IPTV Internet Protocol Television

IPTV (Internet Protocol television) is the delivery of programming by video stream encoded as a series of IP packets. IPTV is distributed by a service provider and can be free or fee-based and can deliver either live TV or stored video. It can be bundled with other Internet Protocol services,  high-speed Internet access.


IPTV, by contrast, sends only one program at a time. Content remains on the service provider's network and only the program the customer selects is sent to the home. When a viewer changes the channel, a new stream is transmitted from the provider's server directly to the viewer. Like cable TV, IPTV requires a set-top box.

IPTV primarily uses multicasting with Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) version 2 for live television broadcasts and Real Time Streaming Protocol for on-demand programs. Compatible video compression standards include H.264, Windows Media Video 9 and VC1, DivX, XviD, Ogg Theora and the MPEG-2 and -4.

Getting started with IPTV (Internet Protocol Television)

To explore how IPTV is used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources:
Defining IPTV to clarify your video planning: IPTV has become a catch-all for TV and video content delivered by a service provider, even though IP isn't always used. A clear definition will help plan bandwidth use.
Planning an IPTV strategy: Video delivered over IP networks in all of its flavors is a huge opportunity as well as a challenge facing telecom service providers. Technology, provider demographics and content must be aligned.