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The advantages of watching TV online.

Introduction to watching TV over your broadband connection plus information on the types of programs available and the enhancements offered.


All Packages    Unlimited    ADSL    Cable    Mac    Business

Recent advancements in technology and dramatic increases in information download speeds brought to the masses by broadband connections meant that it was only a matter of time before television broadcasts became accessible over the internet.

How it works

IPTV (internet protocol television) uses a regular broadband connection to send TV and films as chunks of data across the internet and into your computer. These can either be downloaded completely and then viewed (known as VoD or video on demand) or streamed, whereby a programme is viewed whilst it is being downloaded.

There are several features of IPTV that make viewing media through your broadband connection a very attractive option. For instance because of the very nature of IPTV it enables access to an almost limitless selection of TV and radio programmes from all over the world. Channels which were traditionally based on satellite, cable or terrestrial TV have started to enable access to their programmes on a download on demand basis.

This means you will never miss your favourite programmes again as they will be available for you to download and then watch whenever you want to. IPTV also enables access to thousands of movies which can be viewed at the click of a button. Many IPTV specific channels are now available so the viewing possibilities are almost endless.

Viewing Enhancements

IPTV also increases the flexibility as to how and when programmes can be viewed. Downloaded media can either be viewed on your computer screen or routed to your regular TV screen; with high speed broadband connections (8mbps +) high definition viewing is also possible. Additionally, as IPTV data is downloaded from the net it can be controlled in much the same way as a VCR, where you have the ability to fast forward, rewind, pause and repeat what you are watching.

IPTV also allows you to have greater interaction with what you are watching; TV guides allow you to search for media based on the title or starring cast members and you can change the camera angle with which you are watching a football game. Also, the picture-in-picture functionality of IPTV allows you to view your photos and emails, channel surf and watch movie trailers without leaving the programme you are watching.

The online availability of many TV programmes means that it is now possible get your TV, phone and internet access from a single provider through your broadband connection. The technical term used to describe the integration of voice, data and video in a single internet connection in this way is Triple play and this is becoming the goal of many telecommunications companies.

Despite the enhancements that viewing with IPTV can offer, at the moment it is generally intended as a supplement to traditional viewing methods rather than a replacement. However, in the future if broadband connection speeds continue to increase and download limits become more generous this may change and IPTV may be our primary media viewing device.