IPTV

For a number of years, Video and Audio services have been distributed within the IP-based network, including the Internet, using streaming technologies or by downloading the video/audio materials.

IP TV/radio denotes the delivering of TV/radio over IP protocol. IPTV can be transmitted in different networks that are based on the IP protocol. One of the major IP networks is the Internet, but Internet is not the only IP network. Dedicated/Managed IP networks can be established, and in current networks the IP protocol can be used widely without having specific relations to the Internet. One of the examples for dedicated networks is cooperative networks or Local Area Networks in the firms and residential areas.  Managed IP networks have an obvious advantage for the distribution of IPTV compared to the Internet, because it is possible to maintain certain levels of QoS in these networks. In Managed networks, the network provider can allocate resources such that different services/applications perform in the most optimal way, where in the Internet it is a complex issue to guarantee specific level of service quality.