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ON-DEMAND OVER IPTV: STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR VOD AND REPLAY-TV |
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ON-DEMAND OVER IPTV: STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR VOD AND REPLAY-TV
A number of on-demand IPTV strategies have emerged that focus on how the user will access content: U.S. cable companies have defined a start-over strategy. Other strategies include time-shift TV, standard VOD libraries, niche content, Hollywood content, cable content, network content, and what is known as ‘longtail’ Hollywood content. Before providers implement user strategies, however, they must deal with technical considerations. Do you open your network to the Internet? Or do you push VOD to the set-top box (STB)?
This column will take an in-depth look at user behavior and at the technologies needed to implement on-demand over IPTV. Cable companies are already training subscribers to use VOD. Comcast, for example, bundles free VoD with its digital TV offerings, allowing it to scale and judge popularity with little pushback from its customer base. Of course, VOD must have an easy-to-use search capability, and providers need to keep in mind that Internet video behavior influences what subscribers expect from VOD. This article will also cover user-generated content, which is uploaded to the network via the STB. The author will illustrate this section with recent data about user Internet video behavior, market size, and growth potential. Technologies discussed include time-shift TV, standard VOD (content is on a server accessed via STB), download and play, and others.
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