Over-the-Top IPTV
At CompleteTV we are firm advocates of Over-the-Top IPTV – the next generation of IPTV. Telco grade IPTV services are fine, but really only provide a response to the problem of delivering content over an IP network. There’s really not so much different between telco IPTV services and those provided by a conventional broadcaster (with the possible exception of true video on demand). We agree this is a great step towards ubiquitous IPTV, but it really only represents the first generation.
While we (like everyone else) have products for first generation IPTV, we’re much more interested in where this is going – Over-the-Top IPTV.
To us the ultimate evolution of Over-the-Top IPTV represents access to any content or service, from any provider, over any broadband network, at any time - on your television. Today’s telco IPTV services are still a carousel of pre-determined content. You might be able to choose when you watch it, but it isn’t really a true reflection of IPTV’s potential. Whether you call it long tail content, collaborative creativity, or simply ‘new programmes’, Over-the-Top IPTV is all about getting access to content you want to watch, when you want to watch it. YouTube, MetaCafe, and others have proved there is a market for this on low definition, small-scale clips on a computer, but similar services are emerging with standard definition, full-scale content and these demand to be viewed on TVs.
But viewing isn’t the only issue. While watching TV is a relaxing experience, some level of interactivity and involvement is becoming the norm. We’re not advocating the TV becoming the personal computer hub in the household, but the TV certainly provides the potential for casual web-surfing and communication services such as Skype™ video calling, instant messaging and social networking. Adding the ability to play content on your TV that resides on a computer somewhere in your home (or someone else’s home) and you have a true interactive media center in the living room.
Our customers are creating successful businesses in providing ex-patriot TV content, vertical market style content and specialist professional content, all accompanied by a carousel of pre-determined schedules from digital terrestrial broadcasters. Opening up the platform to new services becomes a programme guide problem – not a content problem.
Of course, watching any content from anywhere has enormous problems in ensuring a good quality of service (which is exactly why the telcos don’t want to do it). We do a better job of managing poor network bandwidth than most other set top boxes, we can decode most video content on the internet, we can provide interactive services to add value and accompany any content. Above all, we can offer a product that is highly customisable – both software and hardware – to allow you to create an unparalled Over-the-Top service.
Our Over-the-Top solutions include Windows Media, H.264 (Adobe Flash) and DivX codecs, applications to play YouTube™ and BitTorrent™ content, Windows™ DRM protection, multiple bit-rate streaming support, intelligent, rate-adaptive, bandwidth-sensitive streaming, sub-titling, XML-based ‘easy-publish’ programme guides, integrated EPGs for digital terrestrial and IPTV services, progressive download services, DVR services for IPTV and digital terrestrial, user interfaces in Flash and HTML and full customisation support to allow you to build your own brand based on our technology.
