The Hindu Business Line : Talk to your TV

And promising to do just that and redefine the way we watch television is IPTV, which might just be the biggest revenue generator in the entertainment sector soon. By the end of this decade, 25.9 million IPTV subscribers will generate more than $10 billion in revenue globally, says a report from analyst firm Informa Telecoms and Media.

Many countries across the globe have begun establishing proper network infrastructure to enable this service. According to industry sources, South Asia, and India in particular, is poised for an exponential growth in the delivery of video-on-demand over mobiles and Internet Protocol or IP-based services such as IPTV.

In IPTV, the network infrastructure is modelled on the lines of a private network owned by a service provider. Peer-to-peer networks (P2P) are a viable networking option for IPTV. These networks rely on the bandwidth of users to share data. With such a network, multiple users can tune into the same broadcast channel at the same time without facing any delay.

Internet Protocol (IP) is a means for data transfer over a network, and mainly sends packets of data (could be video, text, audio) over dial-up or direct broadband lines. With IPTV, you can send TV signals over such a network.

A set-top box at the customer's premise decodes the data sent and converts it into standard television signals.

This set top box is connected to your TV and contains a hard disk drive (data storage device used in personal computers), which simultaneously saves and streams the programme in real-time.

It will allow you to watch your favourite programme when it is convenient for you, rather than when it is broadcast. This brings flexibility to your viewing as the stored programmes can be treated like a video tape.

Functions such as forward, rewind and pause can be effected with such a service.

According to Rahul Nehra, Country Manager India and Director, Business Development, South Asia and Singapore, Irdeto Access, 2005 was a year of `learning' for operators and India will see a commercial rollout of IPTV services by 2007.

The Indian Government's target of 20 million broadband users by 2010 is quite possible with the promise of wireless technologies such as WiMax. This will aid the rapid growth of IPTV across the world.

Interactivity

IPTV not only offers Video-on-Demand but also other functions not possible earlier. Now, Pay-Per-View, two-way interaction with contests and quizzes in real-time, and VCR-like controls will be possible.

Alok Shende, Director, ICT practice, Frost & Sullivan, says, "Traditionally, the television experience has always been one way — from broadcasters to consumers.

IPTV holds the potential of fundamentally transforming the experience of watching television by bringing in two-way interactivity, storage of content and greater control over the television experience."

This is not possible with the other choices available today, namely Direct To Home (DTH) and cable. With an alphanumeric remote such as the one offered by Bangalore-based Innomedia Technologies, users can send information in real-time. This remote-like device has a unique numeric keypad that allows you to type in regional languages too.

Each has a unique identity, allowing participation of multiple users in a game or quiz.

Content

IPTV will also herald a change in the content offered on your screens. "The whole business module will change with the advent of IPTV," says Chetan Parmar, Technical Head, Kallz Entertainment Pvt Ltd, a Mumbai-based company that owns a shopping and infotainment channel `CT buzz.' The future might allow you to turn to the TV to refer an encyclopaedia, look up a phone number, or even stream music from a central server. You can soon use your TV to publish and share information, and even post home videos to your friends.

Irdeto Access feels IPTV can be a great revenue generator for content owners. "With the advent of IPTV, TV broadcasters can offer area-specific content. In turn, advertisers can target a particular segment at a lower rate," says Nehra.

IPTV can also be used to display caller ID information, instant messages, e-mail, or SMS on the TV.

Now customers will be able to order, download and watch movies right in their living rooms. Imagine viewing four live pictures collated on your TV screen and pre-programming channel changes. On-demand video rentals will be possible.

With Microsoft's IPTV software, incoming messages, e-mail and caller ID can be displayed on users' TV screens. IPTV can also be used to provide education and government services in developing countries.

Global scene

Europe and the US are adopting IPTV at a fast rate. British Telecom (BT) has partnered with Microsoft for IPTV software in its project codenamed 21CN, for 21st Century Network.

This will see BT replace its circuit-switched networks with a single IP-based network in England. From next year, BT will start the migration of all its customers to its IP-based network. Microsoft has also entered into partnerships with operators in the US, Switzerland, and Canada to offer its IPTV solution.

France currently has 1,84,000 subscribers and is the third biggest market in the world.

`Bundled' services

This service might eventually be disruptive as cable providers, telecom companies,service providers, content makers and satellite companies enter the same arena, and fight for the same customer base. Consumers prefer to deal with just one vendor, so partnerships might spring up across industries in order to offer `bundled' services.

Parmar of Kallz feelsa single service provider could offer IPTV as a service, provided the Government backs it.

"The major telecom companies of India have infrastructure to provide such a service. A unified licence for telecommunication and broadcasting needs to be granted to service providers," he says.

Other factors that could affect the rollout of IPTV are the price of set-top boxes and inclusion of cable operators in the structure. The Chennai-based telecom equipment maker, Midas Communication recently announced a wireless set top box that uses the existing cable television network to offer broadband connectivity. Intermediate devices such as this one will pave the way for future adoption of IPTV.

preethi@thehindu.co.in

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