More Live TV on the Web on the Way?
While there are some live TV offerings on the web, they’re certainly dwarfed by the amount that’s delivered on demand. And yet, the balance between the two formats may start to shift soon. First, pay-TV providers are increasingly looking at IP delivery as an alternative to traditional TV broadcasting. CableLabs, the standards body for the cable industry, is currently working on ways to improve IP multicast in a cable network environment. The idea is to create a single stream of video that multiple users can tune in to online. In contrast, over-the-top TV today is typically delivered in unicast streams. One stream per user.
Second, some pay-TV providers have started to consider the idea of creating their own streaming-only services. The head of Dish Network, Charlie Ergen, last week noted that he is already talking to programmers about the possibility of streaming their channels on the web. In theory, Dish could design such a service solely around on-demand content, but to compete at full price effectively against other TV providers, the company would have to include live, linear content as well.
Third and finally, we’ve started to hear rumblings here suggesting that more programmers (TV and otherwise) are looking at live streaming options. There is new debate about which streaming protocols are most effective, and new considerations for multicast delivery around those protocols.
Is more live TV on the web a trend in the making? The signs are pointing in that direction.
