IPTV Technology

Engr. Aamer Nazir Kiyani

Headings

What is IPTV
IPTV Services
IPTV Process diagram
Unicasting
Multicasting
IPTV Requirements
Network Architecture
IPTV Components
Key IPTV Technologies
IPTV Security

What is
IPTV?

IPTV is defined as multimedia services

such as
television/video/audio/text/graphics/ data
delivered over IP based networks managed
to provide the required level of quality of
service and experience, security,
interactivity and reliability.
Use Access Networks to reach clients, not
general internet links
IPTV is not audio/video through the internet

IPTV Services

Basic and Premium Television

Interactive TV / Two way
communication
HDTV
Video on Demand
Time shifted TV
Instant Messaging
TV Telephony
Gaming and Betting on Demand
Web and e-mail

IPTV Process Diagram

Content
Production

Program
Production

IPTV

Content
Aggregation

TV
Stations

Content
Delivery

IPTV Service
Providers

Content
Reproduction

TV Sets

Content Delivery:

TV Head End
IPTV Middleware
VOD Systems
Media Content Protection Systems (DRM)
IP STB

End User

Unicasting

Unicastis a form of network communication where the stream is

sent multiple times directly to each receiver:

Multicasting

Multicastis a stream that is sent once but can

be received by multiple receivers

IPTV Bandwidth Consumption

Given the above, and if we assume that Standard Definition (SD) TV
channels typically use 2-5 Mbit/s and High Definition (HD) channels
use 4-10 Mbit/s, a head-end IPTV appliance delivering 10 x SD
channels to 100 users via unicast will use:
100 x 5 Mbits = 500 Mbit/s total network bandwidth
This 500Mbit/s usage could be acceptable in a centralised office with
a lot of spare capacity, but if for example the network is split
between two buildings, and the connection between them is 1,000
Mbit/s, IPTV would over time account for a significant proportion of
that connection.
Multicast streaming can help reduce this bandwidth usage, in that
each channel is only sent once. In the same scenario described
above but using multicast, 10 x SD channels will now use:
10 x 5Mbits = 50 Mbit/s total network bandwidth
Once broadcast by the head-end, a network that is configured to
support multicast will distribute that stream to only the users
request it. Network switches use the IGMP protocol to work out which
users want which channels.

Design Considerations:
For ease of management, the IPTV head-end appliances and receivers
should ideally be placed within the same VLAN with IGMP port
filtering. Should the physical layout of the site makes a single VLAN
undesirable, multicast routing (PIM-SM) must be configured on the
switches.
Server Room
The server equipment varies depending on the application, but will
require the following:
1x 1 Gbit/Auto port per head-end appliance
1x Static IP address per head-end appliance
User Areas
Encoded Media IPTV Receivers are small set-top boxes that can
deliver live and on-demand content to screens anywhere that the
network reaches. Each box will require the following:
1 x 100 Mbit/Auto port
1 x DHCP IP address
McTest:
To help test your network for multicast, Encoded Media provides a free tool
called McTest. This is able to both broadcast and receive multicast streams.

IPTV Network
Regional
Head End
Home
Network

Access
Network
National
Head End

IP Core
Network

IPTV Head End

Acquiring

video from different sources

Video Encoding
VoD delivering
Content security
Conditional Access System (CAS)
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
EPG

Server
OBSS Subscriber management system

MPEG
Encoder

MPEG
Encoder

Live TV
VoD Server

Media
Streame
r

CA
S

DR
M

OBS
S

IPTV
Delivery
Network

IPTV Access Network

From

IPTV Data Center to the

subscriber
1.Fiber
2.DSL
3.Cable TV
4.Satellite
5.Wireless Broadband
6.Internet

IPTV Over ADSL

IPTV
Middleware
Middleware

A distributed operating system to connect

IPTV components
Runs on IPTV servers and IP-STBs
Integrates with VOD system, Headend, CA/DRM, STB and
the network
End-to-end configuration
User management
Interactive services
Provides channel/package and program together with pay
TV solutions
Links the electronic program guide (EPG) with the content
Acts as a boot server for the STB and ensures that all
STBs run compatible software

IP STB
IPTV

hardware and software infrastructure at customer premises

Runs the IPTV middleware at client
side
Decrypt the scrambled video
stream
Video decoding
Produce composite (analog) video
output
Program navigation with EPG
PVR

IP STB - Operation

User wants
to watch TV
channel

IP-STB connects
to appropriate
multicast group

User
watches TV
channel

IP-STB recieves
packets and
encodes it

IP-STB recieves
packets, encodes it and
sends to output device

IP STB - Hardware

IP STB - Software

Hardware drivers and media codec

Operating system and network stack
IPTV Client
TCP/IP Stack
TV browser
Various plug-ins

IPTV Content Security

TV Signal
CAS

OBS
S

ECM
generator

Multiplexer

TV
distribution
network

EMM
generator

Smart card based CA system

Call
collector

Transaction data

Set-Top Box
(decryption
)

IPTV Content Security

Digital
water
marks

REL
Application

Key
generation

Encryption

DRM Client
module

DRM Protection against theft and piracy of

digital media content