subject: Iptv - 10 Great Reasons Why You Should Love It! [print this page] Is IPTV technology really worthy of all the hype, is it here to stay or will it slip quietly out of our consciousness?
Below are 10 important facts and advantages about IPTV. Hopefully this information will help you decide whether or not you are ready to embrace IPTV.
1. Internet protocol television or IPTV, is an increasingly popular technology for the transportation of data information and Audio and Video (AV), across an IP based digital network. This could include Ethernet, WAN, LAN or internet. Add a set top box (STB) to the equation and AV sources can be streamed across existing networks to PCs or TVs. IPTV can be one to one (Unicast) or one to many (Multicast).
2. According to recent research findings, at present 15.5 million people subscribe to IPTV services, 8.4 million of these subscribers are based in Europe.
3. AV sources can be streamed across existing networks to PCs or TVs with the addition of set top boxes (STB).
4. Every program can be retrieved later from the IPTV network due to its storage facility.
5. Allfree-viewchannels are delivered without SAT or Terrestrial receivers.
6. Films, local content and sport can be added for that all important extra revenue in hotels, or offered free of charge to a student campus.
7. It has been predicted that compared to the present 3.3 million subscribers in the US now, there will be around 12.7 million IPTV users by 2012.
8. Crucially IPTV systems avoidinterruptionof critical networks by the utilisation of a separate video LAN.
9. IPTV based networks are practically immune to noise, ghosting, harmonics, reflections, cross modulation etc - problems that are all common in analogue systems. Digital transmission across the coaxial networks mean that some of these problems have been resolved, however, these still suffer from some of the above.
10. Unavoidably, due to the high bandwidth requirements of digital video IPTV technology requires broadband Internet connectivity. Theoretically, connecting to this high speed Internet would permit IPTV users far greater control over their television programming and the excellent ability to customize it to their individual preferences.
A Clever Use of IPTV Technology
An excellent example of how IPTV technology is being used in an increasingly ingenious number of ways, is with a luxurious, IP enabled bathroom television. These televisions are at the cutting edge of bathroom luxury, allowing viewers to safely watch TV whilst relaxing in a bath full of bubbles, or even taking a shower.
These products offer an efficient and simple solution to the increasing number of hotels worldwide who are embracing the installation of digital IPTV networks across their properties. No longer will they have to hide an STB in the void behind the bathroom or shower wall and run a separate IR receiver, but instead simply feed an Ethernet cable into the back of the screen to deliver TV, Radio, VOD and other services which the hotel wishes to offer.
