AT&T: IPTV, brings you a new way to channel surf
We’ve already got TV via broadcast, cable, and satellite, but now the phone companies are elbowing their way into the mix as well. AT&T is planning to expand its Internet Protocol Television, or IPTV, network, which delivers TV signals via a broadband connection along with standard Internet service. The upshot is a virtually limitless number of channels with on-demand and DVR-style features. One issue still being resolved is HDTV, which gobbles up huge chunks of bandwidth. Instead of relying on expensive fiber-optic cable strung right into peoples’ homes, Verizon’s FiOS service, AT&T’s IPTV network relies on compressing signals over existing phone lines, which may not be enough to offer reliable high-definition streams. Test of the services are being done now in a few communities in Texas, but look for more widespread use of IPTV in the next few years.
Source: blog.scifi
