IPTV is sometimes called Smart TV. The standard provides data packets over a high-speed Internet connection instead of an antenna, satellite or cable. A series of IP packets encoded for streaming video delivery are broadcast on IPTV. This system can be used to provide content on a private network, although this model is less commonly used due to complexity and scaling problems. Sometimes viewers who have switched to a new standard complain that IPTV is slow, so you need to understand the causes of such failures.
Basics of Internet Television Protocol
IPTV content is delivered over a managed or dedicated network. Compared to the public Internet, a private network gives the network operator more control over video traffic and, therefore, the ability to provide quality of service (QoS), uptime and reliability. All programs are broadcast simultaneously. Available program signals arrive in the downstream direction, and the viewer selects the program by changing the channel.
The IPTV service, in contrast, sends only one program at a time. In this case, IPTV cannot slow down, as the controller remains in the network of the service provider. When the viewer changes the channel, a new stream is transmitted from the server. To receive a set-top box or other subscriber device is required.
IPTV mainly uses Internet Protocol Management Protocol (IGMP) IP broadcasting for live broadcasts and real-time transmission protocols (RTSP) for on-demand programs. Other common protocols include real-time messaging protocol (RTMP) and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). IPTV uses a packet-based delivery system, which is associated with Voice over IP (VoIP).
Using IP also provides various services and applications, such as digital recording, video on demand, and the ability to rewind or restart live programs that are already being broadcast. Despite the load, the standard is designed in such a way that IPTV will not slow down, but, on the contrary, will compete with another TV model distributed through the website.
Live broadcasts
Programs are broadcast in radio waves and transmitted through the air to the antenna on the roof of the house. It converts waves into electrical signals. Satellite television works in the same way, except that cable TV sends a signal directly to the house without a radio wave.
If there are four main functional components of the IPTV network, it will not slow down:
- A reliable service provider with high-performance equipment.
- Network access to the border of the network of the service provider to the consumer’s home.
- A home broadband network that distributes IPTV to subscriber networks.
- Middleware that converts distributed IPTV content to a user interface, usually a set-top box or STB.
Differences of IPTV:
- Storage of programs so that they can be selected and broadcast as needed. Some VOD services have a limited number of programs for accessing the Internet and low-speed equipment, which may explain the reason why IPTV is slow.
- Preparation of programs. The television program must be converted to digital format, and sometimes additional processing of analog-to-digital conversion is required so that it can be transmitted without buffering in MPEG2 format.
Packet switching
Switching packages is the key to the Internet. It includes the usual pieces of information and sends them in separate packets. When the viewer receives a TV program, he does not download it as a regular file. Instead, only part of it is loaded. RTP / RTSP and IGMP multicast use common web protocols and hardware. Streaming uses adapted protocols for simultaneous download and playback. Violation of these conditions may explain why IPTV slows down.
IPTV significantly reduces the bandwidth requirements of a broadband system. This creates significant benefits for the user:
- Lower bandwidth cost.
- Cheap infrastructure.
- Lower maintenance costs.
- Lower equipment costs.
In addition, IPTV packet technology supports advanced user-friendly features:
- View and record at the same time.
- Pause and rewind (TV with a time shift).
- Video on Demand (VoD).
- Preview.
- TV on Demand (TVOD).
- Digital music libraries.
- FM streaming internet radio.
Managed networks
Ensuring the availability of IPTV over the Internet is very different from providing it through a private provider network. In practice, this means having a highly organized hierarchical network with an open office, where programs are stored and all services that are provided in a centralized form are coordinated, using video and hubs (VHO) serving local distribution offices associated with consoles in individual houses.
An Internet connection allows you to watch IPTV on any device, but most users do not want to watch TV on a laptop screen, especially if IPTV channels are slow. That's why IPTV attracts viewers, customers (STB), who receive input data for connecting to the Internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi cable.
The signal reproduces and displays the image on a widescreen TV of high resolution. STBs are actually standalone computers programmed to perform tasks: receive streaming video packets, convert them to video files (MPEG2, MPEG4), and then display them as high-quality television.
Minimum Hardware Parameters
The following valid parameters for streaming IPTV content are recommended:
- minimum required speed: 0.5 Mbps;
- recommended speed for broadband connections: 1.5 Mbps;
- Speed for SD video content: 3.0 Mbps;
- speed for high-quality viewing: 5.0 Mbps;
- speed for Ultra HD video: 25.0 Mbps.
Video format requirements for bandwidth at which the IPTV player does not slow down:
- 480p - 3 Mbps;
- 720p - 5 Mbps;
- 1080p - 8 Mbps;
- 4k - 25 Mbps.
The main types of failures
Broadcast television distribution over an IP network requires strict QoS restrictions such as low latency and loss. IPTV streaming content is typically delivered to the distribution point over IP using IP multicast and protocol independent multicast (PIM).
While watching IPTV, the video stream is not sent to the device at the same time. Instead, it is shipped in small packets. Broadcasting stops due to the fact that it slows down HD IPTV, waiting for the next packet. This process is called buffering.
The main causes of poor broadcast quality:
- Local hardware limitations. A router, Ethernet cable, modem, or TV equipment may not work due to buffering errors.
- Slowing down a remote server.
- Network connection problems.
- Limited bandwidth
- Configure device cache.
Local recovery from channel failures using MPLS or Fast Reroute Level 2 (ACC) is a proven method for fast recovery from failures. The link-based FRR creates a pseudowire or IP tunnel for an internal gateway protocol (IGP) such as OSPF.
Buffering Errors
Buffering occurs when the speed of viewing video data is less. In these cases, a situation occurs when IPTV slows down on the TV. In addition, a similar situation occurs if the viewer watches HD-video with low Internet speed.
Problem Diagnostics Algorithm:
- High-quality performance of wire connection.
- Checking the health of the device on other channels, such as YouTube, STAN, Netflix. If the problem is associated with only one streaming platform, then this is the problem of transmitting a specific channel.
- When streaming, multimedia TVs are downloaded as content and used in a temporary cache. After that, the video will be downloaded ahead of time and ensure the quality of the broadcast.
Set up Smart TV in Kodi
Kodi, one of the most famous and popular media centers for Windows, Mac, and other platforms, uses IPTV streaming. The advantage of the software is that you can watch streaming TV using software that does not require additional equipment, such as a TV tuner.
Kodi supports third-party IPTV add-ons that you can use to access various TV channels. Some of the best-known IPTV add-ons include Navi-X, iCloud, UKTV, Kodi Live, and Ultimate IPTV. To enable IPTV in Kodi, you need to install content from web sources.
The drawback of the scheme may be the sources of the potential danger of streaming on the Internet for which there is no protection:
- The Internet provider has direct access to everything that the user views and broadcasts on the network.
- Most Internet service providers do not want to deal with lawsuits directly, so they only transmit authorized content for viewing.
The only way to protect browsing and authentication in the above scenarios is to use a VPN. In order to install VPN on Fire TV Stick, you need to configure add-ons for "unknown sources" in Kodi. To do this, click on the “cog” icon at the top of the Kodi sidebar and select “System settings” to open additional options. Then select “Unknown sources” and the “Yes” button to confirm the selection.
Fix problems
In order to eliminate the problems of freezing video content, you can try changing the Kodi video cache. All that is required is to exchange data in an intermediate storage called a cache. If an internet connection is mandatory for some reason, streaming video stops only after part of the video stored in the cache is played from beginning to end.
In order to play a video from beginning to end without buffering, or, more precisely, without a situation where Kodi slows down IPTV, part of the video must be stored in the cache. Larger cache sizes may buffer larger video in advance.
However, you should be careful, because too large a buffer size can lead to a load on the device’s resources, and too small can lead to problems with downloading videos on the Internet.
Internet Speed Check
Very often providers say that their service issues a packet with a speed of 10 or 20 Mbit / s, but in practice this is not true. Non-compliance with the parameters of Internet packages is the main reason why IPTV on the TV slows down. To check the speed yourself, you can download the Speedtest service to your device or go to speedtest.net from a computer. If the download speed is less than 10 Mbit / s, then you need to make a complaint or get a new Internet package with a speed of at least 20 Mbit / s. If the Internet speed is more than 30 Mbps, it is recommended to manually configure the video or change the DNS router.
You can run several tests on speedtest.net, compare performance when other devices are connected to your home network, and disconnect them from the router to offload the home network. Sometimes broadcast problems stop as a result of a simple update of the current connection with the provider.
In cases where over-regulation of the ISP by the provider slows down the flow of movies, a good VPN can fix this in an instant. VPN disguises traffic to provide artificial slowdown for some Internet service providers. When traffic is fully encrypted, it always passes as fast as possible.
Download SS IPTV
There are two of the most common ways to download SS IPTV - via the link for external playlists or with an inconsistent access code, for internal playlists. Playback is allowed for any number of external lists.
If SS IPTV is slowing down, download the playlist by reference and go to the settings on the "Content" tab of the application, select the "External playlists" subsection and click the "Add" button under the screen. Enter the data in the appropriate field and click "Save." The playlist will be available on the main screen.
Smart TV is loaded through the server. This means that the link must be accessible from an external network. To download a new code, click the "Get Code" button, which can be used 24 hours before creating a new one. To add the code, click the “Add Device” button when a connection is established, select a playlist file on the PC and download it using the “Save” button.
In the past decade, conventional television companies have faced competition from cable and Internet providers. Viewers want to receive modern services on the Internet. New features of IPTV television in attractive packages expand the capabilities of the modern Smart TV, which is connecting more and more users.