IPTV over Fixed and Mobile Networks

Course Overview

IPTV is part of the new world services and is being made available due to the convergence of service delivery over IP. With the advent of broadband services over fixed and mobile networks it is now possible to deliver IPTV to these platforms. IPTV easily fits into the triple-play service arena and together with mobile solutions also fits into the quad play service paradigm. IPTV can be seen as a competitor to existing broadcast terrestrial, satellite and cable systems, while providing service to anyone with a broadband connection.

This course provides the extra knowledge that modern service providers need to evaluate and understand the capabilities of IPTV. Students will learn how modern digital TV is produced and delivered to the customers' equipment. This course also covers how services are delivered efficiently over IP networks. Students will also understand how multi-channel presentation and channel change affect bandwidth.

Audience

This course is primarily designed for people who have an interest in the strategic deployment of IPTV networks and services. This course is also very useful for network configuration, planning and maintenance staff who need to engineer IP networks to carry the IPTV service.

Skills Gained

On completion of this course the student will be able to:

• state what IPTV is and contrast it with other video services delivered over IP networks
• identify the position of IPTV in new and emerging TV markets
• describe the architecture of a typical IPTV system
• describe the main features and compression techniques of the video and audio codecs
• explain how IPTV is delivered using MPEG transport streams
• name the main IP protocols involved in IPTV services
• demonstrate how IP multicast is used to deliver IPTV services
• identify the main functions of the major components of an IPTV system
• contrast the differences between IPTV in Video On Demand, mobile and fixed deployments
• outline the Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) techniques used within IPTV
• explain the main features of copy management and copy protection

Examinations

N/A

Prerequisites

Ideally, the students would have a good understanding of IP networks and IP-related services. For students without this prerequisite knowledge, attendance on our IP Engineering Overview course is highly recommended.

Familiarity with IP networks and services is required. Topic areas include:

• Introduction to IPTV services
• Video transmission techniques
• IP protocol suite
• Core network considerations
• Access network considerations
• Quality of Service
• Security
• Content owner requirements
• Billing considerations
• Deployment architecture

Course Outline

Introduction to IPTV Services

• Introduction to IPTV
• Digital TV
• IPTV network architecture
• Mobile TV
• IPTV - technical challenges for IP networks
• IPTV protocols
• IPTV standardisation activities

Video Encoding and Transmission Techniques

• IPTV coding and transmission
• High-quality video coding
• High-quality audio coding
• MPEG Transport Stream

IP Protocol Suite for IPTV Services

• The IPTV protocol suite
• Media protocol stack
• Control protocol stack
• Service Discovery and Selection (SD&S)
• High-level message sequence

Delivery Network Considerations

• IPTV delivery network architecture
• Core/distribution network and servers
• Access network
• Customers' premises
• Mobile networks

Quality of Experience (QoE)

• Quality in broadcast services
• Video/audio quality
• Channel change quality
• Coding accuracy
• Management of QoE

Access

• Conditional Access (CA)
• Content Protection and Copy Management (CPCM)

Deployment Architecture

• IPTV service features
• Service provider billing
• Microsoft TV
• Deployment challenges
• Current deployments of IPTV

Benefits of Course

In addition to gaining a good understanding of IPTV and its deployment, attending this course will enable the student to deliver operational improvements and generate cost savings or reduce project timelines by:
• improving network design, planning, operations and maintenance
• avoiding the laborious search through specifications, standards and white papers, while benefiting from a practical analysis and interpretation of such documentation by experienced engineers
• knowing better where to look to accelerate research and fact finding and facilitate earlier project completion
• improving the equipment procurement process by better analysis and challenge of technical specifications and supplier responses, thus
• giving greater certainty to on-target performance and value-for-money purchasing
• shortening the learning curve and speeding productive inputs from new team members and freeing more experienced employees' time
• evaluating better a system's capabilities through improved knowledge, leading to superior operations and maintenance performance
• providing greater confidence in the sale of equipment by anticipating customers' technical requirements and being able to promote relevant
• superior equipment performance

Follow On Courses

• Those wanting a general overview of TCP/IP would benefit from the CP/IP Protocol Suite course.
• Those needing to know about data network security should attend IP Security, and for Quality of Service issues - IP QoS.
• Those working with 3G networks may consider the UMTS suite of courses and the IMS and SIP course. Broadband Access Technologies may interest those working in that field.