What Is IPTV And Does It Differ From OTT?

IPTV or internet based protocol television is the new generation of television viewing as it can offer regular television channels through the internet. One does not require the conventional cable connection or D2H dish anymore to view their favorite shows. The usual internet connection, whether it be wifi or broadband, can serve the purpose effectively now.

IPTV streaming requires adequate internet connectivity and a set-top box, usually provided by the service provider itself. Presently the demand for iptv is increasing, and people also like the various facilities it has to offer, which are mentioned later in the article.

But IPTV is also different from OTT platforms; OTT platforms usually need to be downloaded on the device. They use internet services to stream the content available in their directory. Although OTT apps can also offer TV channels, this is not the primary purpose of these platforms, unlike IPTV setup.

Does IPTV Also Have A Timely Subscription As A Cable Connection?

Yes, IPTV also comes with subscription plans, and different service providers could have other channels or viewing the content in the form of programs to be subscribed to. Generally, IPTV setups offer all traditional TV channels, and besides that, you also get a Video-on-demand facility. There could be monthly plans, yearly plans, etc just like cable connections. The most attractive feature is pay-per-view, in which no advance plan needs to be subscribed, but you can pay for the content when you watch.

IPTV subscription plans could also provide you the facility of choosing the only programs or channels that you wish to watch and pay accordingly. But there are loads of unnecessary tracks in a cable connection that a person generally does not care about.

What Is A Video-On-Demand Service Related To IPTV?

 If you are unaware of Video-on-demand or VOD, it is a service through which one can request any particular content to be delivered on their systems, like any movie or show.VOD service might cost you some extra money, but it is worth it as you can watch anything as per your mood. IPTV content does not require any downloading, but rather, it is directly streamed through the internet foam, a central unit where the content is stored for delivery.

There are numerous other services like VOD that an IPTV connection has to serve, like Time-shifted content, which lets subscribers watch any live event that they might have missed. Or TVoD, which means TV-on-demand provides recorded TV channels to subscribers to view later as per convenience.

Satellite-Based Transmission For Fast And Reliable Distribution

Although the IPTV streaming setup works fine with the usual internet connection in many parts, it cannot sometimes provide a fast and robust broadband connection. This is common in rural regions or countryside households. Hence, to provide services to such places, satellite transmission is used. Like a D2H dish, which also uses satellite transmission, IPTV also works similarly. In many cases, it gives faster streaming than broadband connection because satellite communication itself is quick and focused.

Hybrid IPTV set-top boxes are a newcomer in the market. Along with TV channels and VOD service, they also offer other facilities such as video-telephony, e-shopping, remote surveillance, etc. Such setups have advantages over others as the integrated television and IP based services are provided over the same connection. Another advantage includes multi-TV link by one reference only.

Are Iptvs Economically Healthy For The Community?

Firstly, choosing IPTV saves the connection cost, including the cost of cable required or the Dish setup, which is an expensive piece of technology. On the other hand, IPTV streaming only requires a fast internet connection, which comes way cheaper than having a dish connection. Opting for a higher bandwidth plan over your regular internet plan is not that expensive.

Highly Interactive TV Watching Experience

A regular cable TV connection includes a basic TV remote, which offers a limited number of options and very few interaction options with the set-top box. But an IPTV system can provide multiple interaction options with your TV, like searching content with keywords or genre or other similar facilities. Other features include recording, ad-free viewing, gaming, categorizing channels into groups, adding shows to favorites, and much more.

Key Points Which Are Bottleneck To The IPTV Services

First, using wireless internet services for IPTV is not a good option as there are very limitations like irregular signal strength and unreliable packet delivery in wireless connectivity. Even if you are connected to a wired connection, still due to divided usage of the internet by many devices, the streaming is not smooth. It often notices buffering during the streaming when the bandwidth is low.

Also, not everyone owns broadband or fixed internet connection in many countries, particularly in Asia, and people in such nations prefer mobile internet connections that can not serve the IPTV stream’s necessities.

Those who opt for satellite-based iptv; face the latency issue as satellite transmission takes some processing time, services like VoIP or surveillance, etc., might not be conducted in time. Hence, this latency can sometimes affect seriously. 

Vendors of this service are also available in limited numbers, and even many of them do not have satellite based services to provide. They require you to have an already running internet connection. Also, cable connection gives IPTV a competition by reduced prices, and on the other hand, OTT platforms are also gathering popularity by providing multiple benefits to the users.

Final Views On IPTV Streaming Technology

If a person is a constant TV viewer who wants to experience VOD, then IPTV streaming is a good option.

If you have a good internet connection and looking for an alternative before getting a cable connection, then IPTV can fit the situation.

If one’s TV watching is not satisfied by OTT platforms, then IPTV can most probably fulfill the responsibility.

We mean to say that if you already have a cable connection, it will not be quite economical for you to shift to iptv. But it can serve the purpose by pay-per-view facility.