Internet Protocol Televisions or IPTV for short is a method of delivering media content to your TV over the Internet, as opposed to the traditional cable, satellite, or radio signals. This technology uses your Internet signal to deliver content to your television by using the content delivery system, also known as a set-top box. In this article, you will be able to read about the types of IPTV, as well as how does IPTV work. Let’s take a look:
What are the Types of IPTV?
There are three types of IPTV and they include:
- Video-on-Demand aka VoD – this service relies on your Internet connection to deliver the media whenever you want to watch it. This can include TV shows, movies, or other content that you might get with your package. This type allows you to start, stop, and continue the video whenever you want.
- Timeshift – this type includes ant live streams and re-stream them to match the time zones around the world. It can replay content that was broadcast hours or days ago. It also has features like catch-up TV, start-over, and pause TV.
- Live Television – this type is the television content that s broadcast in real-time. Basically, it is the usual thing that includes various TV channels, morning shows, sports programs, awards shows, news, and so on.
How Does IPTV Work?
Img source: nydailynews.com
In order for you to understand how IPTV works, you will first need to learn how it does not work. With traditional television, the channels are broadcast as radio waves that are beamed through the air and are captured by an antenna that is probably on your rooftop. Then, the antenna converts the waves into electrical signals that can be read by your TV set. While cable is a little bit different than this, the concept is still the same. However, Internet protocol television does things quite differently. In the text below, you can see the steps that IPTV requires:
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Storage
According to experts from iptvpoint, one of the most important aspects of IPTV is storage. While live programs are shown to users as they happen, the programs that are prerecorded need to be stored until they are sent to the users.
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Preparation
With Internet protocol television, there are specific steps that need to be taken before the program is delivered to you. First, the program needs to be converted into a digital format that can be delivered by the Internet. After it is confirmed that the program is in digital forms, it needs to be compressed. Compression is one of the best ways to deliver programs since it makes sure that the program can be streamed smoothly without it buffering constantly.
Img source: splendidcomms.com
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Streaming
When you stream something, it means that you are pulling information from one place to another. Servers are the main reason that streaming over the Internet is possible, and the IPTV network is mostly built around these machines. Hence, while your PC is receiving the information it needs, it is able to do it because the servers are providing the information.
Conclusion
I hope that this article helped you to understand what IPTV is, how it works, and what types of IPTV are available for you. Hence, if you are still not using IPTV, you should start searching for an IPTV provider and see how you can benefit from it.
