Opening a television channel without an aerial, a coaxial cable or a satellite dish has become an everyday matter. The technology behind it is called IPTV. The abbreviation is short, but the working principle differs fundamentally from traditional television — and it is precisely that difference which defines both the strengths of the technology and its problems. Below we open everything up step by step; no engineering knowledge is required.
What IPTV is — the one-sentence answer
IPTV is the abbreviation of Internet Protocol Television, that is «television over the internet protocol». What it means is this: a television channel reaches you not by radio wave, cable or a satellite transponder but in the form of network data packets. The football match you see on the screen technically travels the same «road» as opening a website, downloading a file or making a video call.
The key word here is «protocol». In an aerial broadcast the signal goes out over the air to everyone at once and the television simply picks it up. On an IP network nothing arrives by itself — your device asks and the server sends. That single difference sits at the root of all the others.
IPTV does not mean «watching television from the internet», it means «carrying television over the internet protocol». That protocol can work inside an operator's own closed network just as well as on the open internet. The first case is more often called IPTV and the second OTT, but their technical foundations are the same.
How a traditional television signal arrives
In satellite broadcasting the signal goes up from a ground station to orbit, is radiated back from a transponder, your dish collects it, the LNB converts it and the receiver opens it. In cable television all the channels arrive inside one coaxial cable at the same time on different frequencies, and the tuner picks one of them. In both cases the principle is the same: the signal is broadcast once, and whoever can pick it up does.
The greatest strength of that model is scale. Whether one subscriber watches or a million, the load on the satellite transponder does not change. Its weakness is that it is one-directional: the television cannot say anything back to the source. That is why in traditional broadcasting things like «take the match back to the 20th minute» or «open season three of this series» are technically impossible.
What is different about broadcasting on an IP network
On an IP network the video stream is divided into small packets. Each packet carries the address of the sender and of the recipient; the packets pass through routers, reach your device and are reassembled there in the right order. In other words television does not arrive through a separate «pipe» — it arrives inside your internet connection.
The link is two-directional, which opens up new possibilities: seeking through a film archive, pausing a broadcast, downloading the electronic programme guide (EPG), moving from the television to a phone on one subscription. In exchange one condition appears — keeping a channel open requires a continuous and steady connection to the network.
Unicast and multicast
How the packets are delivered is solved in two different ways, and that directly determines the quality of the service:
- Unicast — a separate stream for every viewer. If 1,000 people watch the same channel, the server sends 1,000 separate streams. On the open internet this is practically the only method that works.
- Multicast — one stream is put onto the network and the network equipment duplicates it at the branching points. The server load does not depend on the number of viewers, but this is only possible on a managed network, that is inside an operator's own infrastructure.
- Providers that deliver a service over the internet cannot use multicast, because the dozens of independent networks in between do not carry that mode. So they distribute the load across a CDN and a large number of servers.
We have opened up server load, CDN and buffering separately and in more depth: how IPTV works — a technical view.
The technical vocabulary of IPTV: m3u, HLS and Xtream
The m3u playlist
m3u is a plain text file. Inside it, line by line, come the channel name, its category, the logo address and the link to the stream. The UTF-8 encoded variant is called m3u8. Its advantage is simplicity — practically every player reads it. Its limitation is that it is static: when the channel list changes you have to fetch the file again, and the programme guide often does not come with it.
HLS and segmented delivery
HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is the most widespread method of internet broadcasting today. Here the live stream is cut into short pieces of video — segments — and a manifest file tells the player which piece to fetch in which order. A segment is usually between 2 and 10 seconds long, and in modern systems mostly 2 to 6 seconds is chosen.
That has a big advantage: the pieces arrive as ordinary HTTPS requests, which means no special port or protocol is needed, it passes through corporate networks too, and it can be cached on CDN servers. The downside is latency — the player has to fetch several segments in advance before it can start, so it runs somewhat behind the live broadcast.
The second capability of HLS is adaptive bitrate: the same channel is prepared at several quality steps and the player drops to a lower step by itself when the connection weakens. But most IPTV streams are delivered at a single bitrate — in that case, when the connection weakens the picture does not go blurry, it simply freezes. That is part of the technical explanation behind complaints about freezing.
The logic of Xtream codes
With the Xtream method you are given not a file but three things: a server address, a username and a password. With those three details the app sends a request to the server and, from the reply, builds the channel list, the categories, the programme guide and the film archive itself. When the list changes on the server there is nothing to do at your end — the next time the app refreshes, you see the new channels.
| Connection method | What you are given | Advantage | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| m3u / m3u8 | One link or file | Works in every player, simple | The list is static, the EPG is incomplete |
| Xtream (server + name + password) | Three lines of detail | Channels, EPG and archive refresh automatically | The app has to support the method |
| Portal / MAC method | A portal address, the device's MAC | Convenient on set-top boxes | Re-registration is needed when the device changes |
Which method is used often depends on the device and the app. A buyer does not have to know the difference: installation is done remotely in 5 to 10 minutes anyway.
Satellite, cable and IPTV compared
Put the three technologies side by side against the same criteria and the differences show at once. The table has no marketing in it, only technical reality:
| Criterion | Satellite | Cable TV | IPTV / OTT |
|---|---|---|---|
| The path of the signal | From orbit to the dish | Coaxial cable | Your existing internet line |
| Installation | Dish, LNB, alignment | Cable laying | An app and a code, no change of hardware |
| Weather | Heavy rain affects it | No effect | No effect |
| Dependence on the internet | None | None | Complete |
| Film and series archive | Usually none | Limited | Included |
| Viewing on a mobile device | Not possible | Not possible | Phone, tablet, computer |
| When you move house | A new installation | A new subscription | The code goes with you |
| Latency in a live broadcast | A few seconds | A few seconds | Usually more |
| Channel count and flexibility | Limited by the package | Limited by the package | Very broad, changes fast |
The main conclusion from the table is this: IPTV buys its flexibility at the price of dependence on the internet. Anyone who understands that trade stays happy with IPTV; anyone who does not account for it complains about the service at the first freeze.
The real advantages of IPTV
Not tied to geography
The channel package sits on a server, so you watch with the same code in Baku, in the regions or abroad. Moving house needs no new installation.
The range of channels
One subscription brings together Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian and world channels. To look through the list: channels page.
Archive and VOD
Next to the live channel there is also a film and series library, so you are not tied to a broadcast schedule.
Freedom of device
Smart TV, Android box, phone, computer — on the same subscription. In detail: IPTV on a Smart TV.
The drawbacks of IPTV — an honest list
A presentation that leaves this section out is incomplete. IPTV is not a perfect technology, and some of its limits are beyond any provider's power to remove:
- No internet, no television. When there is a short outage at your provider a satellite receiver keeps working, while IPTV stops.
- When the power goes, the chain is longer. With satellite only the television and the receiver are on the mains; with IPTV the modem, the router and the device all are. So after a short cut it can take a minute or two for the network to come back to itself.
- The networks in between are not up to you. Your own internet may be fast, but when one point between your provider and the server is congested, you are the one who sees the result.
- Peak-hour load. Between 20:00 and 23:00 both home connections and servers are at their busiest. The true quality of a service is measured in exactly those hours.
- Latency in live sport. By the nature of segmented delivery, IPTV can run a few seconds, sometimes more, behind satellite. It is quite possible to hear the neighbour celebrating a goal slightly before you see it.
- Home Wi-Fi is the weak link. A significant share of the problems is not on the server but in the router behind the wall.
- The channel list is not fixed. Sources can change, and the number or quality step of some channels changes from time to time.
Six of the seven points above are to do with the internet. So the decision to buy IPTV is really the answer to two questions: is my connection steady, and how does it behave at peak hour. The only way to be sure of that is a real test — which is why you should take the 24-hour free trial seriously.
How IPTV came about — a short history
The term «IP/TV» was first used in the middle of the 1990s, in a period when broadband internet did not yet exist: the first experiments were carried out to move video across corporate networks. In the early 2000s telephone operators began putting television on top of ADSL lines — telephone, internet and TV came together in one subscription.
The second wave arrived with video compression technology. The H.264 codec made it possible to carry the same quality at a significantly lower bitrate, and television fitted into an ordinary home connection. In 2009 Apple introduced the HLS protocol; video turned into ordinary web traffic and watching from a browser or a phone became possible. After that, OTT platforms delivering a service over the open internet spread quickly.
The latest stage is the era of 4K and HEVC. The new codec fitted higher-resolution broadcasting into existing connection speeds, and Smart TVs reduced the need for a separate receiver. Today's IPTV is the sum of exactly those three waves: an IP network, an efficient codec and an app-based device.
The situation in Azerbaijan
There are two reasons for the spread of IPTV in Azerbaijan. The first is technical: fibre internet is widespread in the cities and the district centres, and most homes have a Smart TV or an Android device — which means it is possible to start without buying extra hardware.
The second has to do with content. Here a viewer wants Azerbaijani, Turkish and Russian channels at the same time, plus international sport and film channels. That mixture is hard to assemble with one satellite dish or one cable package, whereas with IPTV it is all in one list. We have written about the local picture separately: IPTV in Azerbaijan and IPTV in Baku.
Common misconceptions about IPTV
- «IPTV eats all your internet.» A channel takes up as much bandwidth as its own bitrate. Full HD viewing is usually around 12–15 Mbps; the rest of the bandwidth keeps working.
- «IPTV only works on a Smart TV.» An Android box connects to an old television, and watching on a phone, a tablet and a computer is possible too.
- «If the speed is high there will be no problems.» Speed matters, but stability matters more. An unsteady 100 Mbps line can give a worse result than a steady 20 Mbps one.
- «If it says 4K, I am seeing 4K.» Resolution is not the only indicator — when the bitrate is low, a 4K label promises no quality. On this subject: 4K IPTV.
- «It all comes from the same server, there is no difference.» Server capacity, backup sources and support differ seriously from one provider to another.
Is IPTV right for you
| Your situation | Conclusion |
|---|---|
| You have fibre internet and it stays steady at peak hour | IPTV is a good choice |
| You live in rented accommodation and move often | IPTV is the most convenient option |
| You want Turkish, Russian and Azerbaijani channels in one place | That is IPTV's main advantage |
| Your internet drops several times a day | The internet has to be fixed first |
| You only need one or two national channels | An aerial may be the simpler solution |
| A difference of seconds in a live match is critical | Consider using satellite in parallel |
If you are ready to decide, the next two articles are straight practice: how to buy IPTV — the full guide and how to test a trial stream properly. For the figures there is the prices page.
The 24-hour free trial asks for no card details. You see the channels on your own television, over your own connection — and after that the decision is easy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between IPTV and OTT?
The technical foundation is the same — both carry video in IP packets. The difference is in the network. Classic IPTV works on the operator's own managed network, where multicast is possible. OTT, on the other hand, arrives over the open internet, that is «on top of your existing connection», and uses unicast.
In practice the difference for a user is this: with OTT it is easy to change provider and to watch from anywhere, but the quality also depends on the networks in between.
Does IPTV need a satellite dish or extra cabling?
No. IPTV uses your existing internet line, so no dish, LNB, coaxial cable or cable laying is needed. The only thing required is a Smart TV, an Android box, a phone or a computer.
If your television is old and the app cannot be installed, a small Android box is enough. We have written about what is needed in which case on the installation page.
What is an HLS segment and why does it create latency?
HLS cuts a live stream into short pieces of video; those pieces are called segments and are usually 2 to 10 seconds long. To play smoothly the player fetches several segments in advance, which means it is always showing a little of the «past».
That is why IPTV can run behind satellite in a live broadcast. It is not a fault of the service but the nature of the protocol — latency can be reduced, but not brought to zero.
Which is better, m3u or Xtream?
For everyday use the Xtream method is more convenient: the channel list, the categories, the programme guide and the film archive come from the server automatically, and when something changes there is nothing to do at your end.
m3u, on the other hand, is universal and simple — practically every player reads it. Most of the time whichever suits your device is the one that gets chosen; we settle that during the installation.
What is the biggest drawback of IPTV?
Complete dependence on the internet. When your provider has an outage, when bandwidth narrows at peak hour or when the home Wi-Fi is weak, the result appears on the screen immediately.
There are practical ways to prevent that: connecting the television to the router with a cable, using the 5 GHz network, and running a test at peak hour before paying. We have opened up the reasons in the technical article.
What connection speed is enough?
The general direction is this: 8–10 Mbps for HD, 12–15 Mbps for Full HD, 25 Mbps and above for 4K. If two screens will run at home at the same time, those figures have to be added together.
More important than speed is stability: packet loss and jittering latency cause more problems than a low speed.
Does IPTV fully replace satellite?
For most users, yes — the range of channels is broad, there is an archive, and there is no restriction on devices. But at addresses where the internet is unsteady satellite stays more reliable, because its working does not depend on a network.
The most practical approach is to decide after a test: within 24 hours you see the result in your own home, over your own connection.