Matthew Midura’s Blog

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) - A Technology Brief

Although the full potential of this technology has yet to be realized, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) has begun to foreshadow a convergence of broadcast, internet, and telephone technologies that could mark a new era in communications for consumers, educators, and companies alike. The proliferation of broadband internet connectivity combined with enhancements in video compression technology has created quite a bit of buzz surrounding the concept of IPTV. Many telephone companies have begun to explore this emerging technology as a new way to break into the home entertainment industry and compete with cable, satellite, and local broadcast stations.

What is IPTV?

There is quite a bit of confusion about the nature of Internet Protocol Television. It is commonly mistaken for the technology that delivers streaming video via the Web. Although the technologies are similar, IPTV has potential to “broadcast” higher quality video than existing TV signals. IPTV refers to the delivery of digital television and other audio and video services over broadband data networks using the same basic protocols that support the internet” (IPTV, 2005). The IPTV technology distributes information using a secure IP network of computers.

IPTV functions very similarly to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). The chief difference being that IPTV carries a TV signal as opposed to voice. It converts a television signal into small packets of computer data that make it easier to integrate the various services on a TV equipped with an IPTV set-top box or networked computer. Furthermore, the technology utilizes significantly less bandwidth than conventional broadcast and cable technologies.

One of the most prominent changes on the horizon for the television industry is the fact that the IPTV platform itself enables two-way (interactive) communication as opposed to the standard one-way (passive) communication in the past.

The end result for the consumer is a completely customized and interactive viewing experience. The viewer will have control over how many and which channels are received in the home or classroom. Viewers will also have access to a multitude of video on demand services (VoD) as well as channel subscriptions. The functions that many people commonly associate with an internet enabled pc will now be available on their television. Viewers will be able access email and voicemail, and share their personal media in real time with friends and family. The IPTV systems will enable interactive programming where the viewer will be able to explore additional materials on the Web while a program is playing. For example, when watching a sporting event, the viewer will be able access additional player stats, team schedules, as well as possibly view the game from multiple camera angles.

The IPTV Market: A Timeline for “Crossing the Chasm”

As of June 2005, the IPTV technology has not crossed the chasm. Although this technology platform has established a niche market, it has not transitioned from the early market to the mainstream market in the US . Internationally, the technology continues to gain ground. IPTV is certainly positioned to make the leap in the future. Many hypothesize that this big leap will come within thin the next 5-7 years as the telecommunications giants transition from copper to fiber. (Rose, 2004). Until this happens, IPTV will not cross the chasm. It is interesting to note that because this is a potential major platform change, the telephone and software corporations are well ahead of the consumer demand. There have been significant financial investments made by major players in both the technology and telecommunications industries. Microsoft has already signed on a number of telecommunications companies for its IPTV software, including Alcatel, SBC Communications, BellSouth and Telecom Italia (LaMonica, 2005). The local telecommunications companies are spending billions of dollars upgrading their networks to faster fiber lines. SBC will spend $4 billion running fiber from their data offices to neighborhood “nodes,” Verizon Communications is trying to stretch fiber lines directly into homes, and BellSouth is trying to expand the number of neighborhoods receiving fiber (Hu, 2005). It is clear that technology is poised to cross the chasm as the telephone companies go through the biggest network makeover in their histories to offer a “t riple-play package of services–including voice, video and high speed data” to consumers (Reardon, 2005).

IPTV in Education

Aside from revolutionizing the television broadcast industry as we know it, IPTV will have direct application in an educational environment. In fact, several forms of IPTV have existed within many K-12 and higher education institutions since the late 1990s. Because of the closed IP network infrastructure of IPTV, many institutions have utilized forms of IPTV to create, distribute and share classroom materials.

IPTV has and will continue to open the doors of possibilities as the technology has a multitude of practical applications within the classroom. IPTV offers on-demand learning content, distance learning/virtual classroom environments, as well as event broadcasting. Consortiums of IPTV networked institutions have formed through initiatives like Internet2 and International Society for Technology in Education (ITSE), with the goal of developing and integrating innovative methods of incorporating video within the classroom.

As IPTV makes its leap to the mainstream acceptance, IPTV will see significant growth in the educational market. When consumers begin to acquire access to this technology, the content providers will begin to expand their offerings in interactive programming. As the content begins to become available to the consumer, a new program licensing model will inevitably develop, enabling school systems and institutions to subscribe and build their own curriculum based on the offerings from media outlets like PBS, Discovery, and TLC. There is potential for this video on demand functionality to be fully integrated into learning objects for use in both traditional and virtual learning environments.

Reflection – Where’s the innovation?

When IPTV officially makes its leap across the chasm, we will see a level of innovation in broadcasting that rivals the change from black and white to color. The way in which television content is produced, distributed, accessed, and viewed will change.

The change itself does not indicate the true innovation. The real sense of innovation will emerge when we see how the content providers rethink their subject matter. The medium has potential to evolve from a one-way passive platform to a rich two-way interactive experience.

The implications of IPTV in the classroom setting are significant. As many schools and institutions have already begun to explore some of the opportunities and limitations of this technology as it exists today, we can expect that these groups may have a leg up in the integration process. Look for the innovation to occur more rapidly in this arena.

Citations

Hu, J (2005). “BellSouth begins Microsoft IPTV trials”, CNET News, 6 January 2005, Available http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-5515950.html

“IPTV Report - IPTV”, Informativ/Lovelacemedia, 2005, Available
http://iptv-report.com/iptv/

LaMonica, M (2005). “Microsoft signs on Alcatel for IPTV”, CNET News, 22 February 2005, Available http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-5585476.html

Reardon, M. (2005). “Newly adopted standard means bandwidth boost for IPTV offerings”, CNET News, 3 June 2005, Available http://news.zdnet.com/2100-6005_22-5731363.html

Rose, F (2004). “The End of TV as We Know It”, Wired Magazine, December 2004, Available http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.12/start.html?pg=7

References

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“IPTV”, Wikipedia, Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPTV#Advantages

IPTV News, Available http://www.iptv-news.com/

“IPTV: Television on Demand”, Bona Fide Reviews, 12 May 2005, Available
http://www.bonafidereviews.com/article.php?id=67

Meyerson, B (2005). “Interactive TV poised for a rollout”, Associated Press, 14 February 2005, Available http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2005-02-14-iptv-ready-to-roll_x.htm

“The Real Meaning Of IPTV”, BusinessWeek Online, 20 May 2005, Available
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2005/tc20050520_4620.htm

“What is Internet protocol television?” Webopedia Computer Dictionary, 28 February 2005, Available http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/Internet_protocol_television.html

“What is IPTV?”, Advanced Media Strategies, 2005, Available
http://www.tvstrategies.com/iptv.htm

“What is…IPTV?”, Strategic Content Management, 28 Oct 2003, Available
http://assetmanagement.broadcastengineering.com/ar/broadcasting_iptv/

“What is IPTV? Broadcast TV over an Ethernet Network”, Tripleplay Services, Available http://www.tripleplay-services.com/pdf_files/iptv_brochure.pdf#search=’What%20is%20IPTV ‘