When IPTV was first introduced in the late 1990s it was definitely the TV system of the future. For home subscribers it offered digital television broadcast over a broadband infrastructure, usually along with Video on Demand (VOD).

This first phase IPTV deployments were typically implemented by small technology companies with lots of good ideas but not necessarily the size or scale to migrate to mass market deployments.

Their initial IPTV technology offerings were sufficient as long as the operators were willing to make do with what was available – without making any special demands. Unfortunately, these early IPTV technology suppliers were too small to offer scalable solutions and the customization that their customers began to require.

Another issue that was perhaps just as serious was the ad hoc approach to set-top box software. Operators generally used the software that was provided by the individual set-top box manufacturers. Unfortunately, this range of STB software was not good news for emerging operators. The small suppliers couldn’t ensure STB user consistency and interoperability across a range of STBs. The ability to provide a common user experience was essential for the major telecom players – who were keen to migrate into the IPTV market in a big way.

In one sense, Phase One of IPTV deployment was a victim of its own success. Early suppliers couldn’t keep up with progress and demand. Once the major telecommunications companies began entering the market with plans for triple or quadruple plays of their own, IPTV became something altogether different.  

Phase Two

IPTV really came into its own about two years ago. This was ushered in by a new phase of development where the players were larger. National telecommunications companies began realizing that their traditional voice revenues were being eroded which meant they needed to offer more and different services. They began to offer triple or quadruple plays of their own by adding entertainment and broadband Internet to their traditional voice and mobile services. What they required was more than the small developers were able to supply.

Another important feature of Phase Two was solving the problems which were created in Phase One. To start with, IPTV developments are now more complex and operators need to be able to dedicate real resources to issues like scalability and support for STB software. The result is that the players in the market are also increasingly large, and, critically, financially well-heeled.

As competition increases, operators have expanded their IPTV services. Of necessity their suppliers need to be large companies that can develop, deliver and support interactive TV and other applications. As the scale of deployment increases, it is natural for larger IPTV providers to turn to larger IPTV solutions providers.  

Synamedia Metro

For this second phase of IPTV, NDS developed Synamedia Metro, an integrated, secure IPTV middleware platform which enables telcos to introduce IPTV services – in addition to making it possible to add on-demand and other interactive applications to their service bundles.

Synamedia Metro is designed to address and manage crucial issues like interoperability, scalability, flexibility and interactivity. It is designed to grow with the platform and it is flexible enough to work with different STBs using a consistent software implementation.

Equally important, NDS as an organization is large enough to provide solutions to major telecommunications companies. NDS meets all their needs with continued IPTV development and support coupled with the integration they require.

Third phase

Now that the technology exists to solve the challenges that emerged in the first and second development phases, the question is where does IPTV go from here?

In a word, the answer seems to be convergence. In this case convergence refers to the merging of entertainment and communications applications with a single user interface -- applications that combine IP communications with TV. This is a focus for all major telecommunications providers in the next phase of IPTV as operators are engaged in the continuous competitive struggle to offer more and better communications and entertainment services to their customers.

The next stage of convergence integrates platforms as diverse as TVs, STBs, PCs and mobile devices. Viewers increasingly want to consume content in a wider variety of settings and on a growing range of devices. Having built on its security expertise, NDS now offers content protection and digital rights management applications designed to meet these consumer requirements by enabling and securing content and applications on any consumer device, anywhere, at any time.

This is certainly not what early developers envisioned as IPTV applications. But in a market where the triple play is leading to the quadruple play and beyond, thinking outside the box isn’t enough.

NDS is demonstrating that it offers the technologies, flexibility and interoperability that are essential to expand from the traditional TV world of 15 years ago to the new world of ever-increasing possibilities.

For more information:

Synamedia Metro