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No sooner did we upgrade to HD TV than a new technology hit the market. Internet-ready HD TVs are the latest thing and by the looks of things, they are here to stay. In the United States, Internet TV is already threatening the cable TV giants and projected growth figures worldwide indicate the trend is accelerating. In Australia, advertisers are increasingly turning to internet TV, with a projected growth of nearly 500% by 2016. With everyone from television manufacturers to cable television to internet service providers getting in on the act, it looks like they are here to stay. What is Internet TV? Do you need to buy an internet-ready TV in order to take advantage of it? Do you need to pay for expensive subscriptions in order to use it? Here's everything you need to know about Internet TV: |
Technically, internet TV is called Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and sometimes TVoIP (Television over the Internet Protocol). Originally developed as an alternative to cable television, it has evolved to become something far more inclusive and interactive.
The Difference Between IPTV and Cable TV
Basically, the only significant difference between cable television and the newer Internet Protocol TV is the transmission medium. Cable television requires a cable connection and subscription service to work, while IPTV requires an internet connection, either broadband or WiFi. Each requires a different set-top box.
Behind the scenes, a battle is being waged between the giant cable services like Foxtel and internet service providers such as Telstra and the winner seems to be IPTV, with Foxtel and other cable companies both in Australia and abroad scrambling to provide their services via the internet in an effort to compete with what is fast becoming the consumer's first choice.
Some of the services both cable and IPTV services offer include:
- Free to air programming channels
- Subscription TV channels
- Pay per View and Video on Demand rentals
- Limited numbers of free movies
- News and sports channels
- Weather services
- Music channels
What IPTV offers that cable television does not provide is direct access to popular websites and apps. Some of these include:
- YouTube and other streaming video services
- Social media such as Facebook and Twitter
- Online gaming portals
- "Catch-up" TV services from television networks store regularly scheduled programs for later viewing.
Another acronym used to define IPTV is Over the Top TV (OTTV), because the internet is added "over the top" of traditional television networking. Newer internet-ready TVs and set-box boxes include features that allow users to connect to internet sites as they watch their favourite TV show. Instead of having to decide between tweeting on Twitter or watching TV, you can now do both at the same time.
Catch-Up TV in Australia
Catch-up TV is an exclusive feature of internet TV that allows you to watch your favourite programs when you want to. This is a free service, but most networks only offer a limited number of their most popular programs in their catch-up service. Some networks call it by a different name (such as network 7's "Plus 7" and 9's "FixPlay"), but basically they are all the same. So far, ABC's "iView" service is the largest and most comprehensive of these services in Australia. |
