IPTV or Internet Protocol television is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol networks. IPTV is defined as the secure and reliable delivery to subscribers of entertainment video and related services. These services may include, for example, Live TV, Video On Demand (VOD) and Interactive TV (iTV). So why is there so  much noise about IPTV? According to various reports, global IPTV business currently is over USD 60 billion and its market is expected to reach USD 93.59 billion by 2021.

So time is ripe to start your own IPTV business. If one doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel, one can get into IPTV reselling business as well. Moreover, you don’t have to invest heavily for starting your own IPTV business. For example, MyWifi TV’s reseller programme starts at just USD 650.

So what are the things around IPTV business one needs to be aware of?

For one, leave the technical work to the pros. This way you save yourself a lot of money, risk and frustration and rather you should Focus on marketing.

Also, you must have inside out knowledge about the following things

• IPTV Panel / Middleware –
• Dedicated Server
• Video streaming
• Website or your Front store
• Billing management System

Also, you can also know how to setup IPTV server and how to setup OTT IPTV middleware. However,  you want to leave these things to your IPTV service providers, they will be more than willing to help you get started. Moreover, experts will save you substantial amount of your time.

Since many of the people in this business are first timers, they should Get a team of experienced people who can help them start up. Also, a credible business plan should be prepared which projects that you can get n number of of viewers in such and such predictable period. This will come handy in designing the scalability model.

Also, for those who are going to be the first point of delivery in IPTV, they need to Talk to content owners about getting content rights. Also, without a credible business plan and ofcourse financial backing, you aren’t going to get content.  If you have anyone having a good relationship with content creators, things can become easier for you as relationships are worth their weight in gold in the media and entertainment sector.

Also, the end users, i.e. need to have beautiful viewing experience, so it is advisable to employ some nice designers in the creation of user interface. Then one can Soft launch before the actual launch just to test the waters.

What common terms you should be familiar with before getting into IPTV business.

IPTV Middleware

The Middleware system is the most primary element of the IPTV system. It links all IPTV services with IP set-top boxes and also provides user interface.

​Media​ ​Player

Media players allow users to view a variety of video data streams retrieved from the Internet. They can allow users to view a range of media content, including movies, video on demand, live stream etc.

CDN

Content Delivery Network (CDN) is the way the content is delivered to the end user. The ability to deliver requested content will require the development of a content distribution network.

Client Applications​ ​

Smart TVs are the latest version of TVs and come with software of their own with installable apps.

Also, tablets and phones have become one of the most used streaming devices in recent times. Consumers can now access all features on the go via these devices. Therefore it is important to provide applications for these devices and they should be compatible with both iOS and android devices. MyWifi TV’s solutions are compatible with both android and iOS.

Set​ ​Top​ ​Box (STB)

The STB set top box is the box that connects the user to the middleware and allows the consumer to watch tv, or Video On Demand.

Custom​ ​Interface

It means providing custom interface based on specific likes and dislikes. Eg. the way media player should look, how the playlists should appear etc.

IPTV Reseller

An IPTV reseller is someone who purchases IPTV services from a service provider and sells them to other clients.

IPTV market has still a lot of time left before it hits the saturation point. As more and more internet users are shifting towards “Video on Go” and “Video on demand”, a lot of business is left in the IPTV domain.

IPTV offers a platform not just for big names in the digital entertainment business but also for smaller companies as well as to individuals in order to distribute video content to the viewers across all types of devices and all over the world.

Internet Protocol TV or IPTV as it is commonly known is the present and future of home entertainment. Over the last few years, many IPTV service providers have started making big in this segment. This gives an impetus to other entrepreneurs to think on this line too. However, setting up one’s own IPTV network can be a daunting task for many but this can be taken care of by having basic knowledge about the networks.

Technically, these networks are intranets. The web browser is not just on the PC, but also on the set top box. For setting your own IPTV network, you don’t need large development teams working with complex and expensive servers or specialized set top boxes. If you can set up an intranet or public website, you can also set up own IPTV and do what you want to.

Basically there are 3 types of IPTV services-

Video on Demand, Live Streaming and Time Shifted TV which is nothing but the content available anytime after the initial broadcast. These services are already available to millions of consumers across the world via various IPTV service providers, but it is also possible to have your own IPTV network so that you can provide the content you like to the subscriber of your services.

Of all the things, there are 3 essential things you have to pay due diligence to while setting your own IPTV network.

What Video quality you are going to provide

Depending on the type of video resolution and the stream type you are going to provide, you can make decisions on the bandwidth usage and other support mechanisms to ensure that your service does not go down.

Ensure that the switches in your network can do multicasting

Basically, there are two types of video distribution methods: multicast and unicast. You should ensure that all the switches in the network can do multicasting and it has been enabled. Opposed to unicasting, multicasting sends IP packets to a multiple recipients on the network. It is a one to many method distribution as against one to one in multicasting. It enables the organization to distribute single to multiple displays by using the same amount of bandwidth. Thus it is a more affordable and efficient way of getting things done.

Your network capacity should be good enough to hand future surge in requests

You can add more distribution points and increase the capacity of handling your requests in the future too. However, it is advisable to have a scalable model from the beginning itself. Try to predict your network usage in the future and plan for it accordingly. You wouldn’t want a situation when the your network breaks down due to surge in request.

Setting up your own IPTV network gives you complete control over the content that is provided via your network. It also gives the network owner full control over how the advertisements are going to be displayed and when are they going to be displayed. You also get the opportunity to reach a mass audience because of the kind of internet penetration we see these days. Everyone with an internet connection can watch your content via your network. Still, if you do not want to start your own IPTV network, you can get into reselling IPTV services. For example, you can avail MyWifi TV reselling services at a very nominal cost with full technical support to kickstart your business in the IPTV domain .

IPTV or Internet Protocol Television is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol networks. IPTV is defined as the secure and reliable delivery to subscribers of entertainment video and related services. These services may include, for example, Live TV, Video On Demand (VOD) etc. An IPTV service allows you to combine your broadband internet with your television. IPTV subscription gives you the ability to start watching content on demand thus giving users complete control over what they want to watch.

Why is IPTV the future of Entertainment?

So what is traditional TV viewing experience like? You sit on the couch waiting for your favorite TV programme. You watch your favorite TV shows as and how they are broadcasted by various channels. You have no control over the content and the mode of viewing.

With the advent of Smart phones and Smart TVs, the way entertainment services are provided to you have dramatically changed. For example, devices have their own IP support. Smart TVs can easily communicate with networks and configured to use IPTV without any additional equipment.

Likewise, Laptops, and even game consoles have the capability and the software needed to view online content and other types of IPTV services. Again, With IPTV, if you have wifi connection, you should be able to avail most of the IPTV services and one can sit back and enjoy the customized content. With IPTV, the content is only sent to the customer from the network, once it is selected.

According to MyWifi Tv, which provides one of the best IPTV service subscription options in the IPTV domain along with providing top notch IPTV reselling services, IPTV allows for two-way communication. What this means is that viewers have more options to interact, personalize viewing experience like curating playlists etc. and they are able to control their viewing experience.  The middleware and other technologies involved in IPTV  allows for more features such as replaying shows , or current shows from the beginning and access to on-demand content, otherwise known as video on demand or VOD. IPTV also, enables viewers to watch a show recorded on the digital video recorder (DVR), to be accessible from any room in the home.

IPTV viewing experience can also be better than public broadcasters like YouTube because the content is carried over a managed network, which allows for the control of video quality and reliability. IPTV is still evolving, but there are many benefits of this advanced technology which makes it as the future of for delivery of home entertainment and there is much more to come.

IPTV is definitely going to expand throughout The USA and the rest of the globe. IPTV subscription allows you to watch more shows than ever. You’ll also be able to have proper control over how you watch them. You have the ability to look for your shows by using search terms and  program titles. IPTV based streaming is also much steadier and clearer compared to that of regular net streaming. The reception is much better..

As far is viewing experience is concerned, you have greater Options with IPTV. If you are the kind of customer who likes to have alternatives when you enjoy television, then IPTV may be the best choice for you. If you’re an someone full-time work, but you still love TV shows, then internet based TV is best suited for you.

As internet has already created a significant position in anyone’s life, IPTV services will acquire the similar position when it comes to home based entertainment is concerned. This will be driven by the fact that the technology is futuristic and has user experience at the core of it.