Internet Protocol TV is once again the subject of debate as Microsoft reveals intentions to start expanding their service globally in 2006, joining the list of companies who currently operate or have attempted to launch similar systems.
There have been a number of previous attempts at online television services but they were usually thwarted by lack of bandwidth. Now broadband networks are more established telecommunications companies are keen to take advantage of the situation and start transmitting video.
Ed Graczyk, director of marketing for Microsoft IPTV, discussed the prospects with BBC News Online. “Compression technology was not efficient enough, the net was not good enough,” but an “IPTV ecosystem” has started to take shape over the past year and “2006 is where it starts ramping up and expanding to other geographies - over time as broadband becomes more prevalent in South America, and other parts of Asia, it will expand.”
With TV programmes being transmitted via the same channels as web data there will be more scope for interactivity, limitless storage and tailoring of schedule content to viewers’ needs. It will potentially let operators target programmes to smaller, niche or localised audiences.
Seven major telecom companies have already taken up Microsoft’s IPTV Edition software, including US company SBC, and smaller companies Myrio and C-Cor have started to provide similar services of their own. IPTV is also being looked at as a potential distributor for companies who have unique types of content that they cannot cost effectively offer through cable and satellite operators - History Channel archives being the example cited.
It seems likely that, after a long period of false starts and speculation, IPTV could soon become the phenomenon the telecom companies have hoped for.