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A Look at IPTV

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the more-consumer-control-never-a-bad-thing dept.

Q-Tip writes "Ars Technica has posted an introduction to IPTV, which is the TV programming technology AT&T (and formerly BellSouth) will be using to provide TV service over its next-gen optical network. The article covers how IPTV works and how AT&T and other providers will be able to provide more interactive services once their networks are up and running."

5 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. Interactive services? by 91degrees · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't want an interactive service. I want to passively sit on my butt and watch TV!

    1. Re:Interactive services? by LordSnooty · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Mod him up. Interactive services are the great white (red?) elephants of modern TV. Content providers only push them as a revenue stream. They rarely offer anything insightful - in the UK, I can only think of the BBC's sport coverage, offering eg actions from many courts at Wimbledon. In the commercial sector, just ask Andy Duncan of Channel 4 whether interactive services are worthwhile. In the US, do we see much interactive penetration? Has Fox convinced idiots to part with money to vote via the TV on American Idol? For this is surely the only useful application, in their eyes.

  2. Hmm HDTV Still Cripled... by Xserv · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This doesn't seem like a good idea. The bandwidth is STILL an issue and it's crippling HDTV signals still. Isn't this kind of a waste of time? Xserv

    --
    "I love lamp."
  3. WOW, there is nothing but shite on TV isn't there. by Shivetya · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hate to break it to ya but this line is nearly as old as TV itself.

    There is never anything on TV to watch but many will still watch something anyway. Face it, people like to complain but do nothing about it. They will still turn the same old shite on and just be content to bitch about it.

    With hundreds of channels there is bound to be something on that is appealing enough to prevent most from turning the set off. With video on demand services and TIVO devices there are even more opportunities for TV to be part of people's lives.

    The only way TV is going away is when we manage to convince people to call it something else. It will still have nothing for us to watch or do that we "want" to watch or do but we still will.

    go figure

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  4. Great, now they can see what I watch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    With IPTV, it will be possible for the cable companies to log exactly what channels I watch when. What about privacy?