There was a time when we used chunky antenna to connect our TV to the satellite. Now things have changed. There are more ways to watch programs on your TV. IPTV is a form of video streaming service which is becoming incredibly popular.
The full form of IPTV is internet protocol television. IPTV means that television programming is done through internet protocol. Unlike the traditional form of TV that uses light pulses in fiber-optic cable or radio waves from a satellite, to stream a content, IPTV sends shows and movies through your standard internet connection.
TVs need set top boxes for streaming the content. In case of IPTV also, TVs need set top boxes because set top boxes translate what you receive over your internet connection into a format that the TV can read. Many service providers are now providing Hybrid IPTV. It combines traditional TV services with IP-based ones, so the TV has the property of both a traditional TV and IPTV.
IPTV has three different formats, VOD, Time shifted media and Live IPTV. VOD stands for Video on Demand and it is exactly as it sounds. You can watch video whenever you want it, for however long you want it. Netflix and Hulu are examples of VOD.
Time Shifted Media is similar to VOD. But content shared on Time shifted Media basis has a limited shelf life. BBC’s iPlayer is an example of time shifted media. Live IPTV is very much similar to traditional TV. However, events or shows are streamed with the help of internet here. FOX Sports Go, CBS Sports HQ, Hulu Live TV, and Sling TV all are examples of Live IPTV.
IPTV is the future of video streaming. More and more people are subscribing to video streaming services, over traditional satellite TV services.
