What is IPTV?
It is a system through which Internet television services are delivered using the architecture and networking methods of the Internet Protocol Suite over a packet-switched network infrastructure, e.g. theInternet and broadband Internet access networks, instead of being delivered through traditional radio frequency broadcast,satellite signal, and cable television (CATV) formats.IPTV is defined as multimedia services such as television/video/audio/text/graphics/data delivered over IP based networks managed to provide the required level of quality of service and experience, security, interactivity and reliability.
IPTV Types
- Internet IPTV is delivered over internet to and from anywhere in world, Like home videos on youtube
- Telco IPTV is delivered by the phone /internet/cable provider, also referred as telcos
- Broadcast IPTV is when TV broadcasters transmit their programming onto internet for public consumption via personal computers
Sounds interesting, but how it works?
There is a set top box(STB) The box will connect to the home DSL line and is responsible for reassembling the packets into a coherent video stream and then decoding the contents. Most video enters the system at the telco's national headend, where network feeds are pulled from satellites and encoded if necessary (often in MPEG-2, though H.264 and Windows Media are also possibilities). The video stream is broken up into IP packets and dumped into the telco's core network, which is a massive IP network that handles all sorts of other traffic (data, voice, etc.) in addition to the video.
So what is USP
- High quality content
- No need to storage on CD/DVDs
- On-demand access
- Significant cost reduction
- No risk of content loss
In India Reliance, Airtel and BSNL and MTNL have already come up with IPTV services, and it is interesting how the folks will see the convergence of technology. And mark the words this one is going to give DTH service a run for their money.
Arunabh Mishra has worked as a tech-consultant, a network engineer and a software engineer with Vodafone, Accenture (British Telecom). He is also co-founder of a blogertising startup '3ardent'. He has developed a certain niche for wireless and telecom industry. A graduate in electronics and communication he also has a knack with pen & creativity.
One can follow his blogs at www.3ardent.com, arunabhmishra.wordpress.com
