What Is IPTV and How It Works ?— Everything You Need to Know

For the last few years, Traditional television has been in decline. Now due to technological development and The widespread of the internet has made everything more accessible, including TV. Nowadays, you can watch your favorite shows and movies at will, thanks to internet protocol television (IPTV). Considering that convenience is the number-one consumer need in today’s fast-paced world, IPTV has quickly conquered the market due to its superior user experience.
But what is IPTV exactly? How does it work? Is it all positives and no negatives? These are just some of the questions we’re going to answer in this article.

Let’s start with the basics.

IPTV stands for internet protocol television and entails users receiving television programs over the internet instead of antennas, satellite dishes, or fiber-optic cables. In other words, IPTV streams video content directly over the internet.

Although IPTV content delivery is different from that of online video platforms like YouTube or OTT services like Netflix, it does share many of their conveniences. For instance, IPTV allows users to access video on demand (VOD) content on a subscription-based model and watch live broadcasts. That gives viewers the freedom of accessing their favorite shows at will while still having the option of enjoying live events and programs like on traditional TV. 

This flexibility is why IPTV outshines traditional television and is considered the future of TV.

How Does IPTV Work?

Traditional TV sends analog signals directly to users via cables, who can only access the currently broadcasted content. In these cases, users can only control when or what they view via external recording devices.

How IPTV works vary significantly. Unlike traditional TV which can only broadcast content in real-time, IPTV has servers it stores content on. That gives users the freedom to request to view programs at will. After a user selects a show they’d like to watch, that content will be converted into digital format and delivered in packets to their playback device via the internet protocol. The files transferred will be compressed and optimized for streaming before they reach the end-users.

But for all the above to be possible, your TV must be able to read the signals received over the internet protocol. Unfortunately, not all TVs can set up an IPTV service right off the bat since most can’t read the signals received without external help. If you have a TV set that isn’t IPTV compatible, you will have to buy an IPTV set-top box.

What Is an IPTV Box?

An IPTV box or a set-top box is a device used to convert streaming signals received via the internet protocol into a format that a TV can read and reproduce. In other words, set-top boxes translate the language of the internet protocol. These boxes are often connected to the TV via HDMI or AV cables, or even through Wi-Fi connection for newer models. 

If you choose to stream IPTV from your computer, though, you won’t need a set-top box as PCs can already read the data received through the internet protocol. Those who’d like to save on a set-top box but still enjoy watching IPTV on their television screens can mirror their PC screens on the TV and watch from there.

Types of IPTV Formats :

As we have already mentioned, IPTV offers many additional services and video formats beyond just watching traditional television broadcasts. There are three primary content formats most IPTV services offer:

• Live TV —  Live IPTV allows users to live stream television broadcasts in real-time, similar to traditional TV. Live TV most often serves to broadcast live events like sports events, conferences, etc.
• Video on Demand (VOD) — VOD IPTV services work the same way as with most OTT providers — you pay a subscription fee and, in return, have access to a large library of videos you can request to watch at will.
• Time-Shifted TV — This service is also known as “catch-up TV” and allows users to watch previously broadcasted TV shows at a later date. There is one significant difference between time-shifted TV and VOD, though. Time-shifted TV gives users the option of rewatching old content only for a limited time. Most often, broadcasts will be available for a few days before disappearing. Anything older than that would be considered a VOD. 

With being able to choose between watching live broadcasts, revisiting the shows they’ve missed, and enjoying on-demand content, it’s evident that IPTV offers superior options and user experience to its traditional counterpart. 

Now let’s take a quick look at all the benefits and downsides of IPTV. 

Pros and Cons of IPTV

Although IPTV offers incredible flexibility and UX, there’s much more to it than just that. It’s also vital to look at both sides of the coin here, as IPTV isn’t perfect either. Here are some of the most notable pros and cons of IPTV:

Pros:

• Easy to Set Up and Use — All you need to get started is buy a set-top box and connect it to your TV set. Also, the Wi-Fi connectivity that newer models have makes the process significantly easier.
• It Is 100% Digital — The world is becoming more digital-oriented by the day, so transitioning to digital TV is an excellent foundation for the future and new tech.
• IPTV Allows Smooth Simultaneous Streaming of Multiple Programs — IPTV services let users stream multiple programs simultaneously on different devices (TV, PC, Mobile, etc.).
• Variety of Service Types — The multiple types of services IPTV offers exist to fit different consumer tastes.
• Allows Users a Commercial-Free Experience — Many people hate advertisements, so being able to skip or fast-forward them is an excellent quality-of-life improvement.
• Incredibly Time-Efficient — The lack of having to wait for specific times for your broadcast to start and skippable commercials is why IPTV’s so appealing to users worldwide.

Cons:

• Network Overloads May Cause Technical Issues — If too many users happen to watch a specific show simultaneously, the network may overload and cause buffering or playback issues.
• Users Have Little to No Control Over Channel-Related Issues — If an error occurs on a channel’s end, there’s little to nothing viewers can do to fix the issue but wait.
• Synchronization Problems Are Commonplace – Due to natural fluctuations in network speed and quality, viewers may experience synchronization problems. If these occur, they deal a massive blow to the quality of user experience.

As you can see, IPTV isn’t omnipotent but has a few downsides to traditional TV. But since technology keeps developing rapidly, we wouldn’t be surprised these few issues get dealt with sooner than later. Besides, the UX improvements IPTV brings to the table far outweigh these potential problems, wouldn’t you agree?

Is IPTV the Future of TV?

IPTV’s future is challenging to gauge, but we have enough data to make a pretty educated guess. 

People have less time to dedicate to watching TV nowadays, and the demand for customized content is at an all-time high. That is why having the flexibility that IPTV offers are becoming essential in today’s world. And since online video platforms offering on-demand content have never been bigger, the TV industry has to find a way to compete with them. Luckily, IPTV proved to be the perfect solution! 

Don’t believe us? Let’s talk some numbers!

The demand for IPTV services is rising globally by 30%–35% yearly. The estimated IPTV market value further supports that increase. According to Mordor Intelligence, the IPTV market was worth $40.85 billion in 2019 alone, and it’s only expected to grow. By 2025, experts estimate that number might reach as high as $104 billion!

When you couple the above with the fact that traditional broadcasting companies are witnessing a growing number of competitors in the forms of OTT platforms like Netflix and Hulu, it’s abundantly clear that they need to find a way to stay relevant on the market. And IPTV proved to be that way!

So what lies in the future of IPTV? We believe that nothing is certain in the increasingly competitive online video broadcasting industry, but the chances are that it will only keep growing. After all, the only way for traditional TV to survive the dawn of the digital era is to embrace it and find a way to adapt accordingly. 

IPTV might be just the right solution!