IPTV – 10 Important Facts and Advantages

Is IPTV technology everything it’s cracked up to be, or is it here today and gone tomorrow?

Check out these 10 facts and advantages about IPTV technology and decide whether or not you want to join the IPTV revolution.

1. Internet protocol television or IPTV, is an increasingly popular technology for the transportation of data information and Audio and Video (AV), across an IP based digital network. This could include Ethernet, WAN, LAN or internet. Add a set top box (STB) to the equation and AV sources can be streamed across existing networks to PCs or TVs. IPTV can be one to one (Unicast) or one to many (Multicast).

2. Latest research figures show that at present 15.5 million people subscribe to IPTV services – 8.4 million of these subscribers are from Europe.

3. Crucially IPTV systems avoidinterruptionof critical networks by utilising a separate video LAN.

4. IPTV requires broadband Internet connectivity due to the high bandwidth requirements of digital video. Far more control over television programming and the ability to customize it to individual user preferences are possible due to the improved performance that high speed internet allows.

5. The ever popular Free-view channels are delivered without Terrestrial or SAT receivers being a requirement.

6. Local content, films and sport can be added for additional revenue in hotels, or offered free to a student campus.

7. Predictions are that compared to the current 3.3 million IPTV subscribers in the United States now, there will be around 12.7 million IPTV users by 2012.

8. The addition of set top boxes (STB) allow AV sources to be streamed across existing networks to PCs or TVs.

9. Problems that are common in analogue systems such as noise, ghosting, harmonics, reflections, cross modulation etc, are practically invisible in IPTV based networks.

10. Due to its storage facility, IPTV systems allow all programs to be later retrieved from the IPTV network.

A Novel Use of IPTV Technology

A classic example of how IPTV technology is being used in an increasingly ingenious number of ways, is with a luxurious, IP enabled bathroom television. These televisions are the ultimate in bathroom luxury, allowing the viewer safely to watch TV whilst soaking in a bath full of bubbles, or even taking a shower.

These waterproof TVs offer a first class solution to hotels across the world who are embracing IPTV technology with the installation of digital IPTV networks across their properties. Hiding an STB in the void behind the bathroom or shower wall and running a separate IR receiver will no longer be required, but instead simply feeding an Ethernet cable into the back of the screen to deliver TV, Radio, VOD and other services will be all that is needed.

How about that for technology put to great use!