Internet TV System Illustrated - pág.2

reach customers through a broadband data connection.

Internet TV distribution systems transfer media programs from content
sources to viewing devices. There are many types of systems that can distribute IP data packets, including telecom, wireless, cable TV systems,
power companies (data over power line), and competitive access providers
(such as new optical networks).

Internet TV viewing devices can receive media in IP form and convert it into
media that can be viewed by users. IP viewing devices range from standard
televisions that use digital media adapter boxes to convert IP video signals,
to mobile telephones with digital video viewing capabilities.

Figure 1.1 shows that Internet TV systems are composed of content
providers, broadband Internet connections, video viewing devices and
Internet TV service providers. The content providers include existing television networks, on demand content providers (content aggregators), and
independent content provider companies. This example shows a distribution
networks that uses many types of systems to transfer IP video packets from
the content source to the viewing devices. IPTV viewing devices include
standard televisions (with adapters), multimedia computers and multimedia mobile devices. The Internet TV system operator manages how customers can connect to the system and which services they can receive.

TV Channel Types

The types of TV channels that an Internet TV systems can provide include
linear (scheduled) channels, on demand channels, public channels and private channels.

Linear channels are programs that are sent in a defined time sequence.
Linear channels can be a mixture of live content and scheduled content.
They are controlled by a playout system that identifies and selects the programs to play or stream during predetermined time slots.