripleplay on a broadband connection requires the use of IPTV and IP Telephony (Voice over IP, VoIP).''''

Companies

Operators

The largest operators in IPTV today are:

In 2004, SBC agreed to pay Microsoft $400 million dollars for software to be used to deliver IPTV services to up to 18 million customers. Alcatel will work with SBC to ensure the video systems integration. Since the SBC deal, Microsoft and Alcatel have subsequently announced a global collaboration agreement to develop an integrated IPTV delivery solution. In January 2005, US based Verizon signed an agreement to use Microsoft IPTV solution, as well. Neither AT&T nor Verizon have commercially launched true IPTV services yet though.

Previous to this, Swisscom/Bluewin has been running real live trials since November 2004 with over 600 customers. Besides this, Bell Canada, BellSouth, Reliance Infocomm (India) and Telecom Italia are testing this new technology.

Beyond simple press announcements (excepting Fastweb, Magnet Networks, Yahoo BB and Swisscom/Bluewin), Belgacom will offer a commercial IPTV service for 2005.

In the UK, BT expect a new service to be launched in late 2006.

Vendors

The term "IP/TV" is an active registered United States trademark owned first by Precept Software, Inc. and now by Cisco Systems, Inc. The IP/TV product is an audio/video system, including both servers and viewers, based on the RTP/RTCP and SDP protocols. It often uses IP multicast as well. IP/TV was introduced in 1995.

Digital broadcast equipment manufacturer Tandberg Television, Harmonic Inc and Optibase has a range of headend hardware and software catering to IPTV applications.

Tut Systems, Inc. produces IPTV encoding and processing equipment for digital headends and video transport applications.

Outsourced IPTV head-end service provider Broadstream Communications is the first legal transporter of IPTV content to small and medium sized markets that can not cost-justify an owned and operated IPTV head-end.


IPTV Quality monitoring, test and analysis equipment vendors

IPTV Emergency Alert Systems

IPTV set-top box manufacturers include:

IPTV DRM - content protection manufacturers include:

  • Verimatrix
  • Verimatrix VCAS Verimatrix Content Authority System

IPTV software vendors include:

IPTV end-to-end solutions:

See also

External links

  • informitv Informing Interactive Television - Latest interactive television news service and consultancy
  • IPTV 101
  • Dittberner market research report on IPTV
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