IPTV System Overview

It is important to remember that IPTV is not like any ordinary television program broadcast through the Internet, but rather it is unique in itself. Its contour is represented by a closed, proprietary TV system which is similar to the cable services present today. But, in contrast, the delivery of IPTV is made via IP-based secure channels, which result in a sharp increase in content distribution control.
The role of IPTV is to integrate numerous ways to scrutinize and trace choices of users. Its role is also to mark out the preferences and selections over a particular time period. It is therefore emerging as a perfect platform on which clients add personalized e-commerce options and a more targeted advertising. By now, IPTV has turned out to be a widespread denominator for systems where both television and video signals are circulated to subscribers or viewers.

IPTV uses a Internet Protocol over broadband connection and very often this service has been provided in parallel with the Internet connection of the subscriber, supplied by an operator dealing with broadband. This is done by using the same infrastructure but apparently over a dedicated bandwidth allocation. Hence, we can describe it as a system in which a digital television service is provided to subscribing consumers over a broadband connection using the Internet Protocol. Moreover, one must also remember that IPTV is noticeably different from "Internet Video". Internet Video provides services to watch videos, such as movie previews and web-cams. This service is a so-called "best effort" by providers of Internet, which has no back-to-back service management along with quality of service considerations.

In contrast, IPTV technology is more advanced, user friendly, and incorporated with the higher speed digital subscriber line (DSL) access technologies, such as asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL2), ADSL2+ and very-high-data-rate digital subscriber line (VDSL). This certainly offers eye-catching revenue-generating opportunities for the telecom service providers. Therefore, IPTV allows the service providers to participate and to compete efficiently in the so-called "triple play" market space. It is important to note here that the service is very prompt and effective with the delivery of voice, data, and video services to customers who can be both residential and business related.