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Live TV Apps to stream and watch for free online. Enjoy the Top Best TV Apps with seamless channels on your device with free live tv apps.
Looking for some cool apps to watch free live TV on your Android smartphone. Then today DigitBin has come up with the best of the list consisting of free streaming apps for your Android devices. Most of these Apps do not stream the TV shows from their servers but search web directory to stream TV channels online. Below is the list of some best Android apps to stream live TV online over your Wi-Fi or cellular network.
Many online streaming apps on the internet are deceiving in nature and they just try to inject malware into your device. These apps ask for permissions which are not required for their normal functioning. For example, apps may ask for contact permissions which of course is not required to stream your favourite channels.
Apps
Price
Rating
Mobdro
Free
★★★★☆
ThopTV
Free
★★★★☆
Live Net TV
Free
★★★★
YouTube TV
Paid
★★★★
You TV Player
Free
★★★☆
Yupp TV
Paid
★★★★
Redbox TV
Free
★★★☆
Sling TV
Paid
★★★★
Hulu
Paid
★★★★☆
DirecTV
Paid
★★★★☆
The apps which are not downloaded from reliable sources like Google Play Store or Amazon Store could be potentially harmful and malicious for your phone and also to you as a user by harassing the privacy. So, I recommend you to grant the permissions which you think is best suited for the functioning of the apps. You can find permissions under settings on your Android device.
Note: Make sure you have enabled unknown sources on your device. To do so simply go to
Settings -> Security and just right check Unknown sources.
Update: Rankings Changed and Added Couple of more Good Live TV Apps
Free Live TV Apps for Android
Watching TV is the best pastime of any normal human being. The digital entertainment sector is racing to meet the varied interest of the viewers and so is the cable bill. Some Apps listed lie in a legal grey area while some are legitimate. But you can access all the top live channels from across the globe with these Applications.
Here are the Best Android Apps to Stream and Watch Live TV Channels for Free Online.
1. Mobdro
Meet the most popular live TV app for Android, Mobdro. It is a one-stop destination for live TV which is categorised into genres namely, Movies, Entertainment, Sports, Music, Tech, Animals, gaming, anime and spiritual. The app also houses popular TV shows which you can download.
The app provides live TV in more than 10 different languages from more than 30 different countries. Thus giving a wide array of content to choose from. The app interface is user-friendly and easy to use. The app doesn’t require you to have any login account.
The App is not available on Google Play Store but you can download the latest Apk from their website. The app is
The app is supported on the devices running on Android 4.1+ –
2. Live NetTV
Live Net TV App is one of the most popular Live TV, Sports, Movies and TV Show Streaming App for Android OS. The App hosts more than 700+ channels from many countries that including UK, US, Middle Eastern Countries, India, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey and many more countries.
Features of Live NetTV
High-quality Live TV stream support.
VOD for Movies
Chromecast support
More than 750 live channels from various categories and genres.
A large number of External Video Player Support
All the videos are absolutely free.
The interface is simple to use.
Filter the channels according to comfort
The app can be downloaded from their official website and it supports Android version 4.1+ –
3. Exodus Live TV App
Exodus Live TV App is another good app to watch live TV for free. The App interface is very good and fresh to use. The App is free but contains Ads. You can get an Ad-free version by paying some amount. The App is actually a popular Kodi Addon by the same name.
The Addon is developed as an Android IPTV App. The App mostly streams the content from USA & UK which includes Sports, Entertainment, News, Religious, Movies etc.
In my test, I found most of the channels run smoothly without any buffer.
Features of Exodus
A very low rate of buffering
Free account, no sign-up needed
Support HD quality
Simple User-Interface and simple navigation.
4. USTVNow
Looking for some live US content than, USTV is the best choice to stream right from Television stations from the US and Canada onto your mobile phone. The USTV App hosts more than 150 live TV channels from the USA to enjoy.
Features of USTV Now
Get access to the popular channels of the United States even outside the USA.
The app has a very clean User Interface.
Large library of live streams to choose from.
The App not only hosts channels from the USA but also from other European countries.
There are no special requirements to play the App and device with 4.1 or above is up for running.
You will generally not find any issues with playback or buffer on a good internet network
Last but the best thing about the app is it is free to watch and does not require any subsciption to play the video.
5. Swift Streams
The Swift Streamz App hosts Live channels from a good number of countries that include India, USA, UK, Pakistan, Australia, France, Greece, Canada and other American, African and Asian countries.
Features of Swift Streams
Multiple Players Supported
Free Live TV without any subscription.
DLNA & Chromecast Supported
Supports multiple Video Player
Supports Android 2.2+
Smoothly Work’s on (Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G) networks
No Registration or Membership Required
6. UK TV NOW
This is also a popular App to stream live TV, movies and shows on your Android device. They provide more than 150 channels from countries like the UK, US and Indian Subcontinent. This app is, of course, one such app which lets you enjoy seamless streaming on your device. You can filter the shows by Genre, Year, Rating and type. The app doesn’t require you to have any login account.
The App is not available on Google Play Store but you can download the latest Apk from their website Download. The app is also supported by FireStick and Android Box
7. eDoctor IPTV App
It is one of the most solid apps for streaming Live TV on any Android device for free. The app UI may not be good but it does the job pretty well. You can watch over 1000+ Channels and can even listen to the radio.
When you open the App you will find two options for TV either to select the channels by category or Country. The app hosts channels from the UK, US, Europe and Asian Countries etc. The app could make your day I believe you should surely try it.
8. Torrent Free Controller IPTV
A simple but powerful app to stream Live TV even on a slow data network. The app is easy to use and hosts some huge amount of channels from across the globe with varied genres like animes, horror, documentaries, movies, Entertainment etc.
One good thing about the app is most of the channels run without any issues.
Just install the apk file and then search and click on the channel of your choice. The app may download a stream loader on your device for the first time.
Just install the apk file, search and click on the channel of your choice. (The app may download a stream loader on your device)
A message pops up for the choice Video Player. Preferably choose MX Player or VLC Player. The video will go for Pre-Buffer and once loaded you can seamlessly enjoy Live TV without any issues from torrent sites.
9. RedBox TV | Free IPTV App
RedBox TV is a free live streaming App and has 1000+ live channels from 15 different countries. Box TV has built-in support for all the famous media players. It supports android player, MX player, 321 player and Web Player. RedBox TV easy to use just select your favourite channel to choose the media player and done.
Redbox TV App
The App offers sports channels, entertainment channels, science channels, Kids channels etc from countries like Indian, Pakistani, Malaysian, German etc. –
10. TVCatchup
TVC allows you to watch UK based television and satellite cable channels. TVC is an Internet television service for viewing free-to-air UK channels. It retransmits BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, and ITV, amongst others. The service works with pre-roll Ads and is free. You can access some popular UK channels on your mobile with the App.
The App lets you stream Free-to-air Channels free of charge. The App is free to use albeit Ads are rolled to support the developers. One of the best Apps to watch Live TV Content from the UK.
11. Kodi
Kodi is not a live streaming app in itself but is a media centre where you can add various file repository and enjoy free TV, Movies, music and programming. You can install IPTV addon by the name cCloud TV on Kodi.
The cCloud IPTV Addon can show you more than 1400+ channels. It is very easy to install the cCloud add-on on Kodi.
You first need to download the Kodi App from Google Play Store. Then add the cCloud Add-on on Kodi. I have provided the video tutorial to install the IPTV Add-on on Kodi –
[100% Working] How to Install cCloud IPTV Addon on Kodi?
Watch this video on YouTube
12. Crackle – Free TV & Movies
Crackle is a free app available in the Google Play Store to stream TV shows and movies online. But this app doesn’t have the download option. Sony Crackle has a bouquet of movies and has partnered with the number of big production houses. Since you can stream the movies for free without any subscription, the service supports itself by running short pre-roll and mid-roll Ads every now and then. Given its wide range of movies and the trust of Sony, this app is surely one which you should try.
Features of Crackle
Quick loading
Free account with data storage
Support HD quality and also allows all other resolution viewing.
Good friendly User-Interface and simple navigation.
Download the Crackle for free from Google Play Store –
13. Genius Stream | Live TV App
Genius Stream is an Android App to watch Live TV including sports, movies, Live TV from Countries like UK, US, France etc. Most of the channels are available in HD. You can watch sports, movies and entertainment from countries like the UK, US, France, India and other European, Asian and American Countries.
Features of Genius Stream
Multiple Players Supported
Free Live TV without any subscription.
Channels from over 10 countries with Bein Sports.
Smoothly Work’s on (Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G) networks
No Registration or Membership Required
Support HD quality
Simple User-Interface and simple navigation.
14. Sports Angel | Live Sports App
Live TV Sports for Android
Sports Angel is a one-stop destination for Live Sports Streaming. You can watch Soccer, Cricket, Racing, Basketball etc. You can enjoy some of the top class sports channels from Europe and North America such as ESPN, Sky Sports, Euro Sport, MUTV, Sky Sports, Fox Sports and more. The App is free but contains Ads.
The App is has a very promising interface with a very simple navigation system. You can set the video resolution and enjoy the sports according to your comfort. If you are looking for an App with solid streaming for Europe and North America sports then I recommend you to go with Sports Angel.
Features of Sports Angel
A very low rate of buffering
Free account, no sign-up needed
Support HD quality
Simple User-Interface and simple navigation.
15. SPB TV
Another live TV app with a good amount of live TV.
A good interface that is easy to follow.
A wholesome number of channels are available for viewers.
Varied content will keep you entertained for a long while.
Fairly fast streaming service that doesn’t let you wait long.
16. JioTV Live Sports Movies Shows
This is one of the most downloaded Live TV app on Android. JioTV offers. JioTV offers 400+ channels including 60+ HD channels spread across 10 genres and 15 languages.
It is a one-stop destination if you wish to watch Indian programming on your smartphone.
But there is one barrier to this wonderful App that is you need to use their SIM cards on your device to run the channels – Download JioTV
How can you watch JioTV without Jio SIM?
Solution. I have written thepostwhich can teach you to use the JioTV without Jio SIM. You can also install an old JioPlay Apk file to stream the channels on Jio TV. Have a Google search to find the older apk.
17. Play Live TV APK
Play Live TV is another great Android APK for free live TV to hit the market in recent months. It is packed with loads of channels from all over the world.
The interface is very simple and you can watch live tv for free and from any country in the world. Not only that, but it also gives you channel recommendations based on your watching interest.
18. Mega IPTV | Live Channels
Mega IPTV can put off the effort of having multiple apps to watch live TV, sports, and movies etc. It has four sections of live TV and two sections of live sports you can choose from. This increases the chances of having the stream on either of the section.
This android app could b a good choice for them as it contains an extensive range of different internet television channels including shows, movies, live sports and others.
Apart from this you also can watch movies with this app. Just select the TV channel and then choose the video player, most preferably select the MX Player for the low buffer.
19. Yupp TV Live TV!
Yupp TV gives a neck-to-neck competition to Jio TV when it comes to offering live tv streaming and catch-up services.
Besides, these Yupp TV does a fine job indeed of streaming live channels and providing streaming of recorded catch up of previous episodes on your Android.
Initially, you can enjoy live TV absolutely free due to the free sign-up bonus and freebies. And can also take advantage of the referral program to keep the Yupp Wallet with cash to enjoy TV Shows for free.
Hindi: Star Plus, Colors TV, Sony TV, Zee TV, UTV Movies, Star Bharat, Set Max, Zee Cinema, SAB, MTunes
Telugu: Gemini TV, Star Maa TV, Zee Telugu, ETV, NTV, TV5, ABN, Star Maa Movies, Star Maa Gold, ETV Plus
Tamil: Sun TV, Star Vijay, Jaya TV, Kaliagnar TV, Raj TV, Sirippoli TV, Puhtiya Thalaimurai, Seithigal, Thanthi TV, Chithiram TV
Malayalam: Asianet, Surya TV, Kiran, Asianet Plus, Jai Hind, Mathruboomi, Asianet News, Reporter, Kaumudy TV, India Vision
20. Hotstar
Hotstar is the premium content provider of local and international content in India. The App runs on a freemium-based model where it offers some free content with Ads and premium content with a subscription. The App has loads of live content to offer from its bucket of more than 60 channels owned by the Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox. (Bought by Disney)
You are craving for some top Indian content on your phone then I recommend you to go with Hotstar. The App hosts a lot of live shows and top movies from Bollywood and Hollywood.
21. Hulu
The Services of Hulu into Live TV started in 2017, prior to that it just use to host a series of TV shows both old and new, movie and other infotainment programs. Now it works a hybrid of Sling TV and Netflix, offering both TV Shows as well as the Live TV to its users. The content and presentation of the App vary with the cost, low price will offer you content with Ads while a high package offers Live TV with no Ads. Hulu TV Pricing starts at $7.99 Though you may find the cost on a higher side I believe it’s worth a buy. If you wish to have access to some premium Content than Hulu should be the first choice.
22. YouTube TV
YouTube TV
YT TV is an over-the-top content (OTT) streaming subscription service available in the United States. It includes ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, NBC and other networks. The service offers Cloud DVR without DVR storage space limits. 6 YouTube TV accounts with individual login and DVR. The App offers more than 60 channels from the US which can be directly streamed on phone or Apple TV without any cable box. You can access top content providing networks on the TV App.
Sports – CBS RSN Channels, ESPN Network, FS, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBCSN, NESN, Olympic Channel, Tennis Channel etc.
Entertainment – AMC, BBC America, Bravo, Comet, Decades, E!, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, IFC, MyNetwork TV, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild and many more.
News – BBC News, Cheddar News, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, HLN, MSNBC.
Kids – Cartoon Network, Disney, Universal Kids
23. Ditto TV
Ditto TV owned by ZEE Entertainment has a bunch of Live Content which is delivered from all across its network partners.
The App provides Live TV for all the major TV networks that including Viacom 18, Sony, Zee (except Star)
Another good part of the App is it provides catch-up content for 7 days, so in case if you ever miss an episode or two you can directly stream in and enjoy your broadcast.
You will find all the shows and movies under the hood of Zee Entertainment with regional content and movies under the Essel group licencing.
Download Ditto TV
24. Sling TV
The Sling TV is pretty decent Live TV Streaming App available in the market. The ease of customisation, number of channels and just OK pricing make it a favourable App for all the Android-based devices. Sling’s Orange package is $20 per month for 31 channels. It has a good mix of basic sports, news and entertainment Channels. The Blue package is $25 per month and consists of 45 channels. The Orange and Blue can be combined into one package for $40 a month.
The basic Orange package comes with channels such as ESPN, AMC, CNN, Comedy Central, CN, Disney, TNT, IFC and A&E. Sling Blue offers selections including Fox, NBC, USA, FX, and Bloomberg Network.
25. SonyLiv
Liv by Sony India is a country-specific content-delivery platform. It works on the same freemium model by which it allows you to watch movies and TV Shows with advertisements while more demanding content requires Liv Subscription. The other good thing about the Site is it offers premium sports programming like La Liga, NBA, Football WC, Serie A, EPL and other live sports for free but with a 5 minutes delay which could be cut-off if you buy a premium pack costing ∼ $4/ Month. The Web has rights to all the Movies Distributed by Sony and provides Live TV streaming of Channels like Animax, Sony Movies etc.
Features of Sony Liv
Sony Movies Curated for India
Popular Sports Broadcast for Free
Runs even on low network
Simple and Easy to Navigate the site
26. Airtel TV
Airtel TV is a Live TV Cum Movies and TV Show App with dedicated sections for Live TV and Pictures. The App is available for Airtel SIM users only but one good thing about the App is, up to 5 devices can run on a single login. The App has a number of Bollywood, Hollywood, Tollywood and other Indian regional Cinema. The Airtel TV App has all major channels from Sony Network, Zee Network, Network 18 and all the FTA channels from India.
Features of Airtel TV
Live TV and Movies from all Regional networks from India
Create your personal Watchlist and easily access your collection.
Multi-device Access, a single login for all your devices (up to 5)
TV Player lets you watch over 80 Live TV channels on your for free on Web or any Mobile App. You can get access to 60+ free channels which you can watch without any pay. The premium version ($9/mo) of the App supports more demanded channels which can be accessed by paying some amount. Presently the service serves the UK market only but the team is working on expanding the network to the US, Canada and other European counties. You can enjoy live tv with catch-up and live recording feature making it a well-crafted TV service.
Features of TVPlayer App:
Watch all the best UK channels.
Live and Catch Up TV
Record your favourite programmes to watch at any time
Use your TVPlayer plus subscription on up to 5 devices at one time
28. MXPlayer
Surprised to see the MXPlayer in the list? Well, the popular media player app for Android has been bought by Times Internet Group. The company is using this platform as an OTT service to offer Movies, Web originals, TV Shows and more. The company also released the content for website offering movies and tv shows for free with Ad-Support. You can watch movies from Hollywood, Bollywood, South Indian Languages and other local content. MXPlayer aims at taking a good share of the growing online content consumption.
Features of MXPlayer
Simple UI
Free Live TV – News, Movies, Entertainment and More
Content from all languages
Premium movies and TV shows
Video resolution settings
29. ThopTV
With an application of the likes of ThopTV, you won’t miss a single one of your favourite TV programs. ThopTV hosts thousands of channels free and premium which you can stream for free without any account or subscription. You get Live sports, movies, entertainment and more on the applications.
The App hosts live tv channels from the US, UK, India, France, Germany, Canada, the Middle East and other European Countries. You can access all the live sports and general entertainment channel from across the globe. However, some of the channels may not be working in your country due to copyright reasons. In that case, it’s advisable to use a VPN application to be able to access this application with a different IP address.
30. You Player TV
You Player TV is a multiplayer live tv streaming App which lets you watch live sports, movies and other premium content from counties like, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Germany, France, Spain and more. You can enjoy live streaming for free with multiple player support adding advantage in case an encoder of a particular player is not broadcasting smoothly. You can also add channels manually in the App if you can’t find what you’re looking for.
Add New Channels
Open Add option from the menu
Write tutv in the Stream Name field.
Type in tutvgratis.tv in the Video URL field.
Choose manually the channels you want to add from the list.
Features of You Player
Filter the contents by country
Multiple format support: AVI, 3GP, FLV, M4V, MOV, MP4, WMV, etc.
Chromecast support
Inbuilt updates no need to look for APK’s
31. HD Streamz
HD Streamz uses IPTV protocol to capture TV signals from around the globe. The app has access to hundreds of TV channels and radio stations free. You can browse through its huge content by means of categories and countries. The app houses movie channels, sports channels, news, entertainment. We’ll need a media player to play the streams as there is no in-built player, MX Player or VLC is good to go with.
Features of HD Streamz
Over 600 live TV channels.
Contents from different countries: USA, Spain, France, Canada, Pakistan, Germany, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka etc.
Multiple streaming links for a channel.
User interface based on Material Design.
Free to use
32. MX Player
We all know the MX Player. It is the most popular media player App for Android. The Korean company was bought by India’s Time Group. The motive was to catch the strong user base from India which counts to about 400 million users. The Time Internet will use it as an OTT service which will help you to enjoy premium Movies, Web Series, MX Originals, TV Shows and Live TV for Free with Ad Support. Though the service aims at the Indian Audience. But a VPN could let you access the vast content for free. You get over 180 Free-to-Air live channels like movies, news, music and more on the MX player website itself. You also get regional channels, all this for free
Goods About MX Player
Clean user interface
Number of Bollywood and Regional movies
Web Originals
180+ Live TV and More
Bads About MX Player
Only FTA Channels
Outside India VPN or Proxy Needed
33. DirecTV Now | Live TV
DirecTV by AT&T is quickly gaining huge subscriber base. These internet TV App with 100+ channels actually streams Live TV. With TunerMedia under its hood, you can expect more and more TV Channels along with a mammoth collection of the vast media library. The App itself has some issues and bugs actually making it very unlikely with respect to User Experience but said that the DirecTV App hosts a powerful blend of entertainment, music, sports, news and many more channels.
How to Run Live TV Apps for PC?
Many developers considering the launch of a Live TV Apps for Windows computers but it will have its own limitations due to compatibility. But this will not stop you from enjoying the Live TV on Windows you can anytime use an Android emulator like Nox Player or BlueStacks, you’ll have this application running on your PC in a matter of minutes.
Data Security and Privacy Concerns
The free streaming Apps which are not the legal content providers are always on the critical due to data breach and privacy invasion issues. The cyber rouges are always in a search for innocent netizens who could fall prey. The use of free non-legal streaming services may also be a crime in your region due to litigations imposed by law.
How to Be Safe?
Some of the App listed above have a lot of programming with copyright infringement under its hood, you may be under the scanner by your government for streaming the content which is not bided by the law. But looking at the nature of the App, there may be very few who could resist themselves from using. You can stream safely by using a VPN service. There are a number of VPN Apps and services covering all types of devices.
What is a VPN?
VPN is a type of online services which hides your data by sending your web usage to another secure location. It forms a secure tunnel to provide end-to-end protection. Therefore, your ISP will not know what you’re up to. In other words, it sends your data to a 3rd party country, making it difficult for the service provider to determine the internet behaviour of the user.
Miscellaneous Details
If you wish to use the apps anonymously then you can try any VPN services like OperaVPN which is available on Google Play Store.
In case any of the streams show any error or issues while loading then also you can try any proxy servers like VPN to stream the content.
If the app is not working or causing some issues then I recommend you to Clear Data & Cache of the app to fix it.
Conclusion: I hope the post on the best Android apps to stream movies and TV shows online.
If you are facing any issues downloading the apps or in using them then feel free to comment below.
Also, provide your valuable suggestions and thoughts in the form of comments in the section below.
Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats. Unlike downloaded media, IPTV offers the ability to stream the source media continuously. As a result, a client media player can begin playing the content (such as a TV channel) almost immediately. This is known as streaming media.
Although IPTV uses the Internet protocol it is not limited to television streamed from the Internet, (Internet television). IPTV is widely deployed in subscriber-based telecommunications networks with high-speed access channels into end-user premises via set-top boxes or other customer-premises equipment. IPTV is also used for media delivery around corporate and private networks. IPTV in the telecommunications arena is notable for its ongoing standardisation process (e.g., European Telecommunications Standards Institute).
IPTV services may be classified into three main groups:
Live television and live media, with or without related interactivity;
Time-shifted media: e.g. catch-up TV (replays a TV show that was broadcast hours or days ago), start-over TV (replays the current TV show from its beginning);
Video on demand (VOD): browse and view items in a stored media catalogue.
3Markets
4Architecture
8Advantages
9Limitations
Definition[edit]
Historically, many different definitions of IPTV have appeared, including elementary streams[clarification needed] over IP networks, MPEG transport streams over IP networks and a number of proprietary systems. One official definition approved by the International Telecommunication Union focus group on IPTV (ITU-T FG IPTV) is:
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.[1]
Another definition of IPTV, relating to the telecommunications industry, is the one given by Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) IPTV Exploratory Group in 2005:
IPTV is defined as the secure and reliable delivery to subscribers of entertainment video and related services. These services may include, for example, Live TV, Video On Demand (VOD) and Interactive TV (iTV). These services are delivered across an access agnostic, packet switched network that employs the IP protocol to transport the audio, video and control signals. In contrast to video over the public Internet, with IPTV deployments, network security and performance are tightly managed to ensure a superior entertainment experience, resulting in a compelling business environment for content providers, advertisers and customers alike.[2]
History[edit]
The term IPTV first appeared in 1995 with the founding of Precept Software by Judith Estrin and Bill Carrico. Precept developed an Internet video product named IP/TV. IP/TV was an Mbone compatible Windows and Unix-based application that transmitted single and multi-source audio and video traffic, ranging from low to DVD quality, using both unicast and IP multicastReal-time Transport Protocol (RTP) and Real time control protocol (RTCP). The software was written primarily by Steve Casner, Karl Auerbach, and Cha Chee Kuan. Precept was acquired by Cisco Systems in 1998.[3] Cisco retains the IP/TV trademark.
Internet radio company AudioNet started the first continuous livewebcasts with content from WFAA-TV in January 1998 and KCTU-LP on 10 January 1998.[4]
Kingston Communications, a regional telecommunications operator in the UK, launched Kingston Interactive Television (KIT), an IPTV over digital subscriber line (DSL) service in September 1999. The operator added additional VoD service in October 2001 with Yes TV, a VoD content provider. Kingston was one of the first companies in the world to introduce IPTV and IP VoD over ADSL as a commercial service. The service became the reference for various changes to UK Government regulations and policy on IPTV. In 2006, the KIT service was discontinued, subscribers having declined from a peak of 10,000 to 4,000.[5][6]
In 1999, NBTel (now known as Bell Aliant) was the first to commercially deploy Internet protocol television over DSL in Canada[7] using the Alcatel 7350 DSLAM and middleware created by iMagic TV (owned by NBTel's parent company Bruncor[8]). The service was marketed under the brand VibeVision in New Brunswick, and later expanded into Nova Scotia in early 2000[9] after the formation of Aliant. iMagic TV was later sold to Alcatel.[10]
In 2002, Sasktel was the second in Canada to commercially deploy IPTV over DSL, using the Lucent Stinger DSL platform.[11]
In 2005, SureWest Communications was the first North American company to offer high-definition television (HDTV) channels over an IPTV service.[12]
In 2005, Bredbandsbolaget launched its IPTV service as the first service provider in Sweden. As of January 2009, they are not the biggest supplier any longer; TeliaSonera, who launched their service later now has more customers.[13]
In 2007, TPG became the first internet service provider in Australia to launch IPTV.[citation needed] By 2010, iiNet and Telstra launched IPTV services in conjunction to internet plans.[14]
In 2008, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) launched IPTV under the brand name of PTCL Smart TV in Pakistan. This service is available in 150 major cities of the country offering 140 live channels.[citation needed]
In 2010, CenturyLink – after acquiring Embarq (2009) and Qwest (2010) – entered five U.S. markets with an IPTV service called Prism.[15] This was after successful test marketing in Florida.
In 2016, Korean Central Television (KCTV) introduced the set-top box called Manbang, reportedly providing video-on-demand services in North Korea via quasi-internet protocol television (IPTV). Manbang allows viewers to watch five different TV channels in real-time, and read find political information regarding the Supreme Leader and Juche ideology, and read articles from state-run news organizations.
Markets[edit]
Residential[edit]
The number of global IPTV subscribers was expected to grow from 28 million in 2009 to 83 million in 2013. Europe and Asia are the leading territories in terms of the over-all number of subscribers. But in terms of service revenues, Europe and North America generate a larger share of global revenue, due to very low average revenue per user (ARPU) in China and India, the fastest growing (and ultimately, the biggest markets) is Asia. The global IPTV market revenues are forecast to grow from US$12 billion in 2009 to US$38 billion in 2013.[16]
Services also launched in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Canada, Croatia, Lithuania, Moldova, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco,[17]Poland, Mongolia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia,[18] the Netherlands,[19]Georgia, Greece, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary,[20][21]Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Latvia, Turkey, Colombia, Chile and Uzbekistan.[22] The United Kingdom launched IPTV early and after a slow initial growth, in February 2009 BT announced that it had reached 398,000 subscribers to its BT Vision service.[23]Claro has launched their own IPTV service called 'Claro TV'. This service is available in several countries in which they operate, such as Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua. IPTV is just beginning to grow in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America, and now it is growing in South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, NepalPakistan and India.[24] but significant plans exist in countries such as Russia. Kazakhstan introduced[25] its own IPTV services by the national provider Kazakhtelecom JSC[26] and content integrator Alacast under the 'iD TV' brand in two major cities Astana and Almaty in 2009 and is about to go nationwide starting 2010.[needs update] Australian ISP iiNet launched Australia's first IPTV with fetchtv.[27]
In India, IPTV was launched by MTNL , BSNL and Jio in New Delhi, Mumbai and Punjab. APSFL is another IPTV provider in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
In Nepal, IPTV was first launched by NEW IT VENTURE CORPORATION called Net TV Nepal, the service can be accessed through its app, web app and Set top boxes provided by local ISPs, another IPTV was started by Nepal Telecom called WOW Time in 2016 which can be accessed through its app.
In Sri Lanka, IPTV was launched by Sri Lanka Telecom (operated by SLT VisionCom) in 2008, under the brand name of PEO TV. This service is available in whole country.
In Pakistan, IPTV was launched by PTCL in 2008, under the brand name of PTCL Smart TV. This service is available in 150 major cities of the country.[citation needed]
In the Philippines, PLDT offers Cignal IPTV services as an add-on in certain ADSL and fiber optic plans.[28][29]
In Malaysia, various companies have attempted to launch IPTV services since 2005. Failed PayTV provider MiTV attempted to use an IPTV-over-UHF service but the service failed to take off. Hypp.TV was supposed to use an IPTV-based system, but not true IPTV as it does not provide a set-top box and requires users to view channels using a computer. True IPTV providers available in the country at the moment are Fine TV and DETV. In Q2 2010, Telekom Malaysia launched IPTV services through their fibre to the home product Unifi in select areas. In April 2010, Astro began testing IPTV services on TIME dotCom Berhad's high-speed fibre to the home optical fibre network. In December 2010, Astro began trials with customers in high-rise condominium buildings around the Mont Kiara area. In April 2011, Astro commercially launched its IPTV services under the tag line 'The One and Only Line You'll Ever Need', a triple play offering in conjunction with TIME dotCom Berhad that provides all the Astro programming via IPTV, together with voice telephone services and broadband Internet access all through the same fibre optic connection into the customer's home.
In Turkey, TTNET launched IPTV services under the name IPtivibu in 2010. It was available in pilot areas in the cities of Istanbul, İzmir and Ankara. As of 2011, IPTV service is launched as a large-scale commercial service and widely available across the country under the trademark 'Tivibu EV'.[30][31] Superonline plans to provide IPTV under the different name 'WebTV' in 2011. Türk Telekom started building the fibre optic substructure for IPTV in late 2007.
Commercial and corporate[edit]
IPTV has been widely used since around 2002 to distribute television and audio-visual (AV) media around businesses and commercial sites, whether as live TV channels or Video on Demand (VOD). Examples of types of commercial users include airports, schools, offices, hotels, and sports stadiums, to name just a few.
Architecture[edit]
A simplified network diagram for IPTV
Elements[edit]
IPTV head-end: where live TV channels and AV sources are encoded, encrypted and delivered in the form of IP multicast streams.
Video on Demand (VOD) platform: where on-demand video assets are stored and served as IP unicast streams when a user makes a request. The VOD platform may sometimes be located with, and considered part of, the IPTV headend.
Interactive portal: allows the user to navigate within the different IPTV services, such as the VOD catalogue.
Delivery network: the packet switched network that carries IP packets (unicast and multicast).
Endpoints: User equipment that can request, decode and deliver IPTV streams for display to the user. This can include computers and mobile devices as well as set-top boxes.
Home TV gateway: the piece of equipment at a residential IPTV user's home that terminates the access link from the delivery network.
User set-top box: the piece of endpoint equipment that decodes and decrypts TV and VOD streams for display on the TV screen.
Architecture of a video server network[edit]
Depending on the network architecture of the service provider, there are two main types of video server architecture that can be considered for IPTV deployment: centralised and distributed.
The centralised architecture model is a relatively simple and easy to manage solution. Because all media content is stored in centralised servers, it does not require a comprehensive content distribution system. Centralised architecture is generally good for a network that provides relatively small VOD service deployment, has adequate core and edge bandwidth and has an efficient content delivery network (CDN).
Distributed architecture is just as scalable as the centralised model, however it has bandwidth usage advantages and inherent system management features that are essential for managing a larger server network. Operators who plan to deploy a relatively large system should therefore consider implementing a distributed architecture model right from the start. Distributed architecture requires intelligent and sophisticated content distribution technologies to augment effective delivery of multimedia contents over service provider's network.[32]
Residential IPTV home networks[edit]
In many cases, the residential gateway that provides connectivity with the Internet access network is not located close to the IPTV set-top box. This scenario becomes very common as service providers start to offer service packages with multiple set-top boxes per subscriber.
Networking technologies that take advantage of existing home wiring (such as power lines,[33][34] phone lines or coaxial cables[35][36]) or of wireless hardware have become common solutions for this problem, although fragmentation in the wired home networking market has limited somewhat the growth in this market.[37][38]
In December 2008, ITU-T adopted Recommendation G.hn (also known as G.9960), which is a next-generation home networking standard that specifies a common PHY/MAC that can operate over any home wiring (power lines, phone lines or coaxial cables).[39]During 2012 IEC will adopt a prenorm for POF networking at Gigabit speed. This pre standard will specify a PHY that operates at an adaptable bit rate between 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s depending on the link power budget.
Groups such as the Multimedia over Coax Alliance, HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Home Phoneline Networking Alliance, and Quasar Alliance (Plastic Optical Fibre)[40] each advocate their own technologies.
Telecomms IMS architecture[edit]
There is a growing standardisation effort on the use of the 3GPP IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) as an architecture for supporting IPTV services in telecommunications carrier networks. Both ITU-T and ETSI are working on so-called 'IMS-based IPTV' standards (see e.g. ETSI TS 182 027[41]). Carriers will be able to offer both voice and IPTV services over the same core infrastructure and the implementation of services combining conventional TV services with telephony features (e.g. caller ID on the TV screen) will become straightforward.[42]The MultiService Forum recently conducted interoperability of IMS-based IPTV solutions during its GMI event in 2008.[43]
Protocols[edit]
IPTV covers both live TV (multicast) as well as stored video-on-demand/VoD (unicast). Playback requires a broadband device connected to either a fixed or wireless IP network in the form of either a standalone personal computer or limited embedded OS device such as a smartphone, touch screen tablet, game console, connected TV or set-top box. Video compression is provided by either a H.263 or H.264 derived codec, audio is compressed via a MDCT based codec and then encapsulated in either an MPEG transport stream or RTP packets or Flash Video packets for live or VoD streaming. IP multicasting allows for live data to be sent to multiple receivers using a single multicast group address. H.264/MPEG-4 AVC is commonly used for internet streaming over higher bit rate standards such as H.261 and H.263 which were more designed for ISDN video conferencing. H.262/MPEG-1/2 is generally not used as the bandwidth required would quite easily saturate a network which is why they are only used in single link broadcast or storage applications.
In standards-based IPTV systems, the primary underlying protocols used are:
Service provider-based streaming:
IGMP for subscribing to a live multicast stream (TV channel) and for changing from one live multicast stream to another (TV channel change). IP multicast operates within LANs (including VLANs) and across WANs also. IP multicast is usually routed in the network core by Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM), setting up correct distribution of multicast streams (TV channels) from their source all the way to the customers who wants to view them, duplicating received packets as needed. On-demand content uses a negotiated unicast connection. Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) over User Datagram Protocol (UDP) or the lower overhead H.222 transport stream over Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) are generally the preferred methods of encapsulation.
Web-based unicast only live and VoD streaming:
Adobe Flash Player prefers RTMP over TCP with setup and control via either AMF or XML or JSON transactions.
Apple iOS uses HLSadaptive bitrate streaming over HTTP with setup and control via an embedded M3U playlist file.
Microsoft Silverlight uses smooth streaming (adaptive bitrate streaming) over HTTP.
Web-based multicast live and unicast VoD streaming:
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) recommends RTP over UDP or TCP transports with setup and control using RTSP over TCP.
Connected TVs, game consoles, set-top boxes and network personal video recorders:
local network content uses UPnP AV for unicast via HTTP over TCP or for multicast live RTP over UDP.
Web-based content is provided through either inline Web plug-ins or a television broadcast-based application that uses a middleware language such as MHEG-5 that triggers an event such as loading an inline Web browser using an Adobe Flash Player plug-in.
A telecommunications company IPTV service is usually delivered over an investment-heavy walled garden network.
Local IPTV, as used by businesses for audio visual AV distribution on their company networks is typically based on a mixture of:
Conventional TV reception equipment and IPTV encoders
IPTV gateways that take broadcast MPEG channels and IP wrap them to create multicast streams.
Via satellite[edit]
Although IPTV and conventional satellite TV distribution have been seen as complementary technologies, they are likely to be increasingly used together in hybrid IPTV networks that deliver the highest levels of performance and reliability. IPTV is largely neutral to the transmission medium, and IP traffic is already routinely carried by satellite for Internet backbone trunking and corporate VSAT networks.[44] The use of satellite to carry IP is fundamental to overcoming the greatest shortcoming of IPTV over terrestrial cables – the speed/bandwidth of the connection, as well as availability.
The copper twisted pair cabling that forms the last mile of the telephone and broadband network in many countries is not able to provide a sizeable proportion of the population with an IPTV service that matches even existing terrestrial or satellite digital TV distribution. For a competitive multi-channel TV service, a connection speed of 20 Mbit/s is likely to be required, but unavailable to most potential customers.[45] The increasing popularity of high-definition television (with twice the data rate of SD video) increases connection speed requirements, or limits IPTV service quality and connection eligibility even further.
However, satellites are capable of delivering in excess of 100 Gbit/s via multi-spot beam technologies, making satellite a clear emerging technology for implementing IPTV networks. Satellite distribution can be included in an IPTV network architecture in several ways. The simplest to implement is an IPTV-direct to home (DTH) architecture, in which hybrid DVB-broadband set-top boxes in subscriber homes integrate satellite and IP reception to give near-infinite bandwidth with return channel capabilities. In such a system, many live TV channels may be multicast via satellite (IP-encapsulated or as conventional DVB digital TV) with stored video-on-demand transmission via the broadband connection. Arqiva’s Satellite Media Solutions Division suggests 'IPTV works best in a hybrid format. For example, you would use broadband to receive some content and satellite to receive other, such as live channels'.[46]
Hybrid IPTV[edit]
Hybrid IPTV refers to the combination of traditional broadcast TV services and video delivered over either managed IP networks or the public Internet. It is an increasing trend in both the consumer and pay TV [operator] markets.[47][48][49]
Hybrid IPTV has grown in popularity in recent years[when?] as a result of two major drivers. Since the emergence of online video aggregation sites, like YouTube and Vimeo in the mid-2000s, traditional pay TV operators have come under increasing pressure to provide their subscribers with a means of viewing Internet-based video [both professional and user-generated] on their televisions. At the same time, specialist IP-based operators [often telecommunications providers] have looked for ways to offer analogue and digital terrestrial services to their operations, without adding either additional cost or complexity to their transmission operations. Bandwidth is a valuable asset for operators, so many have looked for alternative ways to deliver these new services without investing in additional network infrastructures.
A hybrid set-top allows content from a range of sources, including terrestrial broadcast, satellite, and cable, to be brought together with video delivered over the Internet via an Ethernet connection on the device. This enables television viewers to access a greater variety of content on their TV sets, without the need for a separate box for each service.
Hybrid IPTV set-top boxes also enable users to access a range of advanced interactive services, such as VOD / catch-up TV, as well as Internet applications, including video telephony, surveillance, gaming, shopping, e-government accessed via a television set.
From a pay-TV operator's perspective, a hybrid IPTV set-top box gives them greater long-term flexibility by enabling them to deploy new services and applications as and when consumers require, most often without the need to upgrade equipment or for a technician to visit and reconfigure or swap out the device. This reduces the cost of launching new services, increases speed to market and limits disruption for consumers.[50]
The Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) consortium of industry companies is currently[when?] promoting and establishing an open European standard for hybrid set-top boxes for the reception of broadcast and broadband digital TV and multimedia applications with a single user interface.[51] These trends led to the development of Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV set-top boxes that included both a broadcast tuner and an Internet connection – usually an Ethernet port. The first commercially available hybrid IPTV set-top box was developed by Advanced Digital Broadcast, a developer of digital television hardware and software, in 2005. The platform was developed for Spanish pay TV operator Telefonica,[52] and used as part of its Movistar TV service, launched to subscribers at the end of 2005.
An alternative approach is the IPTV version of the Headend in the Sky cable TV solution. Here, multiple TV channels are distributed via satellite to the ISP or IPTV provider's point of presence (POP) for IP-encapsulated distribution to individual subscribers as required by each subscriber.
This can provide a huge selection of channels to subscribers without overburdening Internet trunking to the POP, and enables an IPTV service to be offered to small or remote operators outside the reach of terrestrial high speed broadband connection. An example is a network combining fibre and satellite distribution via an SES New Skies satellite of 95 channels to Latin America and the Caribbean, operated by IPTV Americas.[53]
While the future development of IPTV probably lies with a number of coexisting architectures and implementations, it is clear[according to whom?] that broadcasting of high bandwidth applications such as IPTV is accomplished more efficiently and cost-effectively using satellite[54] and it is predicted that the majority of global IPTV growth will be fuelled by hybrid networks.[55]
Advantages[edit]
The Internet protocol-based platform offers significant advantages, including the ability to integrate television with other IP-based services like high speed Internet access and VoIP.
A switched IP network also allows for the delivery of significantly more content and functionality. In a typical TV or satellite network, using broadcast video technology, all the content constantly flows downstream to each customer, and the customer switches the content at the set-top box. The customer can select from as many choices as the telecomms, cable or satellite company can stuff into the 'pipe' flowing into the home. A switched IP network works differently. Content remains in the network, and only the content the customer selects is sent into the customer's home. That frees up bandwidth, and the customer's choice is less restricted by the size of the 'pipe' into the home. This also implies that the customer's privacy could be compromised to a greater extent than is possible with traditional TV or satellite networks. It may also provide a means to hack into, or at least disrupt (see Denial of service) the private network.
Economics[edit]
The cable industry's expenditures of approximately $1 billion per year are based on network updates to accommodate higher data speeds. Most operators use 2–3 channels to support maximum data speeds of 50 Mbit/s to 100 Mbit/s. However, because video streams require a high bit rate for much longer periods of time, the expenditures to support high amounts of video traffic will be much greater. This phenomenon is called persistency. Data persistency is routinely 5% while video persistency can easily reach 50%. As video traffic continues to grow, this means that significantly more CMTS downstream channels will be required to carry this video content. Based on today's market, it is likely that industry expenditures for CMTS expansion could exceed $2 billion a year, virtually all of that expenditure being driven by video traffic. Adoption of IPTV for carrying the majority of this traffic could save the industry approximately 75% of this capital expenditure.[56]
Interactivity[edit]
An IP-based platform also allows significant opportunities to make the TV viewing experience more interactive and personalised.The supplier may, for example, include an interactive programme guide that allows viewers to search for content by title or actor's name, or a picture-in-picture functionality that allows them to 'channel surf' without leaving the programme they're watching. Viewers may be able to look up a player's stats while watching a sports game, or control the camera angle. They also may be able to access photos or music from their PC on their television, use a wireless phone to schedule a recording of their favourite show, or even adjust parental controls so their child can watch a documentary for a school report, while they're away from home.
In order that there can take place an interaction between the receiver and the transmitter, a feedback channel is needed. Due to this, terrestrial, satellite, and cable networks for television do not allow interactivity. However, interactivity with those networks can be possible by combining TV networks with data networks such as the Internet or a mobile communication network.
Video-on-demand[edit]
IPTV technology is bringing video on demand (VoD) to television,[57] which permits a customer to browse an online programme or film catalogue, to watch trailers and to then select a selected recording. The playout of the selected item starts nearly instantaneously on the customer's TV or PC.
Technically, when the customer selects the movie, a point-to-point unicast connection is set up between the customer's decoder (set-top box or PC) and the delivering streaming server. The signalling for the trick play functionality (pause, slow-motion, wind/rewind etc.) is assured by RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol).
The most common codecs used for VoD are MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and VC-1.
In an attempt to avoid content piracy, the VoD content is usually encrypted. Whilst encryption of satellite and cable TV broadcasts is an old practice, with IPTV technology it can effectively be thought of as a form of Digital rights management. A film that is chosen, for example, may be playable for 24 hours following payment, after which time it becomes unavailable.
IPTV-based converged services[edit]
Another advantage is the opportunity for integration and convergence. This opportunity is amplified when using IMS-based solutions.[58] Converged services implies interaction of existing services in a seamless manner to create new value added services. One example is on-screen Caller ID, getting Caller ID on a TV and the ability to handle it (send it to voice mail, etc.). IP-based services will help to enable efforts to provide consumers anytime-anywhere access to content over their televisions, PCs and cell phones, and to integrate services and content to tie them together. Within businesses and institutions, IPTV eliminates the need to run a parallel infrastructure to deliver live and stored video services.
Limitations[edit]
IPTV is sensitive to packet loss and delays if the streamed data is unreliable. IPTV has strict minimum speed requirements in order to facilitate the right number of frames per second to deliver moving pictures. This means that the limited connection speed and bandwidth available for a large IPTV customer base can reduce the service quality delivered.
Although a few countries have very high-speed broadband-enabled populations, such as South Korea with 6 million homes benefiting from a minimum connection speed of 100 Mbit/s, in other countries (such as the UK) legacy networks struggle to provide 3–5 Mbit/s[59][needs update] and so simultaneous provision to the home of TV channels, VOIP and Internet access may not be viable. The last-mile delivery for IPTV usually has a bandwidth restriction that only allows a small number of simultaneous TV channel streams – typically from one to three – to be delivered.[60]
Streaming IPTV across wireless links within the home has proved troublesome; not due to bandwidth limitations as many[who?] assume, but due to issues with multipath and reflections of the RF signal carrying the IP data packets. An IPTV stream is sensitive to packets arriving at the right time and in the right order. Improvements in wireless technology are now[when?] starting to provide equipment to solve the problem.[61]
Due to the limitations of wireless, most IPTV service providers today use wired home networking technologies instead of wireless technologies like IEEE 802.11. Service providers such as AT&T (which makes extensive use of wireline home networking as part of its AT&T U-verse IPTV service) have expressed support for the work done in this direction by ITU-T, which has adopted Recommendation G.hn (also known as G.9960), which is a next-generation home networking standard that specifies a common PHY/MAC that can operate over any home wiring (power lines, phone lines or coaxial cables).[62][63]
Latency[edit]
The latency inherent in the use of satellite Internet is often held up as reason why satellites cannot be successfully used for IPTV. In practice, however, latency is not an important factor for IPTV, since it is a service that does not require real-time transmission, as is the case with telephony or videoconferencing services.
It is the latency of response to requests to change channel, display an EPG, etc. that most affects customers’ perceived quality of service, and these problems affect satellite IPTV no more than terrestrial IPTV. Command latency problems, faced by terrestrial IPTV networks with insufficient bandwidth as their customer base grows, may be solved by the high capacity of satellite distribution.
Satellite distribution does suffer from latency – the time for the signal to travel up from the hub to the satellite and back down to the user is around 0.25 seconds, and cannot be reduced. However, the effects of this delay are mitigated in real-life systems using data compression, TCP-acceleration, and HTTP pre-fetching.[64]
Satellite latency can be detrimental to especially time-sensitive applications such as on-line gaming (although it only seriously affects the likes of first-person shooters while many MMOGs can operate well over satellite Internet[65]), but IPTV is typically a simplex operation (one-way transmission) and latency is not a critical factor for video transmission.
Existing video transmission systems of both analogue and digital formats already introduce known quantifiable delays. Existing DVB TV channels that simulcast by both terrestrial and satellite transmissions experience the same 0.25-second delay difference between the two services with no detrimental effect, and it goes unnoticed by viewers.
Bandwidth requirements[edit]
Bandwidth capacity for simultaneously two HDTV streams, two SD streams, additional to HSD and voice
Digital video is a combination of sequence of digital images, and they are made up of pixels or picture elements. Each pixel has two values, which are luminance and chrominance. Luminance is representing intensity of the pixel; chrominance represents the colour of the pixel. Three bytes would be used to represent the colour of the high quality image for a true colour technique. A sequence of images is creating the digital video, in that case, images are called as frames.
Movies use 24 frames per second; however, the rate of the frames can change according to territories' electrical systems so that there are different kinds of frame rates, for instance, North America is using approximately 30 frames per second where the Europe television frame rate is 25 frames per second. Each digital video has dimensions width and height; when referred to analogue television, the dimension for SDTV is 720×480 pixels, on the other hand, numerous HDTV requires 1920×1080 pixels. Moreover, whilst for SDTV, two bytes (16 bits) is enough to create the colour depth, HDTV requires three bytes (24 bits) to create the colour depth.[citation needed]
Thereby, with a rate of 30 frames/second, the uncompressed data rate for SDTV becomes 30×720×480×16,[vague] in other words, 147,456,000 bits per second. Moreover, for HDTV, at the same frame rate, uncompressed date rate becomes 30×1920×1080×24 or 1,492,992,000 bits per second. Using that simple calculation, a service provider's service delivery to the subscribers is limited unless a lossy compression method is used.
There is no absolute answer for the bandwidth requirement for the IPTV service because the bandwidth requirement is increasing due to the devices inside the household. Thus, currently compressed HDTV content can be delivered at a data rate between 8 and 10 Mbit/s, but if the home of the consumer equipped with several HDTV outputs, this rate will be multiplied respectively.
The high-speed data transfer will increase the needed bandwidth for the viewer, at least 2 Mbit/s is needed to use web-based applications on the computer. Additionally to that, 64 kbit/s is required to use landline telephone for the property. In minimal usage, to receive an IPTV triple-play service requires 13 Mbit/s to process in a household.
Privacy implications[edit]
Due to limitations in bandwidth, an IPTV channel is delivered to the user one at a time, as opposed to the traditional multiplexed delivery. Changing a channel requires requesting the head-end server to provide a different broadcast stream, much like VOD (For VOD the stream is delivered using unicast, for the normal TV signal multicast is used). This could enable the service provider to accurately track each and every programme watched and the duration of watching for each viewer; broadcasters and advertisers could then understand their audience and programming better with accurate data and targeted advertising.
In conjunction with regulatory differences between IPTV and cable TV, this tracking could pose a threat to privacy according to critics.[66] For IP multicast scenarios, since a particular multicast group (TV channel) needs to be requested before it can be viewed, the same privacy concerns apply.
Vendors[edit]
A small number of companies supply most current IPTV system solutions. Some, such as Movistar TV, were formed by telecoms operators themselves, to minimise external costs, a tactic also used by PCCW of Hong Kong. Some major telecoms vendors are also active in this space, notably Alcatel-Lucent (sometimes working with Movistar TV), Sri Lanka Telecom, Ericsson (notably since acquiring Tandberg Television), NEC, Accenture (Accenture Video Solution), Thomson, Huawei, and ZTE, as are some IT houses, led by Microsoft. California-based UTStarcom, Inc., Tennessee-based Worley Consulting, Tokyo-based The New Media Group, Malaysian-based Select-TV, Oslo/Norway-based SnapTV and Delaware-based AlphaOTT also offer end-to-end networking infrastructure for IPTV-based services, and Hong Kong-based BNS Ltd. provides turnkey open platform IPTV technology solutions. Global sales of IPTV systems exceeded US$2 billion in 2007.
Hospitality IPTV Ltd, having established many closed network IPTV systems, expanded in 2013 to OTT delivery platforms for markets in New Zealand, Australia, and Asia Pacific region.[citation needed]
Google Fiber offers an IPTV service in various US cities which includes up to 1 Gigabit-speed internet and over 290 channels depending on package via the fiber optic network being built out in Kansas City Kansas and Kansas City Missouri.
Many of these IPTV solution vendors participated in the biennial Global MSF Interoperability 2008 (GMI) event which was coordinated by the MultiService Forum (MSF) at five sites worldwide from 20 to 31 October 2008. Test equipment vendors including Netrounds, Codenomicon, Empirix, Ixia, Mu Dynamics and Spirent joined solution vendors such as the companies listed above in one of the largest IPTV proving grounds ever deployed.
Service bundling[edit]
For residential users, IPTV is often provided in conjunction with video on demand and may be bundled with Internet services such as Internet access and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telecommunications services. Commercial bundling of IPTV, VoIP and Internet access is sometimes referred to in marketing as triple play service. When these three are offered with cellular service, the combined service may be referred to as quadruple play.
Regulation[edit]
Historically, broadcast television has been regulated differently from telecommunications. As IPTV allows TV and VoD to be transmitted over IP networks, new regulatory issues arise.[67]Professor Eli M. Noam highlights in his report 'TV or Not TV: Three Screens, One Regulation?' some of the key challenges with sector specific regulation that is becoming obsolete due to convergence in this field.[68]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
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External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=IPTV&oldid=919128614'