The past few years have seen the Canadian television landscape shift in dramatic and clear ways. The shift has been brought on by a number of factors, not the least of which has been the arrival of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). This new method of viewing television has come to Canada over the past few years and allows an almost unfathomable choice of shows to be viewed through a viewer’s internet connection. This article looks at our almost newfound Canadian enthusiasm for “watching television on the internet.”
Television content delivered over Internet Protocol (IP)—that is, anything watchable over the Internet—can now be called IPTV. This is different from traditional television methods, such as shelling out for satellite dishes or staying within the confines of cable. Those options leveraged their own ways of broadcasting, not too differently from how local radio stations work. IPTV uses the Internet and is therefore more flexible and often cheaper to push out to consumers. Streaming live channels, on-demand or recorded content, and whatever types of shows users can view through their devices—such as computers, tablets, and so on—can all be called IPTV.
For a long time, the Canadian media landscape was dominated by a few large players. This was particularly true for the television sector, where the bulk of the service was provided by the cable companies Rogers, Bell, and Shaw. But all that is changing now as high-speed internet becomes universally available and the IPTV model rises to the fore. IPTV is, of course, internet protocol television. Simply put, it is TV service delivered in whole or in part over the internet rather than through traditional cables or satellite dishes.
A significant number of Canadians are on the lookout for ways to cut down their monthly outgoings. In this respect, I find that IPTV usually comes out on top for affordability. So, what the heck is IPTV? It is a subscription television service that delivers content over the Internet rather than through traditional means. In the case of IPTV, the traditional means would be an antenna, fiber optics, or coaxial cable. IPTV uses the same pipes as your Internet service but can deliver content in a far more reliable and efficient manner—also a cheaper manner, it often seems.
Canadians watch television differently today, and the reason boils down to one trend: binge-watching. The Canadian public, like people everywhere, has heaved a collective sigh of relief and settled back cozily on their sofas ever since “all you can watch” streaming services came into the world. Watching a half-hour episode of The Office circa 2005 felt like a bender because, well, it kind of was! These days, we don’t even think twice about it when, only four paywall-surfing clicks later, we tumble into watching the second episode of Ted Lasso after having just finished the first.
Acquiring content rights is a complicated and costly business. Providers of IPTV in Canada are often up against much larger, long-established players and international streamers. These powerhouse competitors make it hard for IPTV providers to compete and achieve a robust content offering. And while the vast majority of urban Canadians enjoy access to high-speed internet, the same can’t be said for many people living in our rural and remote areas. These connectivity problems can limit the reach of IPTV and cut out as a potential demographic any rural or remote Canadian who might like to subscribe.
IPTV’s future in Canada remains bright as technology advances. Televisual transmission over the internet appears to be a supremely flexible, affordable, and rich-content distribution medium. Progress in internet infrastructure and the expected rollout of 5G technology could do a lot to make IPTV services higher quality and more widely accessible. The near-term may also see some exploration of business model variants that take advantage of changing consumer viewing patterns and preferences, with the possibility of ad-supported content or lifestyle-driven subscription bundles being among the nominally IPTV delivery alternatives put forward.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning can now be used to recommend content. This is likely to improve, making it almost intuitive for viewers to find new shows, channels, and other content. But what about the actual delivery of television? IPTV — Internet Protocol television — is redefining that experience in Canada, and not just because Canadians are hungry for new ways to consume their favorite pastime. IPTV is seen as a cost-effective, user-friendly way to bring a diverse array of content to viewers.