What is IPTV?

• IPTV stands for “Internet Protocol Television." The "IP" in IPTV is the
same as the one in your IP address or VoIP (Voice over IP). All that
means is television programming is being communicated using the
internet protocol.
Do you need a set-top box for
IPTV?
• Because most TVs aren't equipped
for IPTV, you may need a set-top
box that "translates" what you
receive over your internet
connection into a format that your
TV can read.
History
• The term IPTV first appeared in 1995 with the founding of software by Judith Estrin
and Bill Carrico. Windows and Unix-based application that moved audio/video
traffic, using both unicast and IP multicast.
• In 1999, Kingston Communications, in UK launched KIT (Kingston Interactive
Television), an IPTV over DSL broadband.
• In 1999, NBTel was the first to commercially deploy IPTV over Digital Subscriber
Line (DSL) in Canada.
• By 2010, IPTV was launched world wide by various telecom giants in including
india, by MTNL, BSNL, and Airtel.
Architecture of IPTV
• Elements
• Live TV channels are encoded, encrypted and delivered in the form of IP
multicast streams.
• On-demand video assets are stored and served when a user makes a
request in the form of IP unicast stream.
• Set-top box: the piece of equipment at the user's home that decodes and
decrypt TV and VOD content and displays it on the TV screen.
IPTV services have three main
features:

•VOD
•DVR
•Live Television
VOD

• Video On Demand (VOD) is an option available to the users of IPTV.

Each user is given the option to choose from a catalog of videos
and watch them as many times as required. This feature uses
unicast transmission, whereas normal TV broadcasts use multicast
transmission. Real time streaming protocol is used for VOD.
DVR
• IPTV allows users to watch TV shows broadcast in the past using
digital video recorder (DVR), which is also known as time shifted
programming. Providers of IPTV allow users to watch recorded
shows without DVR devices. There is a live DVR system at the
provider’s end, making DVR more cost effective and efficient. Users
can watch replays or start a TV program over from an interactive
menu.
LIVE TELEVISION

• IPTV allows users to watch live transmissions with minimal latency. It

provides live television broadcasts either with or without
interactivity, without being just like traditional TV broadcasts. The
protocol used for live television is Internet Group Management
Protocol (IGMP) version.