A new report warns that broadband video services will eventually displace broadcast distribution, but telecommunications providers may not be the ultimate winners of the network television revolution.
The report, “IPTV: Broadband meets Broadcast,” by consulting firm informitv, also predicts that Internet protocol television (IPTV) will transform both television and the Internet for the delivery of digital television and other audio and video services.
The report said telecommunications companies are rushing to roll out television services, while online providers are ramping up their video offerings. But broadcasters appear to be largely oblivious to this significant threat and opportunity.
The report predicts that within a decade, video services delivered over broadband networks will be firmly established as an alternative platform to digital satellite, terrestrial and cable transmission. It suggests the real competition will come not between operators of rival platforms, but between closed and open networks.
Television, the report said, will become more like the Web, as scheduled broadcast channels are displaced by a choice of millions of download and on-demand programs. Telco TV services will be challenged by an open source TV distribution model, offering a much more diverse choice of free and pay programming over the Internet.
The 200-page report includes 25 case studies and provides a comprehensive assessment of the fast-emerging and intensely competitive landscape. For more information, visit http://iptv-report.com.
