Increasing numbers of viewers are taking advantage of the growing amount of TV programming on the Web. US company Knowledge Networks has discovered that around 1 in 5 of us now watch some form of internet TV.
It is worth making the distinction between 'Internet TV' and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television). IPTV is similar to 'Internet TV' and while both use IP (Internet Protocol) to deliver their services, there are some subtle differences.
Internet TV makes use of the global internet to deliver services while IPTV is delivered over a private managed network. An IPTV service such as BT Vision is contained within a closed system which allows greater control over content and quality.
In terms of choice, most of us will be familiar with the BBC's iPlayer, a catch-up service (for the previous seven days schedule) for most of the broadcaster's numerous channels. A hugely popular service, since its launch on Christmas Day last year, some or all of the BBC's programmes have been watched 250 million times. ITV provides a limited amount of streamed content through its web site, mostly a selection of soaps and reality shows available for thirty days after broadcast. Channel 4's on Demand 4oD service offers a much larger choice of catch-up shows for free along with content for purchase or rental.
There are numerous other providers of TV material through the web including Joost who offer a huge catalogue of free programmes for streaming, divided into various 'channels'. These 'channels' are a combination of actual TV channels or content from a particular supplier. Zattoo is a useful web site for those of you looking to live stream (just a few seconds behind terrestrial broadcast) channels such as BBC Three and Four, Channel 4 and 5.
An interesting shift has taken place in the last few years with around two thirds of internet TV viewers looking to or expecting to watch material on devices other than the traditional TV. Additionally, flat panel TV manufacturers have long recognized the value of some form of integration between the internet and their flat panel TV's; this integration is now taking shape.
The technology to deliver internet content directly to a TV has been around for a while. The likes of Samsung, Panasonic and Sony now believe that consumers are ready to embrace the internet through a medium they previously reserved for TV programmes or movies.
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