Our beginner-friendly guide will finally answer the popular “What is IPTV?” question. Learn what IPTV is and compare IPTV with Satellite and Cable.
What Is IPTV?
IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television or to put it simply, Internet Television. This represents all PayTV services that are offered through a connection to the internet. IPTV takes up several forms that include television live streaming, VOD (Video on Demand) and delayed broadcast.
Benefits of having an IPTV service is that it is often cost-effective when compared to the usual CATV (Cable Access Television) services; and the high quality of live streams makes for a good viewing experience.
How Does IPTV Compare To Satellite and Cable?
To help you learn what IPTV is and how it works, you can compare IPTV with Satellite and Cable TV.
Content
For starters, a basic subscription for an IPTV service can allow access to many more channels than what a single satellite subscription provides. It’s true, with satellites you would need to get individual subscriptions to more than one service because one won’t be able to provide you with all the channels you want.
Ease
With an IPTV service, you don’t have to spend hours on the roof trying to tune in for proper signals and image. You also don’t have to go through the hassle of trying to sort out all those wires or talk to your service provider about channel information. This is unlike a satellite subscription that calls for hiring technicians to properly tune the dish, which takes a lot of time. Also, a dish on the roof looks unattractive, to say the least.
IPTV is Not Susceptible To Weather Changes
If you’ve ever subscribed to a satellite service, you know it can be rather inconvenient when you’re watching a live match and the weather doesn’t cooperate. Satellite dishes are sensitive to weather changes such as winds or rain. In extreme cases, these can even cause the dish to be blown away. Let’s not forget the sun outage that can disrupt signals that the satellite picks. This is one of the many reasons why people consider IPTV as the future of broadcasting.
Bandwidth and Coverage
People with an IPTV service have their entire bandwidth assigned by the fiber optic network that they use whereas those that have cable television have to share the bandwidth with other people in the surrounding neighborhood that have subscribed to the same cable provider. Meanwhile, programs that a satellite service provides are specific to the region that the user lives in.
High-Definition
With a satellite or cable subscription, it’ll be a few years until you can watch your shows in high-quality Although satellites provide adequate quality, it is often disrupted by weather or a need for tuning the dish. As far as cable is concerned, 4K broadcasting isn’t available on its subscriptions and is only available to users with IPTV connection such as Hulu and Amazon.
Price
You’ll be doing your wallet a favor with an IPTV connection since you’ll be paying a combined cost that covers internet, television and an IP phone. The affordable pricing is why IPTV in Canada is gaining popularity. Although the lower cost of cable looks more affordable, with IPTV you’ll be able to view internet-exclusive channels. Moreover, cable companies are in the process of digitalizing their technology, which is expensive so the burden will be on the customer. Also, with IPTV you can get affordable packages on popular TV shows.
Now that you know what IPTV is and learned more through our comparison, you can compare actual IPTV plans from providers in Canada.
