What is IPTV and how do I get it?. The Advantages of IPTV.
Internet Protocol Television is an all-digital alternative to television broadcast over the Internet. While cable, satellite and free TV continue to dominate, IPTV is emerging as a force to be reckoned with. Is IPTV right for you?
What Is IPTV Exactly?
At its most basic level, IPTV is exactly what its name implies. This television is broadcast using the Internet Protocol. In case you didn’t know, Internet Protocol is the electronic language of the Internet. It is a system for sending and receiving data packets by routing them over the Internet.
Thus, IPTV is essentially the same as television transmitted via satellite, cable or radio waves. However, IPTV may offer additional features not available with other TV delivery methods, such as instant interactivity, due to its Internet-based nature.
Isn’t IPTV Just Like Netflix?
Isn’t IPTV like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video? It depends on how you define “TV” in IPTV. In practice, IPTV services offer live broadcasts. Netflix, by contrast, offers entertainment on demand.
Both service offers are possible. For example, Hulu offers IPTV channels as an add-on subscription to its basic on-demand video service. Thus, the use of IPTV is similar to traditional live TV, although the streaming technology is basically the same as that of video on demand providers.
Some definitions of IPTV are broad enough to include services like Netflix, but in this article we are dealing with IPTV as it is sold to customers.
What Do I Need for IPTV?
IPTV has more or less the same requirements as on-demand video services such as Netflix or Hulu:
An Internet connection with sufficient bandwidth. A device to launch an IPTV application or website (for example, a custom set-top box, computer, smartphone, smart TV, Amazon Fire Stick, etc.) In some cases, paid subscription.
Some IPTV services provide their set-top boxes and do not allow anyone who did not say set-top boxes to watch their broadcasts. This is to prevent piracy and to prevent people from viewing IPTV streams that are not approved for their region. This brings us to the next important aspect of IPTV: legality.
Is IPTV Legal?
IPTV technology is completely legal, although there may be issues in some strange countries that we are not aware of. Any legal issue with IPTV comes from licensing.
First, there are IPTV services that broadcast content they are not entitled to. They are like pirate TV channels, and whether you pay for them or not, they are doing illegal business.
It is not always easy to spot a pirated IPTV provider, but one big clue is that their app is not available in your local app store and you need to download it unpublished in order to access the stream.
Of course, not being on your local app store doesn’t just mean piracy. Legal IPTV providers are licensed to stream their content only in certain parts of the world. So if they are not in your mobile app store, this is a different explanation. The difference here is that a legitimate IPTV provider won’t offer unofficial access to the stream.
If the IPTV provider is not licensed to broadcast their content in your area, you can often get around this by using a VPN or Smart DNS. However, this is tantamount to copyright infringement as someone else has the right to provide such content in your area. The legality of using a VPN to bypass regional restrictions will vary from country to country. However, at the very least, this could be a violation of the terms of use of the respective IPTV provider.
The Advantages of IPTV
IPTV has several advantages over cable, satellite and broadcast television.
It often allows you to watch shows you have missed on your subscription. Picture quality is usually better than satellite and radio wave television. Installation is much cheaper, especially if you already have broadband and the right device. It offers more interactivity (like live voting).
The Best IPTV Providers
There are many IPTV providers out there, and which one is right for you will depend on where you live and what kind of content you like. We found several reputable, legal and popular services. Just remember that it is your responsibility to check if a given IPTV service is legal in your specific region as there is regional licensing in place.
DirecTV came about through the buyout of AT&T and then the merger with AT&T’s own IPTV service. It offers multiple levels of content, but you get a mix of live streaming and video on demand in all of them.
DirecTV starts at $ 69.99 / month to $ 139.99. The main differences between the levels are in the sports content and the number of bolt-on kits (e.g. HBO Max).
You can get a dedicated DirectTV box for an additional $ 5 per month (if you meet the criteria) or a $ 120 prepayment. However, you can simply use a device you already own, such as Apple TV, Android, Roku, Amazon FireTV Stick, and Chromecast devices.
Tubi TV
Unlike DirectTV, Tubi TV is completely free and offers a wide variety of live and on-demand content. Everything is supported by advertising. At Tubi, ads run every 15 minutes and about 4-8 minutes of ads per hour of content.
Unfortunately, there is no paid tier to remove ads, so everyone has to put up with it. This can be very annoying for on-demand content. However, if you are switching from traditional TV to cable, satellite or free-to-air TV, it will be an improvement as most of these services have more ads for a longer period of time.
Tubi TV tends to have older content, but again, you won’t find much of this classic content on most paid services. So at least Tubi is a great IPTV add-on service.
Tubi works on many supported devices including Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Android, and Chromecast devices.
Is IPTV for You?
If you already use services like Netflix and are happy with the reliability of your internet connection, there is no reason to fear IPTV. It really comes down to whether there is an IPTV service that suits your needs and tastes. If your current TV service offers the same content as IPTV, this could be a great step to combine everything with your internet connection and run it all on one device.
If you’ve cut your cord and are thinking about how much you miss TV, consider whether you need it. Live sports is a common demand driver for IPTV that services like Netflix lack, but news coverage is what most of us get from our smartphones. Instead of sitting at 21:00 and watching it on TV.
IPTV is a great remedy for choice paralysis when using services like Netflix. If you find yourself spending more time watching shows rather than watching them, IPTV and a few channels that suit your tastes can be a great alternative.
What is IPTV and how do I get it?
What is IPTV and how do I get it?