Today’s generation is more advanced, even watching your favorite television show can be viewed online. Gone are the days when you missed an episode of one of your favorite television shows. There are streaming platforms online where you can watch live or replays of a television series or movies. Using iptv is more similar to browsing online than traditional channel surfing, where live and replays are played anytime.
How does the streaming system work?
Internet Protocol Television uses IP to work on transporting protocol to deliver the mechanisms. It is done for delivering the videos to the viewers. The viewer can test iptv by making a few clicks on any television program or request video from different sources or servers. The video servers transmit programs through the fiber-optic cable to the existing household through an internet connection and requests will be sent out and shows will be sent back.
Understanding Internet Protocol Television architecture
Understanding its architecture helps you better understand how the system works. There are two primary types of Internet Protocol Television architecture for deployment, depending on the architecture of the service provider, such as:
- Centralized
- Distributed
The centralized architecture model is a simple and manageable solution. All media content will be stored on the centralized servers. It never requires a comprehensive content distribution system.
The centralized architecture is good for a network to offer small VOD service deployment. It has an adequate core and an edge bandwidth with an efficient content delivery network. The distributed architecture is merely scalable as a centralized model but has bandwidth usage advantages and inherent system management. The essential features manage a larger server network.
Operators planning to deploy a large system must consider implementing a distributed architecture model. The distributed architecture needs intelligent and modern content distribution technologies augmenting the effective delivery of multimedia content over the network service provider.
Internet Protocol works from the viewers’ end
When the viewer subscribes to a particular Internet Protocol Television service, it is provided with a specific Set Top Box. The STB is the endpoint device that works on decoding and decrypting television. It also functions as a VOD stream for display on the television screen. The IP television box is connected to the internet connection and uses the internet to deliver television shows and videos to the viewer.
The viewer can request the TV Channels or videos through an interactive portal in the STB. It allows the viewer to navigate the different Internet Protocol services, such as the VOD catalog. It is because of the various service providers today and IT options. Each service provider decides to implement a slightly different architecture suitable to their needs, such as:
- geographic area
- endpoint internet connectivity
- local market conditions and requirements
- business model
Yet, the center point of this is that it stays the same and not be too different from what you see in Internet Protocol Television. Many are choosing online streaming videos because they find it convenient. The television box is used today as it can save them from additional expenses.
