A triple-play network is one in which voice; video and data are all provided in a single access subscription. The most common applications are Telephony, community antenna television (CATV) and high-speed Internet service. The transmission medium may be fiber optic, conventional cable ("copper") or satellite. No matter how advanced the technology may become, customer relationship management (CRM)
remains an important factor in the success of any triple-play network. Home users who subscribe to triple-play networks enjoy the fact that they have to pay only one bill each month and can deal with a single entity to resolve problems with their telephone, TV or Internet connections. The ideal triple-play system functions 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). The best triple-play services provide customer support on a 24/7 basis as well; when a customer calls for service, hold times are rarely long. Non-technical features such as these are crucial to maintaining customer loyalty. What is IP TV
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a system where a digital television service is delivered using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. A general definition of IPTV is television content that, instead of being delivered through traditional broadcast and cable formats, is received by the viewer through the technologies used for computer networks. For residential users, IPTV is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand and may be bundled with Internet services such as Web access and VoIP. The commercial bundling of IPTV, VoIP and Internet access is referred to as "Triple Play" service (when these three are offered with mobility, the service is referred to as "Quadruple Play"). IPTV is typically supplied by a service provider using a closed network infrastructure. This closed network approach is in competition with the delivery of TV content over the public Internet, called Internet Television. In businesses, IPTV may be used to deliver television content over corporate LANs. Advantages of IPTV include two-way capability lacked by traditional TV distribution technologies, as well as point-to-point distribution allowing each viewer to view individual broadcasts. This enables stream control (pause, wind/rewind etc.) and a free selection of programming much like its narrowband cousin, the web. IPTV covers both live TV (multicasting) as well as stored video (Video on Demand VOD). The playback of IPTV requires either a personal computer or a "set-top box" connected to a TV. Video content is typically MPEG2TS delivered via IP Multicast, a method in which information can be sent to multiple computers at the same time, with the newly released H.264 format thought to replace the older MPEG-2.
