I – INTRODUCTION
The process of convergence of telecommunications and information processing technologies has promoted profound changes in the organization of work in industry, commerce, service provision, access to information, citizens’ private lives, health and education. Among the largest representatives are multimedia services, with the proliferation of varied services over the infrastructure of computer networks such as the Internet. (COLCHER et al, 2005, p.1).
The universe of information technology, communication and entertainment has become increasingly accessible, dynamic and full of content. Technological advances and their respective service possibilities offered to the consumer public have made users undergo behavioral changes and acquire a new consumer profile that is discerning and demanding in their preferences for a quality service and a greater variety of content. The important growth of IPTV technology (Internet Protocol Television) began a kind of opposite and disruptive effect on the business model of broadcasting companies, in a form of confrontation between Digital TV technologies, which is seen by broadcasting companies as an advanced technology option, and IPTV which provides not only interactive audiovisual in high definition, but which also allows the user to use telephony, broadband Internet browsing, video recording, games, online multiplayer and other possibilities. If the consumer, called user, wants to put aside their passivity to be active and interact with the programming of their channels and decide on the content they want to watch and when to watch it, then they will opt for a service that guarantees interactivity. IPTV emerged to revolutionize television, creating a convergence between television programming and the interactivity capacity of the Internet.
The popularity of broadband Internet contributed greatly to the emergence of live television and video-on-demand transmission services via Internet Protocol (Internet Protocol Television), called IPTV. It is on this technology that this work focuses on the definition and differences between IPTV and the Internet or Web.
I – DEFINITION OF INTERNET OR WEB
It can be said that Internet TV or Web is the distribution of video openly over the Internet. In this model, the content offering can be carried out by any person or company, which can be the transmission of a traditional channel, an event for a specific audience or even a personal video for a small audience. In general, the content provider has a direct communication channel to the consumer, assuming the role of the TV service provider, which in this case is clearly differentiated and independent from the Internet access provider. Furthermore, through the use of established formats and standards, the service also seeks to be as independent as possible from the viewing device, be it a set top box or a computer with software display. The scope of the service becomes global, as long as content distribution rights are respected.
The Internet was responsible for the emergence of a new generation of more active, participatory and demanding consumers not only in relation to image and sound quality, but also in terms of resources and control over programming. The point is: these new customers demand interactive devices. The fact is that today, much of what television offers is analog, without quality, unidirectional, without interactivity and with limited programming channels. (MURER, 2007, p. 2).
II – THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN IPTV and INTERET OR WEBTV
Internet or WebTV is television that transmits audio, video and application over IP over the Internet, without the existence of the mechanism that guarantees the quality of the service called QoS (Quality of Service), to regulate delay, delay variation and packet loss level, and the transmission rate. The Internet does not yet have a properly stabilized flow of data packets. That’s why there’s a wait for the video content we watch via streaming to «load», with numerous pauses throughout the entire show. This occurs mainly because the connection may not be good enough or belong to a saturated network due to the time of day or too many simultaneous connections. But with IPTV technology this does not happen because the connection is made via broadband up to the set top box which is connected to the TV set. This guarantees the flow of packets and gives transparency to the user. Therefore, IPTV is used in closed networks, exclusively for a single application. Furthermore, IPTV has an operating structure very similar to the operating structure of pay TVs, which transmit their programming via cable or satellite, as well as through a decoding device called a «set-top box», from the company that offers the service, as mentioned previously, in item I (Definition of IPTV). However, the difference from IPTV lies in the transmission process that uses the available broadband infrastructure. Furthermore, IPTV is also a Digital TV, but instead of the signals propagating through the atmosphere, or via satellite, they travel via a data network. The big challenge now is to offer the Digital TV service over IP without geographical limitations, with the possibility of access from any point on the Internet. This is the proposal of the service called «Internet TV or WebTV». In this case, issues such as controlling access to content, the use of multicast for the transmission of TV channels on a global network, composed of multiple administrative domains, and the guarantee of end-to-end quality of service for the transmission of streams. In this way, it is possible for us to appropriate Internet technology and infrastructure to transmit digital content, videos and broadcasts to the user. This is one of the differences that lies between IPTV and Internet or WebTV. But the biggest difference between video delivery via the Internet and IPTV is the use of a network that guarantees the quality of service that is essential for a good user experience for the subscriber.
III – CONCLUSION
This article presents the concept and differences between IPTV and the Internet or Web, revealing the advantages of access to data, voice and video services (triple play) through the same physical medium and a single provider, and highlights the possibility of establishing a point-to-point connection with the content server that allows the video on demand service to be offered with all its potential, such as choosing the time to watch, controlling the presentation and other benefits provided by IPTV technology presented in this work. According to what was stated in previous chapters, IPTV services are limited to the location served by the provider’s access network because they are provided in a «closed» manner. But the service model is similar to pay TV (cable), but the transmission of media and data streams over IP is carried out via telephone line with DSL technology, and allows complete management of the environment, guaranteeing quality of service. Among the main service providers already in operation are PCCW from Hong Kong, FastWeb from Italy and Telefónica de España.
After the launch of Digital TV via terrestrial broadcasting, satellite and cable, IPTV emerged, which is considered the fourth Digital TV platform. Its growth is driven by the increase in capacity of domestic access networks, especially through DSL technologies. The number of TV channels offered is no longer limited by the frequency spectrum for terrestrial or satellite transmission, nor by cable bandwidth. Over the last ten years, television has invested a lot of money and hours of work into experiments, while simultaneously trying to understand how its identity, built on the television set, could be transferred to a new environment, that of the computer ( CARDOSO; ESPANHA, 2006, p. 21). Considering the characteristics of this service, we can see an increase in the value of fixed-line telephone customers, as in this way there is voice, data and video service through a single company, which is telecommunications, in the same way as telephone services. cable television, where the access and service provider is the same entity, which also provides the viewing device to the customer. The content provider generally has a direct communication channel to the consumer and assumes the role of television service provider, which is independent of the Internet access provider, and operators must always be attentive to the quality of service and quality of experience , as it is through the use of these tools that customer satisfaction is managed.
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Moysés Faria das Chagas
Graduated in Social Communication – Radio and TV (Unesa)
Postgraduate in Art Education (Universe)
Media-Education (UFF)
MBA in Digital TV, Radio Broadcasting and New Electronic Communication Media (UFF)
Master in Teaching Health and Environmental Sciences (Anhanguera/Unipli)