Prepared By:

Neha Patel (Sixth Sem Electronics & Communication Engg.)

Rajvi Patel (Sixth Sem Computer Engg.)
Shree U. V. Patel College Of Engineering.
Mehsana.
Contents
Epitome …………………………………………………………………………………...3
What is IPTV?
…………………………………………………………………………….4
Topology components…………………………………………………………………….5
How does it work? ………………………………………………………………………..6
Protocol Glossary …………………………………………………………………………8
Advantages ………………………………………………………………………………..9
Future & Conclusion …………………………………………………………………….10

2
 Abstract
Basic aim of IPTV is to offer a complete package known as the triple play: voice, data,
& video- that is, telephony, the internet & television. The single most amazing thing IPTV does
is this: when the channel- surfer at home starts clicking away, the set-top box relays that fact to
the data center, kilometers away. The server there stops sending the old channel selection and
sends the new one. And it does all that in less than 200 milliseconds, so fast that the user has no
idea that the programming wasn’t there in the set-top box all along, waiting for its chance to leap
onto the screen! The most remarkable thing about IPTV is the way it replicates & even enhances
the cable television experience, over a pair of thin copper wires.

The efficiency of sending a single bill for voice, video, & data makes the triple play
compelling for customers & companies alike. This service can be provided with as well as
without a PC. Regular telephone service goes out to the public telephone system, while video &
DSL data goes out to the Internet .In the IPTV system; television programming is first collected
in a special data center. Servers there take television programming from many sources live
broadcasts channels licensed from Italy, & more. They then encode it & send it out to off-the-
shelf servers running IPTV software at a data center. Those servers are in constant
communication with users living-room set-top boxes, via the DSLAM. Now each side that is the
telecom companies as well as the service providers is striving to provide this at an extremely
attractive rate.

3
What is IPTV?

IPTV is a method of delivering broadcast television (TV) and on-demand, rich media
content that uses an Internet protocol (IP) network as the medium. Any broadband IP network
can be used for IPTV. However, IPTV is most prominently used as the primary mechanism for
carriers, such as telephone companies (telcos), and cable and satellite TV carriers, to deliver
television to mass audiences over existing communications infrastructures. IPTV offers carriers
flexibility and added value in the form of additional services that can be offered to customers,
which improves the carrier's profitability and competitive edge.
In particular, IPTV provides one facet of the so-called "triple play" of services: voice,
data, and video. The triple-play vision is that consumers can subscribe to one service that
provides voice, data (Internet and other online services), and video (live broadcast and on-
demand) - all three brought into the home or office over one line or feed, and by one service
provider.
Consumers are familiar with two-way communication with voice and data, but an IP
network also enables two-way communication in the video connection. With IPTV, consumers
can interact with a video service to, for example, order and play video on-demand (VOD)
content, change channels, or control playback of a live broadcast. Because the three services are
controlled from one source, solutions can be created that take advantage of an integration of
services. For example, a solution can be developed that enables customers to view Web pages on
their televisions, through which they can order pay-per-view video content and check phone
messages. With triple-play, carriers can upgrade their offerings to provide consumers with a full
suite of next-generation digital-communication services.
The telcos and private network operators have led early adopter interest in IPTV,
although the technology can be easily applied to other IP-enabled networks. The primary service
of a telco has always been voice communication. However, data delivery via the Internet has
grown rapidly to become a major service offering for telephone and cable carriers. Now, with
continuous improvements in data transfer speeds, brought about through technologies such as the
digital subscriber line (DSL), many broadband service providers are well positioned to deliver
IPTV services. For example, more and more telcos throughout the world are replacing copper
with fiber, enabling VDSL (very high bit-rate DSL) with rates that top 50 megabits per second
(Mbps). IPTV is generally centered on two delivery scenarios: broadcast and VOD.
Until recently, the means of delivering television programming to the European home has
technologically been limited to traditional satellite, cable or terrestrial broadcasting. The last few
years, however, has seen the emergence of a range of competing broadband access technologies,
such as DSL and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), which make use of Internet-Protocol (IP) solutions
for the transmission of audio-visual content. Significantly in Europe, where there has been an
explosion of DSL in the face of largely antiquated cable networks, IP-television (IPTV) is
enabling telecom operators to use their broadband communication networks to fully offer triple
play services comprising broadband, Internet and digital TV.
The following figure illustrates how the topology works for IPTV transmission.

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 Figure 1.
Topology Components:

• Broadcast source. Live feed from a broadcaster, such as a commercial cable network
or on-air television station.
• Broadcast encoder. Inputs the analog signal or high bit-rate digital stream from the
source, and outputs a stream that is compressed and formatted for delivery over the IP
network. An encoder is typically a software program running on a PC.
• Broadcast streaming system. is a media server that hosts a number of encoded
broadcast streams for a large number of clients on the network. The broadcast server
can deliver multicast or unicast streams, and typically consists of multiple servers
configured as a server farm to provide fault tolerance.

• VOD source. Contains content that is pre-recorded on a medium such as videotape or

hard disk.
• VOD encoder. Has inputs the pre-recorded content and outputs a VOD file that is
properly formatted and compressed. Encoders that output VOD content are typically
software programs.
• VOD streaming system. A media server that hosts the VOD files for clients on the
network. The server must be capable of storing a large number of large files, and then
 streaming the files to many thousands of viewers. Often, the system consists of
multiple servers configured in a server farm to deliver the maximum number of
required streams and provide fault tolerance. Storage is often handled by a storage
area network (SAN) system that also provides fault tolerance.

• Subscriber management system. Integrates customer activity and provides

additional customer services, such as an electronic program guide (EPG) and billing.
• IP network. Typically, a high-speed, reliable, IP-enabled network.
• Customer set-top box or PC. This device on the customer end that converts the data
stream from the media servers into a standard analog or digital signal that can be fed
directly into the television. The STB also provides any interactive features, such as an
EPG, Web browsing, and PVR (Personal Video Recorder) functionality.
• Television or monitor. Currently, IPTV is aimed at providing a quality, standard-
definition television signal (SDTV). However, as technologies like VDSL and
asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL2+) become more prevalent, the additional
bandwidth will enable telcos to provide high definition television (HDTV), as well as
multiple-channel audio and video, and many other services.
How does IPTV work?
IPTV uses a two-way digital broadcast signal (sent through a switched telephone or
cable network by way of a broadband connection and a set-top box programmed with
software (much like a cable or DSS box) that can handle viewer requests to access to
many available media sources. The viewer's TV connects to a Set Top Box (STB) that
decodes the IP video and converts it into standard television signals. The STB is the
gateway to an IP video switching system. The Switched Video Service (SVS) system
allows viewers to access broadcast network channels, subscription services, and
movies on demand. The consumer can access different media by using the television
remote to send control commands to the SVS. The unit processes the request and
displays the requested media type. Though there are many possible media sources,
only one video channel is utilized in the process.
IPTV is an emerging technology and will evolve into a completely interactive
experience in the future!
The following figure shows how an IP television system can distribute information
through a switched telephone network. This example shows that end users who are
watching a movie that is initially supplied by media center that is located some
distance and several switches away from end users (movie watchers). When the first
movie watcher requests the movie, it is requested from the telephone end office. The
telephone end office determines that the movie is not available in its video storage
system and the end office switch requests the movie from the interconnection switch.
The interconnection switch also determines the movie is not available in its video
storage system and the movie is requested from the distant media source. When the
movie is transferred from the media center to the end customer, the interconnecting
switches may make a copy for future distribution to other users. This program
distribution process reduces the interconnection requirements between the switching
distribution systems.
 Figure 2.

The figure below shows how a basic IP television system can be used to allow a viewer
to have access to many different media sources. This diagram shows how a standard
television is connected to a set top box (STB) that converts IP video into standard
television signals. The STB is the gateway to a IP video switching system. This example
shows that the switched video service (SVS) system allows the user to connect to various
types of television media sources including broadcast network channels, subscription
services, and movies on demand. When the user desires to access these media sources,
the control commands (usually entered by the user by a television remote control) are
sent to the SVS and the SVS determines which media source the user desires to connect
to. This diagram shows that the user only needs one video channel to the SVS to have
access to virtually an unlimited number of video sources.

Figure 3.
The figure below shows how the number of simultaneous IP television users per
household geographic serving area can vary based on the data transmission capability of
the service provider. This example shows that each single IP television user typically
requires 3 to 4 Mbps of data transfer. For a telephone system operator that uses distance
sensitive DSL service, this example shows that the service provided will be limited to
providing service to a single IP television when the data transfer rates are limited to 3-4
Mbps. When the data transfer rate is above 5-7 Mbps, up to 2 IP televisions can be
simultaneously used and when the data transmission is between 10 to 14 Mbps, up to 3 IP
televisions can be simultaneously used.

Figure 4.
Protocol Glossary

The transport and signaling protocols used with the IP/TV solution, including IP
Multicast, IGMP, TCP, UDP, are described as follows:
• Internet Protocol (IP) Multicast
—This is used to establish one-to-many communications in which multiple clients can
receive the same stream from a server. To receive a multicast, a client must have access
to a multicast-enabled network. In contrast, a unicast is a one-to-one connection in which
one client receives a distinct stream from a server. The signaling protocol from the client
to the network to request to enter or leave a multicast is Internet Group Management
Protocol (IGMP). With IP multicast, a single server stream can be received by an
unlimited number of users. This is the most scalable method to reach a large user
population. Network hardware and operational conditions are the only elements that limit
scalability.
• Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)
—This is the mechanism that end nodes use to signal the network that they are joining a
specific multicast group. A host sends an IGMP report to join the multicast group. The
network maintains a list of multicast group members. Periodically, the router sends a
query to learn which hosts are still parts of the group. If the host does not respond to the
query, it is pruned out of the multicast group.
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)—This is a connection or session-oriented
protocol. Each client connection to the server requires a session setup and breakdown.
TCP sessions ensure that packet delivery is completed without intervention from the
application using the data. TCP is a more reliable transport that has higher overhead and
is more complex than other protocols. For the client, TCP adds reliability; however, that
can adversely affect the video-viewing user experience.
• User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
—This is a connectionless transport protocol. UDP, such as Transmission Control
Protocol (TCP), runs on top of IP networks. UDP does not guarantee packet delivery, but
delivery that is usually acceptable for streaming media—as long as the occasional lost
packets do not become so excessive that viewers notice their absence. UDP provides very
few error-recovery services. It discards video packets that arrive too late to be decoded,
allowing content to degrade gracefully. Quality of service (QoS) can be implemented for
video applications.
• Real Time Protocol (RTP)—With its adjunct, Real-Time Transport Control Protocol
(RTCP), RTP works in conjunction with UDP to carry streaming data over the network.
RTP uses packet headers that contain sequencing information and time stamps required to
time the output and synchronize different data streams, and information on the packet’s
“payload”. This payload descriptor allows RTP to support multiple compression types.
• Real-Time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP)—This provides feedback on current
network conditions and reception quality, allowing applications to automatically adapt to
those conditions. For example, a slowdown being experienced by many recipients is most
likely due to a network problem—for example, a downed T1 line being backed up by a
slower 56-Kbps line—and not to an individual computer. In this case, the source
application might choose to make an “on-the-fly” change to its encoding scheme,
temporarily eliminate the video
portion of a transmission, or switch from color to monochrome to improve the transfer of
information. The fact that RTCP sends feedback not only to the sender, but to all other
recipients of a multicast stream, allows an individual user determine whether a problem is
specific to the local end node or attributable to system wide problems.
• Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)
—This protocol is used to signal the server for audio/video stream control and to control
“start-stop-pause” position of the stream on the video-on-demand server. One of the
IP/TV solution forces all RTSP requests from a client to first contact the content
manager, and then redirects each request to the appropriate server or denies service,
depending on policy and current available capacity.
• Session Description Protocol (SDP)
—This protocol describes the format of each program and how to receive and display it.

Advantages:

• Predictable and controllable network conditions. Streams are typically sent over a
private telco network to each client. Because carriers control the content of their
networks, bandwidth spikes and other unpredictable network behavior can be
 minimized. Windows Media components can be tuned to take advantage of these
network conditions in order to optimize resource and networking overhead, such as
reducing the need for error correction and buffering.
• High bandwidth. Compression ratios can be optimized to provide a smooth
presentation of SDTV-quality audio and video. Because the network is reliable,
content bit rate can be maximized.
& Finally a Secure network. Another advantage of a private network is that it is more
secure. This enables carriers to stream secure content, such as pay-per-view

Future & Conclusion:

The landscape for digital TV services is changing rapidly. While digital cable, digital
terrestrial and satellite services continue to develop across Europe, there are signs that
broadband networks will emerge as a significant fourth platform for DTV services.
However, significant obstacles still prevent IPTV from becoming a mass-market
proposition in the short term.
Interest in the IPTV sector has increased significantly over the past 12 months.
The timing of this increased interest in IPTV services is stimulated by a combination of
technological improvements and increasing commercial pressures.
Data monitor believes that around 15 million households will be accessing IPTV services
by the end of 2007 a significant increase over the 600,000 homes accessing these services
at the end of 2003. Global revenues from the sector will exceed $7.5 billion in 2007.

Reasons to Purchase include:

• Recognize the benefits IPTV presents in enabling linear broadcast, iTV and on-
demand services to drive revenue growth.
• Understand the factors that will affect the timing and nature of IPTV
deployments.
• Identify the role of IPTV services within existing digital TV strategies.

IPlay3 offers an integrated Voice over IP, IP-TV, IP-VOD, and Billing solution that
leverages any type of broadband IP infrastructure (ETTx/FTTx, xDSL, cable, WiFi).
IPlay3 enables service providers deploying a residential broadband IP infrastructure to
offer value-added voice and video services on top of a high-speed Internet offering.

Remote Access Via PC

As the amount of personal digital content and downloaded entertainment grows, the PC
has become a natural entertainment hub for digital images, audio and video in the
connected home. This scenario enables streaming of personal and premium media from
the PC to a TV-centric device anywhere in the house.
 Figure 5.
Video Over IP delivery without PC
Some solutions enable direct delivery of entertainment media to IPTV & VOD set top
boxes, independently of the PC.

Figure 6.
References
1) www.ieee.org
2) Spectrum Magazine Of IEEE Publication.

Self-Declaration:

We declare that this paper has been completely compiled and prepared by us.