Thread: Virgin Media to rollout new IPTV platform
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Old 12-09-2009, 19:28   #39
Turkey Machine
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Re: Virgin Media to rollout new IPTV platform
Quote:
Originally Posted by BenMcr View Post
I'm not sure where you are getting this IPTV box thing from. Nothing in the press releases mentions IPTV boxes.
Every IPTV deployment in this country so far has required a specialised STB to access the service either via the internet or some other means.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BenMcr View Post
What has been mentioned is an IPTV delivery platform to the headends. That's it. From there to the STBs can still be the current technology
Delivery to the headends is, by comparison, very easy. Delivering from headends to customers is an entirely new salmon stream to swim up.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BenMcr View Post
Even if it's not cable VoD is already IP based (as far as I am aware) so I would expect the current STBs can already do full IPTV if required
Are you talking about the VoD like catchup TV, movies, music videos, etc? If so, it's still a big comparitive step to full IPTV.

But now I think about it, when I compare what the current solution for VoD is, adding IPTV to it doesn't seem so bad. It just means that if you want to watch a particular channel without watching a particular programme that the software would need to automatically load the next programme segment on the channel, be it trailers or the next TV show.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BenMcr View Post


---------- Post added at 19:09 ---------- Previous post was at 19:07 ----------

However what it could mean is that the headends could also deliver IP based TV over the cable modems
This is what I first thought it could be, as it draws comparisons with BT Vision and Tiscali TV. But Virgin's cable network is strained enough with the amount of cable modems taxing the headends. Plus, how would customers react when they find out that they've hit the STM limit just for watching a couple of TV shows?
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