In 2005 SmartHouse tipped that Telstra would launch iPTV in Australia and asked would it revolutionise the way we watch movies.

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) either heralds a revolution in the way we’ll watch TV or it’s been outrageously over-hyped and could be a big flop. However I am tipping that it will be slow to kick off and when Telstra launch their new 3G Network the service will really take off.

To put things in perspective, USA Today has called IPTV an ‘infant, unproven technology with a geeky name’. But the ability to pipe TV content over broadband has the potential to turn the broadcasting world upside-down.

IPTV shouldn’t be confused with Internet video. It has nothing to do with P2P file-sharing or watching a downloaded DivX rip of Lost on your PC. Nor does it describe watching a low-resolution QuickTime or Windows Media clip in a tiny web-window. Instead, IPTV is all about providing high-quality multi-channel television and streamed/downloadable video, all delivered via the web’s IP protocols and displayed on the TV set in your living room. IPTV is happening now. France Telecom’s MaLigne TV has been providing live TV and Video on Demand (VoD) since 2004 and FastWeb is doing the same in Italy. There are big plans for IPTV in the US, where SBC is betting $4 billion on the hope that the technology will bigger than big.

SBC hopes to have 18 million homes hooked up to its service (project ‘Lightspeed’) by 2007. Motorola and Scientific Atlanta which was purchased by Cisco last week will build the set-top boxes, while Microsoft will provide the IPTV Edition software. SBC’s rival, Verizon, hopes to have around three million homes connected to its own service by the end of 2005.

In the UK, Video Networks has been running its HomeChoice service in London for the past five years, offering a quadruple-play package of broadband internet access, a basic package of IPTV channels, video on demand and telephony. The technology works. But HomeChoice has been slow to gather followers. Despite a five-year head start in the UK, the service only has 25,000-30,000 subscribers and is restricted to the capital. Telstra could well offer the service to it’s 2.3 million Foxtel pay-TV subscribers. What is interesting is that 75 per cent of Foxtel’s and Austar’s subscribers have already ditched the analogue system, electing to take up digital technology, which delivers more than double the number of channels and interactive services. They also have a broadband connection and are a perfect audience for iPTV. The move to launch iPTV comes as the Federal government starts to crank up the move to digital TV. (See seperate story on digital TV) Only about 13 per cent of the 15.2 million televisions in Australian homes are now tuned to digital services, prompting free-to-air networks to push to delay switching over their audiences for several more years. Foxtel has said that almost 6 per cent of subscribers now had Foxtel’s iQ interactive service, which enables them to rewind live TV and record two programs at once. A portable viewing service, called iQ to Go, would be released within 18 months. This is Foxtels version of iPTV.

Foxtel has also announced that it will be converting all of its subscribers to digital and switching off its analogue service by March 2007. Foxtel CEO Kim Williams and Austar CEO John Porter also say they hope to launch at least two 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week composite high-definition channels by 2008. Free-to-air channels already broadcast many programs in HD. Foxtel’s commitment to two HD channels will be made possible by extra bandwidth available on the Optus D2 satellite. Its next generation of digital set-top boxes will also have MPEG-4 chips to handle the higher-resolution video signal.

“There’s nothing new about the concept of Internet Protocol Television” explains media analyst Graham Lovelace. “But early examples have been a poor experience and downloading content has just taken too long. Bandwidth and the cost of servers conspired to limit the growth of IPTV. That’s now no longer the case, thanks to rising broadband speeds and more efficient compression.” Faster broadband is key and this is why Telstra are spending $3.5 billion dollars building a bew 3G wireless network.
Telstra are confident that they can deliver a 12Mbps services which is ample for an iPTV service. As for compression, MPEG-2 is the most widely supported video codec in the TV industry, but it isn’t the most efficient for IPTV. The services running today have proved that MPEG-2 can be delivered over broadband. But providers like Telstra will deliver the service over MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) or Microsoft’s Windows Media Video 9 codec. These dramatically reduce the bandwidth requirements, enabling IPTV systems to carry more standard definition channels or potentially HDTV programming in the future.

“IPTV is entering a crucial stage in its development,” says Adam Thomas, author of the report ‘IPTV: A Global Analysis’ for Informa Telecoms and Media. “It is moving away from a technology under trial, into full commercial deployment.”

Thomas’ research suggests that although there are barely 2.5 million IPTV subscribers globally today, there will be around 25 million by 2010. The report highlights China as the leading candidate for IPTV growth (4.9 million subscribers), followed by the US (3.4 million), France (2.5 million), Germany (2 million), Italy (1.6 million), the UK (1.5 million) and Spain (777,000). But considering that broadband penetration in Europe and the US is expected to rocket to 290 million homes by 2008, these numbers are still small.

IPTV is inevitable, but companies will approach it in different ways. Big ISPs such as Telstra and Optus when they launch there service will see it as an additional revenue stream, especially as this year’s broadband war has seen prices fall but broadband speeds double. Foxtel will be able to offer the true on-demand and interactive applications that satellite technology lacks. Foxtel already has a broadband TV application in the works, and because of there 50% ownership by Telstra they are in a perfect position to capatalise on the iPTV service.

In Australia free to air broadcasters are watching what is happening in the UK where broadcasters have also been quick to spot the new opportunities that broadband TV can deliver. The BBC has been running the second of its Interactive Media Player trials (iMP), enabling users to download TV and radio shows after broadcast; ITV too has taken the broadband TV plunge – its pilot service includes local news and weather, an entertainment guide and community video.

Telstra has found their businesses threatened by mobile telephony and VoIP, but now with the new network they have an opportunity to reinvent themselves as media giant while also delivering communication and entertainment services.

Ultimately, while there’s a great deal of excitement about IPTV, services are likely to complement rather than replace today’s delivery mechanisms. What it will do is cause TV viewing to fragment even further. In an IPTV world, your TV screen acts as a web browser and programmes are searched by customised guides containing video search abilities. It’s no wonder that Google and Yahoo! see video as a big part of our online future.

We may find that streaming services take a back seat to the sort of video download service that’s being pioneered by people like Telstra. The recent launch of Apple’s video-capable iPod and, more importantly, the availability of five TV shows via iTunes, is an indication that the TV landscape across the world is about to change. We could be on the verge of a revolution that sees video on demand (VOD) truly take off.

This is what the digital SmartHouse is all about.

Source: Smarthouse – Telstra’s iPTV What Does It Mean
By David Richards & Dean Evans | Sunday | 20/11/2005

Australian ISP iiNet could still lose their landmark case up against the giants of the movie industry, despite a favourable decision in an Australian court earlier today.

In a landmark ruling, Federal Court judge Justice Dennis Cowdroy, today found iiNet was not responsible for the infringements of its users and that they should not be held responsible for what their users send over the internet.

“It is impossible to conclude that iiNet has authorised copyright infringement. (it) did not have relevant power to prevent infringements occurring,” Justice Cowdroy said in his judgment.

Justice Cowdroy recommended the application be dismissed and that AFACT pay the court costs.

Insiders are saying that the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft Group, who bought the action against iiNet on behalf of some of the biggest of Hollywood studios including Village Roadshow, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox and Disney, as well as the Seven Network had had already decided prior to today that if they lost the case that they would urge their legal team to find a way to appeal.

If this appeal is granted the issue could end up in the High Court in a similar situation to the recent IceTV Vs Channel Nine case.

In that copyright action Ice TV won the first case in the NSW Supreme Court an appeal was lodged which they lost. The case was then taken to the Australian High Court in Canberra where 6 judges ruled in IceTV’s favour.

Colin O’Brien the CEO of IceTV said “I doubt that the iiNet case is over. I believe that there will be an appeal and this case and could go on for another 12 months. This will result in a lot of uncertainty in the content market in Australia which is already suffering from a lack of content from major studios”.

For several years, content providers such as movie and TV studios have tried to control the distribution of content over the internet and after failing to control consumers they decided in early 2008b to try and control the carrier of the content with an action bought against small Australian ISP iiNet.

The action which was funded by AFACT members was bought in an effort to establish a ruling that would prevent large ISP’s such as BigPond and Optus from openly allowing their customers to transmit from one point to another point content such as music or movies which AFACT members deemed as being illegal and unpaid downloads.

Today the consortium of content providers, lost their case with Justice Cowdroy, ruling that all iiNet did was to provide an Internet service for consumer and that they should not be held responsible for the carriage of copyrighted content.

The consortium deliberately and some say with malice, chose to take on iiNet and not the likes of BigPond or Optus because iiNet was small and would struggle to fund their legal team.

If AFACT had won, providers would most likely have been forced to penalise or disconnect users who illegally downloaded copyrighted material such as movies and songs.

Justice Cowdroy recommended the application be dismissed and that AFACT pay the court costs.

Source: Smarthouse – iiNet Could Still Lose Copyright Case Say Experts
By David Richards | Thursday | 04/02/2010

FOR almost 50 years Australians faced one of the most limited television channel choices on the planet — a choice eventually expanded by pay-TV, and then digital programming — but now the country is about to enjoy almost unlimited choice with the arrival of IPTV in the lounge room.

IPTV, otherwise known as Internet Protocol TV, has been a buzzword on computers for the past year with the development of services such Joost, Hulu and the ABC’s own iView application.

Now experts say the unlimited sourcing of programming from the internet is at hand with new television sets boasting direct-to-the-internet broadband connections. These will allow programming to be streamed to the TV without the use of a computer as an intermediary.

Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and LG are among a handful of manufacturers that will bring the technology to Australia.

Paul Colley, technology communications manager with Sony Australia, says the technology is already available on its Bravia range in the US, and will debut in Australia in the near future.

He says it will give TV viewers to a very different way of accessing content.

Sony launched its Bravia Internet Video Link in the US last year. This allows a TV to stream content such as IPTV and web pages direct from the internet without having to go through a computer.

But Colley says viewers are looking for a different experience through televisions and “don’t want to be hunched over a mouse and a keyboard”.

Sony’s solution has been the development of its Xmedia bar, a navigation tool developed initially for the handheld PlayStation Portable and PS3, which comes with the video link box.

The navigation tool replaces the browser address bar and allows people to surf to regular websites and those offering IPTV feeds in a similar way to browsing through channels.

“It’s just like channel surfing,” Colley says. “And one of the wonderful things about the internet is the ability to explore.”

Duane Varan, head of the Interactive Television Institute at Murdoch University in Western Australia, says evolving media habits were at the heart of the emergence of lounge room IPTV in the local market.

“The basic principle is that people have a primary need for content and they want it when they want it,” he said.

“The big contingent in all of this is the metering of broadband.”

Varan says the way in which broadband providers metered their content in Australian was one hurdle to the success of IPTV through TVs.

Another hurdle was the availability of content from overseas portals and the protection of digital rights.

“I think the other problem is region-specific,” he says. “Savvy users know how to hide their IP address to get content from overseas, but this is beyond most people.”

While there may be hurdles, Varan believes the arrival of IPTV in Australia as a staple alongside free-to-air, digital and pay-TV broadcasters could prove to be a benefit to existing players rather than a drawback.

“What does it (IPTV) do to TV viewing?” he says. “I think it enhances TV programming and it is not taking away.

“Overall, I think it represents good news.”

Another benefit that Varan believes IPTV will bring is that it will allow advertisers to more keenly target audiences and individuals in the same way they can now slice and dice demographics online.

“Now you are going to have the ability to adserve, and there are some really interesting cases online already.”

He cites the IPTV offering on the ABC network in the US which allows on-demand programming supported by ads and offered with an interactive element.

“On the one hand it is competing with existing advertising, but at the same time it is enabling a different type of advertising program,” Varan says.

Sony’s Colley agrees that broadband capacity and cost in Australia are among the most significant issues standing in the way of the development of IPTV in the lounge room, but says computer-based photo, video and music libraries are already starting to be networked around the home.

Samsung has launched its second generation TV capable of streaming TV from a PC to the TV, but director of marketing Kurt Jovais says “the holy grail of IPTV is live streaming content over the internet to your TV, like watching the American Superbowl in real-time over the internet in native resolution on your home TV. This will require very fast broadband speeds and most likely a subscription service, but from a device perspective, today’s TVs could deliver.”

“As we move up in our IPTV capabilities, people will be able to share nearly any content experience over the TV. The amount of available content from anywhere in the world will be astonishing.

“It is also very exciting for the industry, as it is classically disruptive to the existing free-TV and pay-TV business models. It will be a very exciting evolution to be a part of,” he says.

Source The Australian – November 10, 2008 12:00AM

Australian IPTV Channels as prvided by IPTV..

Al Jazeera (English)

Al Jazeera English is the world’s first global 24-hour English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. From this unique position, Al Jazeera English is destined to be the English-language channel of reference for Middle Eastern events, balancing the current typical information flow by reporting from the developing world back to the West and from the southern to the northern hemisphere.

The station broadcasts news, current affairs, features, analysis, documentaries, live debates, entertainment, business and sport.

Bloomberg (English)

A 24-hour business and financial news channel delivers tools for power players and serious investors. Bloomberg build on their world-class resources to present up-to-the-minute market coverage, with the best anchors to deliver the news and the best journalists to add perspective and analysis. The multi-screen format displays information at a glance for investors who need quick, reliable news and data as market conditions change.

Channel NewsAsia (English)

Channel NewsAsia positions itself as an Asian TV News channel that provides news and information on global developments with Asian perspectives. Channel NewsAsia brings viewers not only the latest news but also the stories behind the headlines.

France 24

France 24 is the 24/7 international English news channel with ten-minute news bulletin every half hour. France 24 has an Editorial team of 260 journalists from 35 different countries and an impressive worldwide network of correspondents. Program coverage consists of business, sport, culture and studio discussions of world current affairs enriched by numerous current affairs, magazine programs, investigative reports, daily debates, diversity of opinion and confrontation of points of view.

Covers programmes on adventure, quiz contests, theatre, literature, music, paintings, sculpture & architecture fine arts, crafts and designs, cartoons, talent hunts, healthy life style, Classical dance/music performances by top class artists of national and international fame.

Programmes are made in collaboration with organizations like IGNCA, CEC, IGNOU, PSBT, NCERT and Sahitya Academy.

Deutsche Welle (DW-TV) is an English and German language channel broadcast from Germany. Deutsche Welle (DW-TV)’s programming provides the latest in politics, business, arts, sports, social issues, entertainment and news. At the heart of Europe, from the German capital Berlin, Deutsche Welle (DW-TV) covers the latest events and developments in Europe from its bureaus in Berlin, Brussels, and Moscow.

Phoenix Infonews Channel (Mandarin)

PHOENIX INFONEWS CHANNEL is the first 24-hour Mandarin-language foreign satellite television channel providing the latest news on finance and current affairs for Chinese communities worldwide. The channel’s news team includes proven expertise from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and brings in-depth and up-to-date coverage to Chinese communities.

Russia Today (English)

Russia Today is a news channel oriented to global viewers. It broadcasts in English, 24 hours a day. The channel beams by satellite to five continents, reaching 100 countries. The programme “wheel” has hourly blocks of international news about what’s happening in Russia and the world around it, about business, culture, sport and science topics in a comprehensive picture of latest global events. Russia’s growing role in the international economy, alongside political and economic co-operation and joint international projects in many fields of activity, all generate interest not only in events in Russia but also in Russia’s own assessment of global events.

SCTV (Mulitple Languages)

Satellite Community Television (SCTV) is a community television organization broadcasting a variety of ethnic programs in a variety of languages 24 hours a day.

TRT (Turkish)

TRT, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (Türkiye Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu), was founded in 1964, it is the national public broadcaster of Turkey.
Today, TRT is frequently heralded as the most widely respected broadcaster in Turkey and broadcasts around the world, especially in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

Royal Thai Army Radio and Television

Royal Thai Army Radio and Television channel 5 is a Thai language channel broadcast from Thailand. The channel offers viewers an update on the Thai political, economic, social, cultural and entertainment scene. It includes new bulletins, current affairs, educational and cultural programs, documentaries, music and sport events, game shows, sit-com series, etc. The news bulletins and most of the contents are broadcast simultaneously in Thailand.

TV5 Monde (French)

TV5MONDE is the only French general entertainment channel broadcast 24/7, offering films and series subtitled in English, news, cultural and art de vivre shows, kids programs and sports.

VOA (Multiple Languages)

The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts more than 1,000 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 115 million people.

Cuba Vision (Spanish)

Cubavisión Internacional is the 24 hour Cuban channel. It is originated in La Habana, in the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television. Programming is composed of a selection of culture, sports, politics, society, tourism, traditions and present time.

TPG IPTV allows you to watch selected TV channels via your PC or Notebook which are delivered to you through your TPG ADSL2+ connection, without the need to purchase an additional expensive set top box. TPG ADSL2+ modems are now available pre configured for IPTV.
 
TPG is offering its ADSL2+ customers (at selected IPTV enabled exchanges) FREE IPTV Trial with their broadband connections.
 
Additional channels (both free and subscription based) will be added to our line up shortly.