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.
