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ITU: ITU Interop event highlights IPTV interoperability
Geneva, Jul 27, 2010 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) --
Industry sent out a strong message of support for ITU standards for Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) at an event held at ITU headquarters last week. Gathered in for the first of a new series of 'ITU Interop' events, IPTV manufacturers took part in a set of tests to demonstrate seamless global interoperability between their various IPTV devices, which have been manufactured to comply with ITU-developed standards, known as Recommendations.
ITU has been busy pioneering a raft of new standards for the technology, which is set to transform global viewing habits in coming years. Experts agreed that stable global standards will be key to take-up of IPTV, avoiding costly and confusing 'format wars' and reduced choice for consumers.
IPTV will deliver all the advantages of traditional 'linear' TV in terms of service quality, combined with the many advantages the Internet offers in terms of choice and interactivity. It should not be confused with web streaming, because images are not delivered over the Internet, but rather to homes through a 'managed network'. That means TV programmes do not have to vie with other traffic on an increasingly busy World Wide Web, which could negatively impact the viewing experience.
Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau: "Proprietary solutions may offer fast deployment in the short term, but in the medium and longer term buyers will be subject to vendor lock-in, with the risk of costly upgrades and reduced content and hardware choice. Industry consortia-based 'standards' are mostly region-specific with little or no implementation. This event proves that ITU global standards are ready to go, and in fact are already being implemented."
Many companies are now selling TV and set-top box products based on ITU-T's IPTV Terminal Standard ITU-T H.721, with products already available in countries including Brazil, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, France, and elsewhere. In China and Japan, services based on ITU IPTV standards are deployed and boast several million subscribers. A test service is being conducted in Singapore, and there is interest in setting up test beds in India and Canada.
Speaking at the event, ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Toure said: "ITU IPTV standards are the result of detailed international discussions which have included many developing countries. These talks take into account various aspects of technologies, including IPRs, maturity, stability and market adoption, leading to standards that provide for high quality and low cost. Since ITU IPTV standards are based on mature technologies, decided by consensus, interoperability is easier to achieve among different vendors."
David Wood, European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Head of New Technology: "IPTV has been around for some time but it hasn't been the success that people hoped. The principal reason is that there have been a lot of IPTVs - which means you don't have the benefits of a large market and the benefits of open markets and competition. What we have now is a common standard which everyone can build equipment to, and this should really make IPTV much more successful in the future."
Further IPTV ITU Interop events are planned for Singapore, 27-28 September, and Pune, India 16-17 December 2010.
Photos are available at: www.flickr.com/photos/itupictures/.
Video footage of the event is available at: www.eurovision.net/wf/detail.php?item=501636 (raw footage for Eurovision members) and YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbHrizhHCOw (event highlights)
ITU-T IPTV newsfeed: www.itu.int/ITU-T/newslog/CategoryView,category,IPTV.aspx
About ITU
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues, and the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. For 145 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems and addressed the global challenges of our times, such as mitigating the impact of natural disasters and climate change and strengthening cybersecurity.
ITU also organizes worldwide and regional exhibitions and forums, such as ITU TELECOM WORLD, bringing together the most influential representatives of government and the telecommunications and ICT industry to exchange ideas, knowledge and technology for the benefit of the global community, and in particular the developing world.
From broadband Internet to latest-generation wireless technologies, from aeronautical and maritime navigation to radio astronomy and satellite-based meteorology, from convergence in fixed-mobile phone, Internet access, data, voice and TV broadcasting to next-generation networks, ITU is committed to connecting the world.
Visit our Web site at http://www.itu.int/newsroom
CONTACT: Sarah Parkes, Media Relations, ITU
Tel: +41 22 730 6302
e-mail: pressinfo@itu.int
Toby Johnson, Senior Communications Officer, ITU
Tel: +41 22 730 5877
Tel: +41 79 249 4868
e-mail: toby.johnson@itu.int
WWW: http://www.itu.int
((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.
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