The question that we have all asked ourselves when we began to know this technology; What is IPTV ?. If you’re not part of the media landscape, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of IPTV. But you’ve probably been using it for years without realizing it, and you’ll likely be using it a lot more in the near future.

TV over IP services are growing rapidly, with new providers and services appearing at the same time as traditional TV providers.

But what is IPTV? What does IPTV mean? How does it work? And how can you use it to improve your TV viewing experience?

We have the answers to the main questions that we all ask ourselves when we show interest in this technology.

Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is TV over IP?

IPTV stands for “Internet Protocol Television” for its acronym in English. The “IP” in IPTV is the same as your IP or VoIP (Voice over IP) address. All it means is that television programming is communicated using the Internet protocol.

To understand what that means, you need to know a little about how non-IPTV television or traditional television works. With cable or satellite TV, stations send signals and viewers receive them, you can only see what is being broadcast. Just tune in when you can and see what’s available.

IPTV is different. Instead of transmitting content via pulses of light on a fiber optic cable or radio waves from a satellite, programs and movies are sent over your standard Internet connection. (You may be using a cable or satellite Internet connection, but these are separate from the ones that typically carry your TV signals.)

Rather than broadcasting a variety of programs at a specific time, most IPTV providers use video on demand (VOD) or time-shifting media; We will discuss this concept a little later.

There’s a complicated network architecture behind all of this that makes it work, including a lot of transcoding from traditional signals to IP-compliant signals. But the important thing is that you don’t have to watch what is being broadcast. You can ask us what you want to see and we will send it to you right away.

If you’ve used a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu, it’s the same idea, but with TV instead of just movies or series.

Do I need a cable box to watch IPTV?

It is not necessary, most of today’s smart TVs have applications to enjoy the content offered by IPTV providers. There is a great variety of applications that allow configuring the m3u lists [Link to m3u lists] acquired in IPTV subscriptions. Enter the following article to know which are the best applications [Link to mobile app articles] for IPTV services.

Your computer, on the other hand, doesn’t need anything to watch IPTV. Once you subscribe to a provider, you can use it to broadcast whatever you want in any of the IPTV formats which we will explain below.

There are also devices that can be connected to those televisions that are not Smart TV which allow IPTV to be transmitted. Some of these devices are, for example, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, AppleTv and TV Box Andorid among others [Link to Shop]. So if you can cast your screen on your TV, you can watch IPTV without a cable box.

Hybrid IPTV

Many TV providers are now taking a hybrid approach to IPTV to solve some of the problems with fully IP-enabled broadcasts. IPTV requires a large amount of bandwidth to transmit a ton of data at high speed.

Hybrid IPTV combines traditional TV services with IP-based services. The biggest selling point is that everything is delivered through a single box. This allows TV providers to expand their offerings to their subscribers.

It also makes it easier to implement new products and services without completely overhauling the set-top box. It is a good way to go from a traditional model to a more modern one.

How does this technology work?

There are three different formats of IPTV. We will review and understand each of them.

Video on demand (VOD)

VOD streaming is exactly what it sounds like; you get video when you want it. Movie streaming sites are VOD providers. There is no time limit for what you can see.

Each user tells the service what he wants to see, receives it through the Internet and enjoys it. Simple.

Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video are popular examples of VOD services.

Time-shifted programming (catch-up TV)

If you have watched “catch-up TV,” you are familiar with this type of IPTV. Many streaming networks now allow users to watch shows they missed when they have the time to do so.

The important difference between this type of programming and VOD is that the content that is shared has a limited lifespan. You can’t go back and watch an episode of a show you missed several years ago (well you could, but it would be VOD then).

Live IPTV

Like streaming TV, you can also watch live shows on IPTV. Many people view sporting events this way; it’s easy to stream a game on your phone while on the go.

In addition to being broadcast over the Internet rather than through traditional television media, Live IPTV is almost the same as normal television.

FOX Sports Go, CBS Sports HQ, Hulu Live TV, and Sling TV offer live IPTV.

IPTV services

While IPTV is definitely getting bigger, it is still quite a niche market. Services like Netflix and Hulu offer a lot of TV shows (when they can get the rights to them), and VOD is growing rapidly.

It is the other formats of IPTV, where there is significant potential to change the way people watch television, that have yet to take off.

NOW TV, TVPlayer, and Epicstream are advancing the live IPTV market, but they are not yet as mainstream as the more popular VOD services.

Sport appears to be the area of ​​television that most quickly adopted IPTV. There are many subscription sports packages that you can watch from your computer or stream to your television whenever you want.

But it’s a safe bet that the rest of the television world will be behind IPTV technology.

Many services are emerging that allow users to create their own VOD and live streaming services. That way, people can share their skills, advice, and passions with anyone else in the world.

The future of IPTV

It is difficult to know how many people are using IPTV services right now. With the wide variety of providers, the different formats and a large amount of pirated content available, there are many things to consider.

But there is no doubt that Premium IPTV will increase in popularity. Grand View Research estimates that the market will be worth more than $ 117 billion by 2025. Increased user demand and network improvements will support this growth.

Grand View also predicts that subscription-based IPTV will grow rapidly over the next decade, suggesting that services like TVPlayer and Hulu Live TV will gain popularity.

Some of that growth has already begun.

Major media providers plan to offer new streaming services to compete with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming heavyweights. And more traditional TV providers are allowing media to change over time through their applications. Even cable providers are allowing their subscribers to watch from their phones.

And now that people can create their own channels to distribute their content with ease, the number and variety of IPTV options will rapidly increase. Viewers will no longer be limited to what broadcasters share; They will be able to go to each other to watch everything from exercise videos to audience-specific movies.

In short, the future of television is IPTV.