What is IPTV? A Detailed Explanation

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. Any media content that is streamed through the internet can be considered an IPTV. It differs a lot from traditional cable and satellite networks. A cable and satellite network uses wires and radio waves to transmit signals, while IPTV uses the internet to transfer content to its users.

The main advantage of IPTV is that you can access them from any part of the world and users can get countless amount of channels at a cheaper price compared to cable and satellite. The following article elaborates on how an IPTV functions.

How Does an IPTV Work?

As mentioned earlier, the most basic requirement for an IPTV is a strong internet connection with high speed. Most IPTV requires at least 6 Mbps speed to stream without buffering. Let’s say you are subscribed to an IPTV service, and you are trying to stream content on your Smart TV.

• When you click on a program or any TV Channel, a signal will be sent from your side via Internet Packets (Data Packets) to your IPTV provider.
• Your providers will receive the requests, process them, and send the content back to you in an encrypted format. This, too, is sent in data packets.
• Now, your TV will receive those signals, process them, and show the content to you on your device.

But what if yours’ is not a smart TV and is unable to process IPTV format? In such cases, you can connect a set-top box to your TV and use it to stream content. Some of them include Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, etc. These set-top boxes process those signals and relay them to your TV. These are otherwise called Hybrid IPTVs as they combine internet, cable, and satellite signals in a single box.

Devices like Computers and Smartphones can easily process those signals without any external assistance to stream their content.

How Legal is an IPTV?

IPTV, as a protocol, is a legitimate technology used to transfer content over the internet. Its legality entirely depends on the IPTV provider you have subscribed to. The main problem is the license. Since IPTV is a streaming service, it needs a license to stream the content made by other channels. If they don’t have a license, it is not legal to stream, and it amounts to stealing others’ content.

As an end-user, it is impossible to find whether the program you are watching has rights or not. To safeguard ourselves from any legal trouble, it is advisable to mask your IP Address from any law-enforcing agencies. Using a VPN like NordVPN will do the trick, as it hides your IP address from being tracked.

Note: Even OTT platforms like Prime Video and Netflix are considered IPTV providers. But, they have licenses to stream content, which makes them legal.

What are the Types of IPTV Formats and Protocols

Most IPTV providers stream different types of formats, including live TV, on-demand content, and Time-shift TV. Here are those features.

a) Live TV

This mostly includes TV Channels that stream content on a real-time basis. This content includes anything from movies, shows, or even Live sports. Depending on your subscription, you’ll get a set of channels to watch. Just click on the channel and start watching the content it streams.

b) Time-Shifted TV

This is a bit advanced to Live TV. In Time-Shifted TV, you can afford to miss out on a particular program and still be able to watch it after some time. But, there is a time limit after which that content won’t be available for viewing. Moreover, only a few TV Channels have this feature too.

c) Video On-Demand

On-demand content is a separate category requiring a separate subscription to watch. For example, some movies/shows on your IPTV are behind a paywall. To watch these kinds of programs, you need to pay the required amount to your IPTV provider and they’ll give you access. This also includes PPV content.

For streaming the above content, all IPTV providers follow a certain protocol. This protocol varies based on the content it is streaming. Those are RTSP, RTTP, HTTP, and UDP.

What is a Player’s Role in IPTV Streaming?

As the name suggests, a player is the one who plays the content on your device. A provider offers content like channels & movies in the form of an M3U Playlist or Xtream Codes. Now, read below to understand how both of them work in tandem.

• You subscribe to an IPTV Provider and receive the IPTV credentials (M3U or Xtream Codes API) in your Email. This provider has a catalog of channels, movies, and TV shows either for a price or free of cost.
• Next, you download an IPTV Player app. This can be any player compatible with your device. Sometimes, your IPTV provider will provide the Player app, too.
• Then, you will enter your IPTV credentials (M3U or Xtream Codes) and load the content.
• After this, you can start streaming the content on your device.

From the above, you can understand that Providers and Players are two different entities, and you need both of them to stream IPTV content.

IPTV Compatible Devices

Any device that can decode IPTV formats is compatible. Here is the list of devices with which you can stream IPTV content.

Limitations of IPTV Services

• License: The first thing that comes to our mind is Licensing. If your IPTV provider doesn’t hold a license to the content, it might land you in legal trouble.
• Reliability: Most IPTV services are not transparent and are not legally bound to any organizations. This lack of accountability makes them stop their services at any point without consequences.
• Payment Issues: IPTV services don’t have a stable payment service. Sometimes they’ll use Credit/Debit Cards and at times they’ll use cryptocurrency. This lack of certainty makes customers hesitant to subscribe to it.
• Compatibility: Sometimes, the device you are using may not be compatible with your IPTV provider.
• Internet Speed: An IPTV always requires high internet speed. Any dip in its speed results in video buffering.

From reading the above article, you will have learned how an IPTV works. Based on your requirements, weigh down its merits and demerits and decide to subscribe to it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I start my own IPTV channel?

Yes, you can. Some IPTV providers offer these kinds of services & you need to sign up for their plans. They will host your channel & provide them with the necessary content for streaming.