![\"Viodi](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/images\/logo-145px.gif\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Viodi View Menu<\/strong><\/p>\n Current Issue<\/a> <\/p>\n Telecom is Back<\/a><\/p>\n ……’Where is IPTV?’<\/a><\/p>\n Previous Issue<\/a> <\/p>\n Viodi View Subscribe<\/a> <\/p>\n Viodi Forums<\/strong> Club Viodi<\/a> Local Content<\/a> <\/p>\n Multimedia Search <\/a> <\/p>\n Viodi Workshops<\/strong> Local Content<\/a> Telco Video 101<\/a> IPTV Training<\/a> Sales Training<\/a> <\/p>\n Industry<\/strong> Industry Calendar<\/a> Favorite Links<\/a> <\/p>\n About Viodi<\/a> Contact<\/a> Biographies<\/a> <\/p>\n Interested in Sponsoring the Viodi View? Send an email to: sponsor@viodi.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Please forward<\/strong> this free publication to anyone you know who is involved in some way with independent telephone companies. <\/p>\n Mission of the Viodi View:<\/strong><\/p>\n In this on-line publication, we share our analysis, opinions and direction on the interactive television news and views that we believe will be of interest and use to our friends associated directly or indirectly with independent telephone companies. For more information as to the various ways Viodi works with independent telephone companies, please go to http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/alliance\/<\/a><\/p>\n Disclaimer:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Viodi View [Viodi, LLC] and its associates used their best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, the Viodi View [Viodi, LLC] does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.<\/p>\n All displayed trademarks, logos and service marks are the property of their respective owners. \u00a9 2006Viodi, LLC<\/a>. All Rights Reserved. Viodi View Newsletter – February 22nd, 2006<\/strong> <\/p>\n IPTV 2006 \u2013 the answer to \u2018Where IS IPTV?\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n By Peter Lowten, peter.lowten@viodi.com<\/strong><\/p>\n For my sins (which are many!) Krazy Ken asked me to generate one of my irregular reviews of exhibitions and conferences I have attended (some prior works include coverage of NAB<\/a> and the IBC<\/a> shows). This time it\u2019s IPTV 2006<\/a><\/strong> held last week in sunny (but cold) San Jose, California. The focus was on technologies and strategies driving IPTV forward. So I attended, hoping to get a better understanding of Quality of Service (QoS), Digital Rights Management (DRM) issues<\/strong>, and of WiFi<\/strong> as a ubiquitous home delivery mechanism<\/strong>. Incidentally, during these ramblings I will try to keep the ratio of acronyms to real words at less than 1:100\u2026..<\/p>\n So, where the heck are we\u2026.?!<\/strong><\/p>\n An overall impression is that IPTV is now where we were told it was last year! Actually, I take this as a very positive state of affairs, as many of the presentations contained material and points of view that showed that lessons learned<\/strong> from early adopters are guiding manufacturers and service providers through useful learning curves. <\/p>\n For instance, most speakers have realized that the whole Triple Play\/IPTV Ball o\u2019 Wax (BoW\u2026.) cannot just be about Telcos providing a \u2018me too\u2019 offering matched against a cable or satellite company. They see near term development of features and benefits<\/strong>, derived from IPTV\u2019s inherent characteristics that are innovative and difficult to copy in the more channel oriented world of cable delivery. <\/p>\n As an example, manipulation of IPTV streams supports low cost deployment of multiple picture-in-picture services leading to a wide variety of: personalized offerings. Fast upstream speeds<\/strong>, unmatchable on cable, and easy integration of local content<\/strong> combined with new thinking and good marketing to differentiate an independent telco\u2019s services, might lead to timely news and local content made from uploaded material from subscribers.<\/p>\n And So To DRM\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Additionally, strong points were made that industry infighting must not affect the user experience if a smooth take up of the underlying technology is to be effected. A case in point, I believe it was Peter Barrett of Microsoft<\/strong> who made it clear that, realistically, we are unlikely<\/strong> to have a single homogenous DRM <\/strong>environment. It is not in various companies\u2019 individual best interests to make that happen. <\/p>\n However we will be failing as an industry if the consumer of content – The Poor Schmuck (TPS)<\/strong> who, after all, will pay for all this wonderful progress \u2013 has to perform technical and legal handsprings to watch BBC comedies (the best kind!) on his mePod Flea (this product is not yet released\u2026). At some point seamless (at least invisible to TPS) gateways <\/strong>that move DRM through the varied \u2018hand-offs\u2019 that happen to content will have to be developed<\/strong> and deployed.<\/p>\n Incidentally last year\u2019s furor around MPEG4 and Microsoft\u2019s VC1<\/strong> seems to have died down considerably. Harmonic\u2019s David Price<\/strong> made it clear that Codec manufacturers were taking it in their stride by supporting all formats with little trouble as \u2018there are a lot of similarities between the two approaches\u2019. In general terms MPEG4 led by a large margin during discussion of actual IPTV implementation \u2013 particularly HDTV. A statement was made (by Anonymous) that IP Set Top Boxes that support HDTV<\/strong> will be rolled out this quarter of 2006<\/strong>. We may truly be close to this momentous and long awaited happening\u2026..<\/p>\n What became of QoS and WiFi\u2026?<\/strong><\/p>\n Actually a presentation by Selina Lo, CEO of Ruckus Wireless<\/strong> during the Home Networking Track explained that careful scheduling and control of multiple queues would allow high QoS over WiFi<\/strong>, conveniently killing two birds with one stone; unfortunately I missed a similarly oriented offering from Roc Lastinger, President of Rotani.<\/strong> Other tidbits from this track gave a less than rosy picture of the costs of installing a Home Network by a service provider. Set Top Boxes (STBs) in three rooms, a modem, plus CAT5 wiring and installation can average $1,020 per install<\/strong>. A very flexible approach to applying any one of a number of potential solutions, data over coax solutions, Home Power Plug, wireless, depending on the dwelling, seems to be the only viable approach for telcos at the moment.<\/p>\n That last sentence brings back memories of other presentations of good information on the way DVRs are modifying everything from habits to network strategies; the real bandwidth needs for the average home in the next few years (a semi-consensus of 35 megabits per second<\/strong> and more); and testing of the delivered IPTV signal (Sencore Inc <\/strong>seems to have a good package of test gear that is priced for the independent telco). Maybe Krazy Ken will let me cover those thoughts soon. (PS: 9 acronyms in 750 words!) <\/p>\n Back to Top<\/a><\/p>\n Previous Issue<\/a><\/p>\n Viodi View Subscribe<\/strong><\/p>\n Content Options?<\/strong><\/p>\n Learn About Some New Ones<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Viodi’s Content Pavilion <\/strong> Participants & Sponsors<\/strong><\/p>\n
5255 Stevens Creek, #127 Santa Clara, CA 95051<\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/local\/images\/conferencelogo.gif\")
<\/a>
Click here to learn more about Viodi’s Local Content Workshop<\/a> <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/postsnet.com\/campaigner_images\/Images\/optinlistbuilder\/FM-1.gif\")
<\/a>
Privacy Policy<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.contentpavilion.com\/images\/bug02_vid.gif\")
<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
at TelecomNEXT<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/logo_adobe.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/digital_containers.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/logo_eti.gif\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/logo_iacta2.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/logo_integra5.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/logo_ncast.gif\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/nrtc.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/logo_packet8.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/logo_seriousmagic.gif\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Click](\"http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/newsletter\/060201\/Sony_Logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n