The last few years have witnessed the UK television industry change from delivery through traditional cable and satellite systems to internet protocol television services. Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a delivery method that is becoming increasingly popular and has emerged as a revolutionary way for UK viewers to watch television over the internet. Viewers themselves require only a simple set-top box and a broadband internet connection for seamless service—IPTV doesn’t even require a physical TV. Viewers can watch through any device of their choosing: computers, tablets, smartphones, etc. With IPTV, the programming is sent directly to the viewer over the internet by a 1’s and 0’s “signal,” but the content itself is still “TV” programming (in whatever terms that might mean to you).
The key advantage of IPTV is flexibility. It is a delivery system that wears the appearance of many “TV Everywhere” services, such as those offered by HBO or Comcast. With IPTV, live and on-demand content can be accessed through a wide range of devices. These same services are also available to stream on a growing number of smart televisions. In contrast, linear TV looks and acts almost precisely the way it did when it dictated the appearance of an early-2000s reality. The programming is divided into channels, many of which reside in an app-like interface that once belonged to old pay TV set-top boxes. And the pay part of pay TV wasn’t what it was cracked up to be, either.
In the UK, viewers have a wide choice of distinctive IPTV services, but Sky Q is easily the leader in ambition and content. It straddles the worlds of traditional satellite delivery and internet protocol in a way, but it is at heart an IPTV offering. And what an offering it is! There’s a ton of effective, engaging features packed into service for viewers, from live content to a snake pit of great on-demand TV to a single-search interface. If viewers want to find something to watch, they can be assured it will be a simple, easy task on the Sky Q platform.
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BT TV combines live television with an almost unlimited on-demand library that contains plenty of content options from a variety of streaming services to entice viewers. Sports fans will also find much to love about BT TV, since it gives them what is arguably the best live sports viewing experience in the UK. And yet, in the extremely competitive world of UK television services, how does BT TV stack up versus its most important rivals? Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, to be specific? These two provide viewers week-in-week-out with an endless stream of engrossing, binge-worthy content and also claim gigantic portions of the UK “entertainment landscape.
While there are many useful traits of IPTV, UK users must be cognizant of its legality. Although the service might seem legitimate, this can be misleading. Some IPTV providers offer the service without the necessary lawful licenses required to comply with UK law. That would be like watching pirated DVDs. If you are found watching the content that your IPTV provider hasn’t secured a license for, you are effectively watching pirated content and could theoretically face legal repercussions similar to what you might encounter if you were caught with a bag of pirated DVDs. Of course, the chances to be caught are pretty slim, and the legal part of things is more of a heads-up so that you can make an informed decision about which providers are worth using and which are not.
In the UK, for instance, people are moving from standard television to Internet Protocol television. Although standard television might be the most “common” way in which audiences relate to moving images, IPTV and actual tele-visual content are only likely to increase as broadband connections get even better and more people go online throughout the day.
The programming options for people who use IPTV are huge and only getting huger. Still, you have to know the legal environment in which you operate to enjoy your moving images without fear—and here’s our look at that environment.