Mobile Broadband

Mobile Broadband

IPTV

When an edition of ABC's World News Now was broadcast over the internet in 1994, little did those responsible know that they had started an 'IPTV' revolution that would, many years later, see watching television over a broadband connection become an everyday thing.

What is it?

The term IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) refers to digital TV content that is delivered to your computer or television. However, unlike conventional broadcasting methods, IPTV uses broadband technology to deliver content rather than traditional transmitters and aerials.

How does it work?

The actual technology behind IPTV is quite complicated, but basically it works by breaking television signals down into data 'packets', then sending them using broadband, in much the same way that emails or other documents are sent. When the IPTV data reaches your digital receiver (ie TV) it is reassembled and made to look like television again before appearing on the screen.

Where is the technology used?

So-called 'on demand' television services like Virgin On Demand and the BBC iPlayer rely on broadband and IPTV technology to transmit content to computers and digital set top boxes. The past few years have seen a surge in the popularity of these services, which allow viewers to watch whatever they want, whenever they want from a huge library of films and television shows.

IPTV content is either 'streamed' - played in real time over the internet - or downloaded to your computer or set top box hard drive for later viewing.

Is it as good as normal TV?

In terms of quality, IPTV actually outstrips traditional analogue content. The digital nature of things allows for additional interactivity (often accessed "via your red button") and the on demand aspect gives more choice on what to watch.

The quality of streamed IPTV broadcasts is not as high as downloaded content, but as technology and broadband connections improve, so should the picture.

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