Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)

SUBMITTED BY :

NITHIN VINCENT SANJEEVMURUGANIDHIVENKATAKRISHNAN

IPTV

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a system through which Internet television services are delivered using the architecture and networking methods of the Internet Protocol Suite over a packet-switched network infrastructure.

The Internet and broadband Internet access networks, instead of being delivered through traditional radio frequency broadcast, satellite signal, and cable television (CATV) formats.

IPTV services may be classified into three main groups: Live television, with or without interactivity related to the current TV

show Time-shifted programming: 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 a catalog of videos, not related to TV programming

Previous years of IPTV

In year 1994, ABC's World News was the first television show to be broadcasted over the Internet.

Term IPTV first appeared in 1995 with the founding of Precept Software by Judith Estrin and Bill Carrico .

2006 - In INDIA IPTV was first introduced in MUMBAI

2008 – Both private and public telecommunications providers are exploring IPTV as a new revenue opportunity from their existing markets and as a defensive measure against encroachment from more conventional Cable Television services.

Leading iptv providers in India : BSNL MTNL Reliance Airtel Hathway.

(few of them launched the service already and a few of them are still in testing phase, and the rest of them haven't started the service yet.)

Why IPTV ?

In the coming years, IPTV is expected to grow at a brisk pace as broadband was available to more than 200 million households worldwide in the year 2010, projected to grow to 400 million by the year 2015.

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,

True interactive television. See anything you want to see, any time, any where, on any

device . Reduced infrastructure costs. IPTV works on your existing internet connection . Infinite number of channels .

Nations with IPTV’s

   Countries where IPTV is available in at least some parts of the country

Architecture of IPTV

ELEMENTS

1. TV Head-end: where live TV channels are encoded, encrypted and delivered in the form of IP multicast streams.

2. VOD platform: where on-demand video assets are stored and served when a user makes a request in the form of IP unicast stream.

3. Interactive portal: allows the user to navigate within the different IPTV services, such as the VOD catalog.

4. Delivery network: the packet switched network that carries IP packets (uni cast and multicast).

5. Home gateway: The piece of equipment at the user's home that terminates the access link from the delivery network.

6. User's set-top box: The piece of equipment at the user's home that decodes and decrypt TV and VOD content and displays it on the TV screen.

How IPTV’s work A telecommunications company IPTV service is usually delivered

over a investment heavy walled garden network, which is carefully engineered to ensure bandwidth efficient delivery of vast amounts of multicast video traffic.

The higher network quality also enables easy delivery of high quality SD or HD TV content to subscribers’ homes.

Broadcast IPTV has two major architecture forms: free and fee based. As of June 2006, there are over 1,300 free IPTV sources available. This sector is growing rapidly and major television broadcasters worldwide are transmitting their broadcast signal over the Internet.

These free IPTV sources require only an Internet connection and an Internet enabled device such as a personal computer, HDTV connected to a computer or even a 3G cell/mobile phone to watch the IPTV content.

How IPTV’s work IPTV uses standard networking protocols, it promises lower costs

for operators and lower prices for users. Using set-top-boxes with broadband Internet connections, video can be streamed to households more efficiently than current coaxial cable. 

IPTV uses a two-way digital broadcast signal sent through a switched telephone or cable network by way of a broadband connection and a set-top-box programmed with software that can handle viewer requests to access to many available media sources.

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.

How IPTV’s work Both via – Internet cables and Satellite

Internet cables:

Operators had to upgrade the cable network so that signals could flow in both directions

Operators assign a spectrum of signal frequencies to the cable network

One spectrum is used for the signals that move from the Head-End towards the cable subscriber

Another spectrum of signal frequencies are used for the signals that move from the cable subscriber towards the Head-End

How IPTV’s workSatellite : IPTV networks that deliver the highest levels of performance and reliability.

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.

Live broadcasts : It's like watching live TV on your computer screen. You can't pause, back up

or skip through parts of the broadcast that don't interest you.

On-demand videos: Arranged like a playlist. Episodes or clips are arranged by title or channel or

in categories like news, sports or music videos. You choose exactly what you want to watch, when you want to watch it.

1. A server holds video data.

2. When you want to watch a video, (click options).This sends a message to the server, telling it that you want to watch a certain video.

3. The server responds by sending you the necessary data. It uses streaming media protocols to make sure the data arrives in good condition and with all the pieces in the right order.

Architecture of a Video Server Network

Depending on the network architecture of the service provider, there are two main types of video server architectures that can be considered for IPTV deployment, CENTRALIZED, and DISTRIBUTED.

The CENTRALIZED ARCHITECTURE MODEL is a relatively simple and easy to manage solution. For example, as all contents are stored in centralized servers, it does not require a comprehensive content distribution system.

Centralized 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).

The DISTRIBUTED ARCHITECTURE is just as scalable as the centralized 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.

Home Networks for IPTV Distribution

The Residential Gateway that provides connectivity through the Broadband Access network with IPTV Set-Top Box.

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 straigthforward.

PROTOCOLS

Live IPTV uses IGMP version 2or IGMP version 3for IPv4 for connecting to a multicast stream (TV channel) and for changing from one multicast stream to another (TV channel change).

VOD uses UDP or RTP protocols for channel streams and control is done using the control protocol RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol).

NPVR (network personal video recorder), like VOD, uses UDP or RTP for IPTV streams, and the RTSP control protocol for end-user control communications.

Hybrid IPTV

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 consumers to access a range of advanced interactive services, such as VOD and catch-up TV, as well as Internet applications, including video telephony , surveillance, gaming, shopping, e-government accessed via a television set.

ADVANTAGES

The IP-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 economics of IPTVThe 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 Mb/s to 100 Mb/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.

ADVANTAGESInteractivity

An IP-based platform also allows significant opportunities to make the TV viewing experience more interactive and personalized. The supplier may, for example, include an interactive program 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 program they’re watching. Viewers may be able to look up a player’s stats while watching a sports game, or control the camera angle.

Video-on-demand

IPTV technology is bringing Video-on-demand(VoD) to television which permits a customer to browse an online program or film catalog, to watch trailers and to then select a selected recording. The play out of the selected item starts nearly instantaneously on the customer's TV or PC.

IPTV-based converged services Another advantage of an IP-based network is the

opportunity for integration and convergence.  One good example is On-Screen Caller ID, getting Caller

ID on your TV and the ability to handle it.

LIMITATIONS

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/bandwidth available for a large IPTV customer base can reduce the service quality delivered.

Latency

The latency inherent in the use of satellite Internet is often held up as reason why satellites cannot be successfully used for IPTV, but in practice latency is not an important factor for IPTV. An IPTV service does not require real-time transmission, as is the case with telephony or videoconferencing services.

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 .

IPTV TARIFF : BSNL

Sl .no

Description Rates (Rs)

01 Installation and activation charge (One time) Non refundable along with 1st bill

600

02 Security deposit for SED will be charged in 1 St bill

1500

03 Fixed monthly charge for SED (per Month) 100

04 IPTV basic charge per month 150

05 Monthly modem Rent 90

06 Modem Purchase(One time payment) 600

IPTV SERVICES CAN BE OBTAINED WITH A MIN. COST OF 250 RUPEES

IPTV TARIFF : BSNL

VOD (VIDEO ON DEMAND) TARIFF: BSNL

For Normal channels10/-Rs

For Semi Normal 25/-

For Premium 80/-

For Hollywood On actual basis as decided by the Content Provider.

***VOD (Video on Demand) Tariff: Free

2o % discount for IPTV users

IPTV customer will be eligible for getting 30 movies downloading free per annum (maximum 5 movies free in a month) in addition to the discount already given to them.

Evaluation of IPTV in India

Ex–ante evaluation of IPTV Conducted before the implementation of a

project as part of the planning Also referred to as appraisal or quality at

entryFINDING: It was welcomed by all user, as INDIA is a

developing nation. Quality and reliability where appreciated. Reduced infra-structure cost .

Ex-post evaluation of IPTV Conducted after the project is completed Used to assess sustainability of project

effects, impacts Identifies factors of success to inform

other projects.FINDINGS : IPTV is sensitive to packet loss and

delays if the streamed data is unreliable. .

Users did not proper information .

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN IPTV Number of IPTV subscribers worldwide will double over the

next five years to exceed 70mn by the end of 2015, compared to 36.5mn at the end of 201The 0, according to a new report from IMS Research 

Most of the leading operators that have started launching IPTV services have yet to complete launches in their top cities.

India offers huge potential for IPTV, considering the appetite of the TV viewers in the country. More than 70 million homes have cable and satellite (C&S) TV and 13 million homes are connected through DTH. DTB homes are growing, as around 1 million homes are switching to DTH every quarter. More than 120 million households in India have TV sets.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN IPTV Despite the aggressive marketing plans of leading telecom operators such as MTNL, BSNL and Bharti Airtel, the number of IPTV subscribers has not crossed 100,000 in India.

IPTV's potential is huge. It not only offers entertainment, but also provides Internet data services, telephony, e-government and video streaming. IPTV provides a number of advantages over cable or direct-to-home services, and provides a wholly new consumer experience. It bundles three services - data, video-on-demand and voice - and can be far more interactive and personalized than other forms of television.

Bharti Airtel was one of the aggressive operators to launch IPTV with much hype. The company is still betting big on broadband and IPTV. But its user-base is yet to grow

Airtel tried to leverage the advanced MPEG4-10 compression technology to ensure more content and better quality images as well as services like live broadcast television, network based time-shifted TV and real video-on-demand among others.

When a comparison is made between IPTV and DTH definitely the facilities in IPTV is much more than DTH. However when cost comes into play IPTV is costlier than DTH. So the selection between these 2 depends upon an individual requirement and his affordability the service.

THANK YOU