the time is now to release the
• IPTV’s managed high-quality res-
olution return channel enables
tainment media services can be
blended with presence, messag-
• Editorial control over program-
ming is guaranteed without limi-
cise information about end user
is available, end-user interactivi-
To find out more what can to be
done, please visit: http://www.erics-
potential of next generation iptV
end-user interactivity which can ing and incoming pop-up calls tation in terms of interactivity, ty is made possible, and high son.com/campaign/televisionary/
be used for non-entertainment- that allow end users to virtually time, place and device shift. resolution facilitates improved regulation
based interactive services such share their media experience with • Parental control can be imple- information exchange about
as remote education, remote other remote users. The living mented at any time in line with goods and services. Recommended further reading found
healthcare, remote working, and room sofa is then transformed to a established rating classifica- on the site:
government services. virtual meeting place, shared by tions. In addition, parents can What’s next? • Media Convergence is here – but
many on an invitation-only basis. remotely verify what is currently is it a fair game?
end user values: being watched on TV screen at Next-generation IPTV is currently en- • What Consumers Want from fu-
• With next-generation IPTV, there Content producer home through the ‘What’s on tering some markets around the ture TV and Video solutions
is no longer a trade-off between Values: TV’ service. globe. In others, it has not been al- • Reshaping the business of Tele-
high quality and high capacity. • Next-generation IPTV blends lowed in its most basic first genera- vision
High-definition quality is guaran- • Network-based interactive digital media and communication ser- tion form. Yet in most markets, IPTV • Is there a need for converged TV
teed even in widespread usage content can be made available vices. In combination with two- is, to varying degrees, limited by reg- regulation?
scenarios where there are multi- and protected without limiting way, high-resolution communi- ulation and policies to a mere broad-
ple screens in many simultane- end users’ opportunities to time, cation, the media service provider cast only service, leading to wasted
ous locations. place and device shift their media is able to aggregate, commis- and lost opportunities. rene summer
• Channel self-care gives end us- and TV consumption within the sion, or produce new media and Next-generation IPTV can provide is Director Government
and Industry Relations at
ers the possibility to choose sphere for legal private use. entertainment formats. end users, the business ecosystem, Ericsson. His focus is
industry regulation of
among channels offered by the • Transaction-based • Also available is the capability to the internet and society as a whole telecom, TV/broadcast,
content and advertising.
media service provider at any pricing can be used mix different business models, with new capabilities, advantages Previously a senior
time they want. In principle, this to set prices that as well as transaction-based dif- and benefits — that is if next-gener- business analyst at several Ericsson units,
he holds an MSc in International Business
functionality can be realized at reflect the value of ferentiated pricing for media, in- ation IPTV is allowed to deliver its in- and Finance with a focus on multinational
enterprise and business strategy and public
the individual programming level, the content, busi- formation and e-commerce ser- novative technological advances. policy from Reading University, UK.
freeing the end user from sched- ness model and vices. Today, in many markets, the regula-
rene.summer@ericsson.com
uled programming aside from live the rights of use, • New advertising, commission tory and legislative environment is OFFICE: +46 10 71 18 893
MOBILE: +46 70 24 53 668
broadcast programming. whether it is public broadcast, on- and e-commerce capabilities not updated to allow these new pos-
• The VOD and Network Personal demand, or download-to-own. become available as more pre- sibilities to be realized.
Video Recorder (NPVR) func- • Return channel, the fundamental
tions free users from the linear network capability that allows for
programming that is currently user interactivity with quality of
available. End users can break service, will give content produc-
away from time schedules to ers new capabilities to innovate
time-shift media consumption in new interactive media and en-
AlAN BAND/GETTY IMAGES
by choosing content on-de- tertainment formats.
mand or prerecorded linear pro- • More precise information about
gramming for viewing at a later end users is made available, en-
time. Features such as the abling the exploration and devel-
broadcast reminder and the opment of new advertising and
ability to initiate recording via sales commission models. Inter-
mobile services give the end active return channel with high-
user the freedom to remotely screen resolution presents addi-
schedule and be reminded of tional benefits when end users
their selected linear programs. are able to interact with personal
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• The three-screen solution on top and targeted e-commerce offer-
of time shift allows users to shift ings.
media consumption to the de-
vice – either the TV, PC or mobile media service provider
phone –that works best for them Values:
at the time. • In several ways, end-user values
• Next-generation IPTV enables allow media service providers to
service blending, which com- differentiate their services versus
bines media and communication existing broadcast offerings at a
services on one screen. Enter- lower cost.
5 6

The time is now to release the
potential of next generation IPTV
BY: Rene Summer, Director Government and Industry Relations at Ericsson
The individualized media experience If content is king, distribution chain from content ag- mote control, or watch it on different It would be wrong What will next-
is about enabling a paradigm shift gregation in a content server, to dis- mobile/portable screens or a PC us-
for the way people consume and in- then distribution tribution, all the way to presentation ing keypads or touch screens. to not choose generation IPTV
teract with media and TV content – on end-users’ screens. Not only can the viewer now re-
with any service, using any device, is queen Unmanaged TV methods include ceive the interactive, personalized what is right give us?
anytime, and anywhere. It won’t im- various internet-based horizontal and on-demand features associated Value to society:
mediately change the way you watch From a TV and media distribution services that focus on specific as- with Unmanaged TV viewing, but Next-generation IPTV is the evolu- The evolution of IPTV will reinforce • Next-generation IPTV drives the
TV today, but it will be a catalyst for point of view, high capacity and pects of the TV and media service, they can enjoy unprecedented qual- tion of the existing first-generation and increase benefits and values for modernization of broadband
how you watch it tomorrow. Passive quality of service, interactivity, im- typically content aggregation and ity of service and comfort that comes IPTV offerings that have been based the society overall including the inter- access networks from single-
TV viewing is increasingly becoming mediacy, time/device shift are all the graphical user interface, and, oc- with watching Managed TV. This on copper access infrastructure, net, end users and the business eco- use internet access to multipur-
extinct. Instead, an interactive media benefits facilitated via modern high- casionally, an integrated device of- new experience can be delivered in single stream (i.e. one set-top box system. These benefits are predomi- pose networks, based on fiber
user experience is evolving in its performing network-based innova- fering. These approaches are by no high-definition to large screens for per household), standard-definition nantly based on, or enabled by, infrastructure. This will benefit
place alongside broadcast TV (in- tions. From an end-user perspective, means to be considered inferior; many simultaneous users without screen resolution, linear program- high-capacity access networks, bi- and empower all other internet-
cluding terrestrial, cable and satel- these capabilities enable personal- many times they are very popular compromising the individual and in- ming and limited Video On-Demand directional network-based intelligence related communication, infor-
lite), as well as first generation IPTV ized media consumption of any con- and extremely attractive. teractive experience. The underlying (VOD) catalogues. and service delivery platform capabili- mation, media and entertain-
and internet TV, also known as Over tent, anytime, in any place, and on But rarely, if ever, do Unmanaged network-based IPTV capabilities re- ment services. Without IPTV
the Top TV (OTT TV). any device. TV players take responsibility for the alize and assure every aspect of val- High Long tail On- On- Content Distribution
implementation, modernization
In Figure 1, we can see the differ- distribution of content to the end ue associated with next-generation Definition channel demand, demand, and editorial network of broadband networks will stall.
offering time shift device shift control Empowers
ent ways that TV and media are de- user. Instead, these approaches de- IPTV. Internet • IPTV can increase media diver-
livered over both fixed and mobile pend on, and sometimes expect, sity as it offers lowered entry
networks. It highlights how network- that network functionalities such as Cable costs for new media service
based media distribution is funda- interactivity, capacity expansions Evolution in networked media distribution providers, as well as commer-
mentally structured today in Man- (such as those in fiber-access net- Satellite cial TV companies, non-com-
aged and Unmanaged TV distribution works) and investments in network mercial organizations and gov-
models. modernization will be made for them TV and Media Content ernment bodies. This will
Terrestrial
These two fundamentally differ- to make Unmanaged TV offerings empower media democracy,
ent approaches to offering media available to end users. and freedom and diversity of ex-
Unmanaged TV Not
services are strongly interdepen- There are many things said today Managed TV Unmanaged TV (Internet TV,OTT) applicable pression. Special interest pro-
Internet TV, OTT: over the top TV
dent, but have unfortunately been about how media and TV should be gramming can also be made
Terrestrial Broadcast only Online streaming eg Hulu IPTV
heavily polarized in public discus- distributed, and that debate is sure Next Generation
available at lower cost.
sions. Because the models’ inherent to continue. However, one no longer Satellite Broadcast only Legal P2PTV eg Joost • IPTV can integrate Unmanaged
interdependency has often been ne- needs to take sides in the debate Cable* BC, Unicast, OTT Other P2PTV eg SopCast Figure 2: Comparison of end-user requirements TV and other best-effort internet
glected, so has the need for coop- between Managed and Unmanaged Telecom (IPTV) BC, Unicast, OTT Download TV eg iTunes applications, enabling the end
eration and constructive competition TV. There is a new approach on the user to view internet content on
between them. As their interdepen- market that combines the best of Next-generation IPTV can’t be ties. Needless to say, end-user applica- the TV screen. The user inter-
Connected Living room PC Place Shift Mobile
dency becomes acknowledged, po- both worlds: next-generation IPTV. Home Quality, reliability Interactivity Anywhere Portalble considered a pale imitation of the tions and content offerings launched on face will be optimized for use
larization between the models will Next-generation IPTV takes the best Seamless Personal broadcast service – nor should its these network capabilities are to be with the remote control in con-
Consumer viewing time distribution
decrease, resulting in fruitful devel- from the traditional Managed TV ex- value and contribution be defined measured on their own merits too, and ventional TV media consump-
opment and competition. perience and combines it with the and limited by Unmanaged TV ser- appreciated for the value they add. tion mode. This conventional
Managed TV encompasses the best of the Unmanaged TV-watching vices. Figure 2 compares selected and well-established interface
necessary network-based features experience. end-user requirements and the ex- will empower users who are not
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and critical capabilities that facilitate With next-generation IPTV, there tent to which the different approach- very experienced with the PC
the end-to-end assurance of service is no need for users to change their Figure 1: How TV and Media is distributed over networks es to media distribution can satisfy and internet to join the World
quality, network integrity, content behavior; instead, they can continue these requirements. Wide Web community.
protection, and editorial protection. watching television on the same * Cable with DOCSIS 3.0 will be able to realize IPTV services
Managed TV covers the entire TV screen, with the aid of the familiar re-
2 3 4