What is the difference between OTT and IPTV?

Have you ever wondered what IPTV or OTT is? Have you ever wondered which one is better? So with the help of this post, we are going to look at what each service is and what are the differences between them.

Both the IPTV and OTT have the same function that is to send data to end users who need it completely. But they have a lot of differences present among each other which we are going to discuss in the article and also check what these technologies are.

To merge both the internet business with the TV industry the best technology which is mostly used today is OTT and this is the trendiest condition.

But why did OTT become trendy and not IPTV?

Now we need to understand this thing in a clear way. OTT if stated simply can also be described as a service range which consists of service of using network services on any device present which can be anything ranging from the laptop, mobile, tablets etc.

Now, we will discuss both the services and how they work one by one. Then only understanding the differences will be easy.

Now let’s discuss what is OTT service?

You might be wondering what the full form of OTT is (OTT stands for Over the Top) which is the service in which the telecommunication devices are bypassed by the companies and they directly display their products on the internet so they become the creators of the service. Some examples of this service are Amazon Prime and Netflix.

Now let’s discuss what IPTV service is and what is the function of this service?

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) means that data is streamed through an IP Address. This means that no satellite television service is required and streaming of television shows will online,  those run continuously and anyone can join the stream to watch them.

Both IPTV as well as OTT are similar but there is a big difference IPTV needs a managed network as well as infrastructure which is granted by the operator while OTT does not need any dedicated infrastructure to do so. OTT is gaining momentum as many service providers have popped up ranging from YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video etc.

Now we will look at the differences between both the IPTV and OTT by creating a table which is mentioned below:

IPTV	OTT
Scalability in the community, programs infrastructure and program for end users today are the major aspects prominent.	No need for an operator which distributes content and is done by themselves.
Calls for three leading ingredients specifically IP based connected TV and a content material head and purchasing a package from the set-top box operator.	Content is presented through the connected gadget making use of an unmanaged, public Internet network. Absolutely no outside gear similar to the set-top package is needed.
Their content transmits using a personal infrastructure of the ISP so they seem to look like a television service more than streaming service.	They do not have any community which is committed and they are the operators too without any special infrastructure. The content consumes via any internet connection.
IPTV programs deal with the TV channels to display the program and so there is an option of recording as well as replaying the programs at your own needs but it is much less and you need to do it in the TV only.	OTT suppliers deal with production houses and then live stream their shows on to the internet for people to watch.
IPTV requires complete broadband internet connectivity.	OTT needs a general, public Internet.
IPTV expertise usually supplies EPG (Electronic Program Guide) which happens to be an on-screen guidebook of regular transmitted programming tv plans.	OTT program suppliers usually supply a catalog of viewable content material for visitors to choose as well as select from.

 

The big difference between both OTT and IPTV is the video quality. In IPTV quality is good compared to the OTT  because service providers transmit the information to your televisions via high-speed broadband through well-managed infrastructure.

But in OTT what happens is that the infrastructure is unmanaged and so there is a lack of quality because it directly goes to the end-users and not any service provider.

The company version, ownership, content quality, service quality, expense etc. also have a difference in both the OTT and IPTV.

Over the top media service (OTT)  depends on the end user and take in their considerations to get feedback and suggestions to improve the service as they believe that end users are responsible for their success.

It is believed that OTT covers a broader range because it is seen that in IPTV users have to ask the service providers to put their channels on a set-top box which means they are highly dependent while in OTT the data is directly provided to end users and they can opt whatever they want to see from the available content without any permission of the service providers.

While in IPTV, it is the duty of the service providers to provide the service so only they are responsible to upgrade the bandwidth and provide much better user experience while in OTT this is not the case and the users are directly responsible to upgrade their own bandwidth to get better service.

But OTT has always been regarded as a better service as OTT providers are gaining much more traction than the regular IPTV providers. In OTT, you can get multi-screen viewing, viewing at your own luxury as well as video on demand service, which is wanted by the user so it has evolved with many content providers increasing day by day in this field.