Technology Behind IPTV

IPTV stands for “internet protocol television.” The IP on the IPTV is the same as your IP address. All this means that television programming is being communicated by using the internet. To understand what all that means, you need to know how regular TV works. With satellite TV or cable, broadcasters send out their signal to its viewers and you are only able to watch what you are being broadcasted. And unless you have some sort of a recording device, you do not get to dictate or even keep what is on the TV. You can only tune in when you can and watch what is available at the moment. IPTV works completely different. Instead of transmitting content through light pulses through radio waves from a satellite or fiber optic cable, IPTV sends movies and TV shows through your regular internet connection. Instead of broadcasting specific shows on a schedule, IPTV uses VOD or video on demand. There is a lot of complicated technology and explanations behind all this, but what is important is that you do not have to watch what is being broadcast. You can choose what to watch at any time, instantly.

Img source: mattressadvisor.com

Since most older TVs are not equipped for IPTV, you may need a set-top box which translates everything you receive through the internet and transform it to data that your TV can read. On the other hand, your computer does not need anything else except for the internet connection to watch IPTV.

Hybrid IPTV

Many TV providers now have a hybrid approach to IPTV to solve some of the problems with fully IP-enabled broadcasts. IPTV needs a great deal of internet bandwidth to transmit all that data at high speeds. Hybrid IPTV combines IP-based services with traditional TV ones. The biggest selling point for most people is that this service is all delivered through a single box. If you are looking for IPTV services with lots of movies and TV series check out IPTVPoint

How does IPTV work?

There are three different IPTV options.

Video on demand

Video-on-demand streaming is exactly what it sounds like. You get a video whenever you want to watch it and demand it. Most streaming sites are VOD providers. There is no time limit on what you can watch. You tell your IPTV service what you want to watch and they send it to you immediately through the internet.

Time-shifted media

Img source: sites.psu.edu

If you have watched catch-up TV, then you are familiar with this type of IPTV. Many broadcast networks allow users to watch shows they have missed previously. The important difference between video on demand and time-shifted media is that the content that is being shared has a limited shelf life. You can’t go back and watch episodes of that that aired several years ago.

Live IPTV

Just like broadcast TV, you can also watch shows live on IPTV. Many people watch most sporting events this way. It is easy to stream a sports event on your phone while you are on the go. Live IPTV is pretty much the same thing as regular broadcast television with the exception that IPTV is broadcasted over the internet instead of a cable.