Digital Television, also known as D

Digital Television, also known as Digital TV, is the most significant advancement in
television technology since the medium was created over a century ago. Digital TV
offers consumers more choice and makes the viewing experience more interactive.
The analog system of broadcasting television has been in place for well over
60 years. During this period, viewers experienced the transition from black-and-white
sets to color TV sets. The migration from black-and-white television to color
television required viewers to purchase new TV sets, and broadcasters had to
acquire new transmitters, pre, and post production equipment. Today, the industry is
going through a profound transition, migrating from conventional TV to a new era
of digital technology. Most TV operators have upgraded their existing networks and
have deployed advanced digital platforms in an effort to migrate their subscribers
away from traditional analog services to more sophisticated digital services. A new
technology called Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV), has started to grab
headlines across the world with stories about several large telecommunication,
cable, satellite, terrestrial, and a slew of Internet start-ups delivering video over an
IP based service. As the name suggests, IPTV describes a mechanism for
transporting a stream of video content over a network that uses the IP networking
protocol. The benefits of this mechanism of delivering TV signals vary from
increased support for interactivity to faster channel changing times and improved
interoperability with existing home networks. Before describing the various
technologies that make up an end-to-end IPTV system, this chapter will start by
defining IPTV. The growth drivers for the industry sector are then examined, and