Today, IPTV is breaking out the limitation of TV services and logistics using IP which allows you to make use of all IP based services including IPTV services anywhere on earth through the Internet. IPTV provides interactive facility, Internet likely user interface, IP applications, and IP convergence services on top of Television.
Is IPTV ok to you as it is My answer is maybe. It is because the current IPTV is entirely focusing on fixed devices. Imagine Mobile TV as DMB. Following the life style, user will eventually strive to take out IPTV devices in the near future.
So, Mobile IPTV is coming out. Mobile IPTV is a technology that enables users to transmit and receive multimedia traffic including television signals, video, audio, text and graphic services through IP-based wired and wireless networks with support for Quality of Service, Quality of Experience, security, mobility, and interactive functions. Through Mobile IPTV, users can enjoy IPTV services anywhere and even while on the move.
To develop IPTV specification, ITU-T formed a new Focus Group called FG IPTV in 2006. The FG IPTV aims to coordinate and promote the development of global IPTV standards taking into account the existing work of the ITU Study Group and other Standards Development Organizations. Mobile IPTV is also included in there since IPTV is access network agnostic -- for example Cable, xDSL and wireless. This article wraps up what kinds of requirements are included in FG IPTV service requirements. It can help readers to make sense with what is going on in ITU-T regarding Mobile IPTV standards today.
The IPTV architecture is recommended to support a function to obtain the IPTV Terminal Device capabilities information before delivering content.
The content management can optionally support request bandwidth and congestion control capabilities.
The IPTV Architecture is recommended to allow the delivery of IPTV services over different access networks such as cable, optical, xDSL and wireless.
The IPTV Architecture is recommended to allow the delivery of IPTV services to any IPTV Terminal Device including mobile phones, PDAs and Set Top Boxes. The IPTV Architecture is recommended to adapt dynamically to change in wireless network characteristics when the service is delivered over a mobile network including changes in bandwidth and packet loss rate.
The IPTV Architecture is required to support mechanisms for the delivery and rendering of various profiles of Linear/Broadcast TV content, including both High Definition (HD) and Standard Definition (SD) profiles. It is also recommended to support capabilities for the interoperability and user mobility between different IPTV networks allowing access to IPTV services by the customer on the move. It is recommended to allow service continuity over different networks, and is recommended support an IPTV terminal with the capability to choose the desired format of the content if there are multiple formats available. The IPTV content is recommended to be delivered in several yet optional versions to be selected according to the capabilities of the IPTV Terminal receiving the content.
The IPTV Architecture can optionally support signalling capabilities for transmitting bandwidth related information, is recommended to support the ability to identify wireless network characteristics information sent by the IPTV Terminal, and can optionally use the bandwidth related information to determine the appropriate content coding means to deliver the content.
The IPTV Terminal Device can optionally have the capability to provide information regarding its bandwidth availability Mobile IPTV is under construction. Once Mobile TV comes up, it will become the part of everyday routine, and expand the value of IPTV in the structure of everyday life through IP, wireless and mobility.
Korea is working on elaborating and expanding more sophisticated Mobile IPTV architecture and technical requirements to take into account the wireless environment and characteristics. It will be forthcoming in the near future.
