Tuesday, 20 September 2005

Internet Protocol TV has stimulated a lot of excitement. Saba Haider explains why, and when it might become reality for us. Broadband's incredible growth has been a catalyst for developing new uses of high bandwidth internet applications.

And as broadband internet has become a staple for regular net users, industry analysts predict that broadband television's global revolution is just around the corner.

Known as IPTV, internet protocol TV is the latest buzz among telecommunications firms and broadcasters.

Recently a UK telecom consulting firm published a report saying within ten years, television delivered to sets will be an established way to receive content. TV will be much more web-like, with millions of shows to download," reported the BBC.

IPTV is television transmitted over high-speed broadband internet connections. Still in its infancy in most parts of the world, the idea is spreading rapidly and has telecoms companies and content producers singing with joy at the prospects.

The conventional TV that we are used to is usually sent to our sets by cable, satellite, or through the air, as analogue or digital signals, but just ike VoIP (voice over internet protocol), IPTV means that video data is sent across the internet in packets of data and can be stored on a server and sent to computers - or straight to special set-top boxes over ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber lines) or cable lines.

As for live TV, IPTV can be in the form of a live broadcast, but indeed, is usually stored video - also known as video on demand (VOD). And to watch IPTV, all a person needs is a computer or a set-top box that's plugged into the TV.

Colin Mann is the managing editor of London-based IPTV International magazine. "We feel that the European market overall has scope for IPTV providers to operate successfully.

We note findings from IMS Research which indicate that total IPTV households in Europe will rise from some one million plus in 2005 to approaching eight million by 2009."

And besides the ever-climbing increase in broadband speed and capacity, improved video compression technology allows all video to be delivered using broadband technologies.

This also means that the companies can make more money out of providing these services too.

As there's limited space for more digital or analogue (traditional) TV channels, using the internet as a hub for distributing an infinite number of programmes and channels around the world is a rather appealing venture.

The advent of IPTV could, in theory, trigger a million unofficial IPTV services, as anyone with a server would - again, in theory - have the capability to do so. More server space would equal  more channels.

There are currently more than 30 IPTV services in Europe.

In the UAE, Etisalat's cable television subsidiary, eVision, talked a little bit  about IPTV last year when it was reported by a local newspaper that it was in "advanced trials on a project that would allow television channel broadcasts over an IP (for Internet Protocol) platform, according to a top official with eVision." At the time, the eVision official said commercial launch of the service to be billed as ETTH - or ethernet to the home, would be by the first or second quarter of this year.

It's possible that a big hurdle in Etisalat's way of giving IPTV a full push locally is that it is unlikely to be widespread until broadband speeds are well above the current standard entry speeds of 1Mbps or 2Mbps.

In the UAE, eCompany - Etisalat's online services subsidiary, is giving a hard push to broadband. Mr Ahmed Julfar, General Manager, eCompany said the

firm is currently doing a technical trial to test the service.

"Normally, Etisalat provides a high quality of service. As of today it's low quality and we don't want to start offering IPTV to customers until it's high quality," he said. Asked whether IPTV will be offered as part of the Al Shamil broadband package, Julfar replied: "We haven't worked that out yet."

© 7Days 2005