IPTV: Fact versus Fiction

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) has received a lot of attention recently: marketing "push" as well as actual technical advances. From one point of view, IPTV is a technology enabling other operators to provide services parallel to cable TV to residential users. From a different point of view, IPTV has been touted to being a revolution to the TV experience, including a clearer picture, more channels, interactive, personalized and on demand content, Internet and email on TV, and a plethora of other services. In reality, IPTV can be both fundamental and revolutionary, yet early IPTV deployments have addressed only a small subset of its full potential. This paper will attempt to sort out the reality of IPTV versus the hype. Some of the topics that will be examined in depth include: IPTV bandwidth management & video quality IPTV channel selection mechanisms Advanced services and features, including interactive applications and personalized advertising.