With cable and satellite TV companies charging their customers an arm and a leg for their TV services, people have been on the lookout for cheaper alternatives. The rise of cord-cutting has brought two TV solutions to light: OTT (over-the-top) and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television).
Over The Top Content
OTT or over-the-top describes the content–movies and TV shows–that are streamed through the Internet without requiring users to subscribe to a cable or satellite TV company.
Internet Protocol Television
IPTV is media content that is delivered through the Internet by ways of a privately managed network. In many cases, IPTV providers offer a Triple Play service where their package includes video on demand services, broadband Internet, VoIP for video and voice chat.
What’s The Difference?
OTT content is streamed through a standard, unmanaged network; the same network that emails and web browsing stream through.
Unlike OTT, IPTV solutions travel through a private network for better and more consistent service.
The Pros and Cons
OTT:
- Pro: Low monthly prices.
- Pro: Great range of providers to choose from.
- Pro: Offers VoD Services
- Pro: Easy accessibility allows viewers to watch at home or on the go.
- Con: Sometimes the content needs to buffer
- Con: Some content may not be available on OTT platforms
IPTV:
- Pro: High definition video streaming
- Pro: Offers VOD services
- Con: Slightly more expensive than OTT, but still affordable in comparison to cable
Even though these two solutions have their slight differences, there is one thing that they have in common and that is the way they store their downloaded media. Both IPTV and OTT services store their programming and previously streamed media on servers. By doing this, they are allowing their customers to access the content whenever they want.
TikiLIVE offers a variety of IPTV and OTT solutions. Contact us to learn more about TikILIVE.
