Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a modern platform for streaming Television via the Internet. It doesn’t require a satellite signal, cable connection, or traditional terrestrial. Unlike cable TV providers, IPTV services provide interactive and flexible content delivery. Its wide range of live Television and videos on demand makes it the go-to platform for people. In addition, it is accessible through a set-top box or any other streaming device that can be connected to the internet.
What You Can Watch With IPTV?
IPTVs provide entertainment in three different formats: live TV, video on demand, and TV catch-up or Time-shifted TV.
Live TV Channels
Unlike traditional cable TV providers, IPTVs also provide thousands of live TV channels from all around the world where you can watch things being telecasted. Using popular sports channels, you can watch live HD sports from wherever you are. However, traditional TV and live TV are the same.
Videos On Demand
Most IPTV services come with massive collections of VOD. The IPTV service providers offer three types of on-demand content. The first one is Transactional VOD (TVOD), where you need to pay individually for each movie and TV show you select to stream.
Next is Subscription VOD (SVOD); by getting a monthly subscription, you will get access to the on-demand library.
The final one is Advertising-supported VOD (AVOD). This is freemium; you need to watch ads that will interrupt your streaming.
TV Catch-Up
In cable TV services, you can watch the channel or content that is being telecasted. However, IPTVs have a special category called TV catch-up or Time-shifted TV. Using this, you can watch shows that were broadcast previously. Depending on your provider, the shows will be available in the library for a particular period of time: some provide 2 days, and some even 7 days.
How Does IPTV Work?
IPTV services store their content in an allocated network, which might be public or private. However, compared to public networks, only private networks provide more control over video traffic, quality, uptime, reliability, and service extension for providers.
Unlike cable or traditional TV, which supports a multicast format, it supports only unicast and sends only a single stream at a time. For instance, when a customer selects a channel, the provider sends the new stream from its servers to the user’s device with a wi-fi router or broadband internet connection. So, the end user can watch only the channel or content they select, and others will remain in the internet service provider’s network.
IPTVs generally use IP multi-casting with Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) for IPv4 live TV broadcasts, whereas IPv6 networks use Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD).
For on-demand streaming, IPTVs use Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP). Apart from this, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTP) and Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) are commonly used by IPTVs.
What is Hybrid IPTV?
Hybrid IPTV is a service that integrates both traditional TV service and IPTV services together with a single box. It helps users to expand their services and offerings for their customers. With this box, you can easily roll out new products and services. Nowadays many TV providers adopting Hybrid IPTV to resolve the issues with IP-enabled broadcasts.
Why People Prefer IPTV Services
Media Library
IPTVs offer a wide range of live TV channels, both international and local channels, from all around the world. Also, it has a vast collection of videos on demand, including the latest movies, TV shows, and series. Mostly, IPTV services cover premium sports channels to help sports enthusiasts watch all popular live HD sports worldwide from wherever they are.
Personalized Features
IPTVs use more personalized features to enhance viewers’ streaming experience. The most useful features are EPG (TV Guide) and TV catch-up, which provide channel programming and stream past TV shows. Using the Anti-Freeze technology, you won’t experience any buffering or stuttering issues. Unlike cable TVs, IPTV services can be streamed on multiple devices simultaneously.
Budget-Friendly
The next important aspect of why people prefer IPTV services is flexibility and budget-friendly subscription plans. In general, most IPTVs provide their service with pricing plans for different durations, such as monthly, quarterly, semi-yearly, and yearly. So, people won’t get stuck with long-term contracts even if they are not happy with the service.
Muti-Screen Support
IPTVs break the rule that television can only be streamed on TVs by supporting various streaming services in the market. So, people can watch IP TV on any device, whether it is a Smartphone, Tablet, PC, or anything else. You can take the service anywhere and binge-watch entertainment content at your convenience.
Worldwide Access
IPTVs require only a strong internet connection to stream it. Therefore, it can be accessed anywhere in the world, even in places where cable TV is unavailable. Some IPTVs may have some exceptions due to the inaccessibility of particular TV channels or content in certain regions.
Disadvantages of IPTV: What Can Be Improved
- IPTV always requires a strong internet connection to access it. If your internet connection is weak, you will undergo some interruptions or buffering issues. Hence, it may satisfy the people in the areas with poor internet infrastructure.
- Since IPTVs deliver content from all over the world, they may not have proper licenses for TV channels and on-demand content. Hence, users can easily get into legal issues for stream piracy and copyrighted content.
- The technical assistance provided by IPTV services is not always responsive. Hence, people cannot get customer support at the right time to solve the problems they are facing.
- Though IPTVs are cost-effective, they may charge an extra amount to stream some premium channels and sports. Also, some IPTV services provide only long-term subscription plans.
- Some IPTVs can be streamed only with set-top boxes. In such cases, you need to spend an extra amount to watch the service.
Best IPTV Service Providers
There are a lot of the best IPTV service providers available on the market. Here, we have listed the best services with the best collections of live TV channels and on-demand videos with good streaming qualities to stream all around the world.
| IPTV Name | No. of. Channels | VOD | Free Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSTV IPTV | 24,000 | 110,000 | Not Available |
| Dynasty IPTV | 22,000+ | 120,000+ | Not Available |
| Ultra IPTV | 21,000+ | 95,000+ | Not Available |
| Panda IPTV | 20,000+ | 50,000+ | Available |
| Kemo IPTV | 18,000+ | 145,000+ | 12 Hours |
Best IPTV Players
To stream any content from an IPTV service provider, you need a player. There are plenty of IPTV Players available on the market, and we have listed the best you can use.
- VLC Media Player
- IPTV Smarters Pro
- Perfect Player
- Lazy IPTV
- GSE Smart Player
Common Questions
The legality depends on the type of service you’re purchasing. If the provider you’re signing up for has copyrighted channels or media content, it is considered illegal in most countries.
It has something for everyone. Hence, family audiences with kids, sports enthusiasts, and movie lovers can prefer IPTVs for an excellent TV streaming experience.
The answer depends on the provider you select. If your provider only offers a set-top box, you have to set up your TV for streaming. At the same time, you can’t watch that provider’s content on any other medium. On the other hand, if your IPTV supports other devices, you can install and configure the external media player for streaming.