Documentation

A growing number of operators are launching their OTT deployments, driving customers' needs for more active broadband connections and higher capacity, both for downloading and video streaming.

But what is OTT actually?

OTT is a set of different technologies that make use of the Internet and its standard protocols to provide the users with multimedia contents, either live video or video on demand.

As is the case with IPTV, OTT uses the IP protocol for content distribution. However, unlike IPTV, OTT  uses an unmanaged network like the Internet as the distribution network. It cannot use MPEG-TS, since this encapsulation requires stable network conditions without packet loss. Video IP streaming is used instead.

In an unmanaged network like the Internet, bandwidth changes, conditions are unstable and the quality of service is not guaranteed, which involves working under “best effort” conditions, or best attempt.

Youtube, Netflix, Amazon LoveFilm, Hulu, Sky Go, BBC iPlayer or Yomvi are some examples of OTT services. These contents may be free (such as Youtube content) or encrypted, and subject to a content-based  or access fee subscription (like Netflix).

To receive OTT content, you can use either a specific receiver (sometimes associated with a different broadcasting technology, such as satellite or cable) or a television set, tablet or smartphone with the appropriate viewing app.

As for the bit rate required to guarantee a given Quality of Service, it depends on the type of service to be delivered: SDTV, HDTV or UHDTV. According to Netflix, 3 Mbps is the recommended bit rate for SD streaming, while HD streaming requires at least 5 Mbps and 4K, 25 Mbps. However, those rates are slightly lower when new codecs like HEVC (MPEG5) are introduced: they reduce the bit rate down to 2.5 Mbps for HD and to 15Mbps for 4K.

Despite the fact that it is usually difficult for an ISP (Internet Service Provider) to guarantee those rates, some buffering techniques (e.g. storage) can be used to view the contents, obviously not in real time. CDN (Content Delivery Networks) are used to optimize distribution; they allow for higher efficiency in terms of content capillarisation in an unmanaged network like the Internet.

OTT  is yet another example of a value-added service to be integrated into a multiservice network infrastructure that incorporates television and data in a flexible way. Televés will keep working on providing the integrator and maintenance provider of those communication infrastructures with networks that are capable of managing growing data streams to enable services such as OTT, and other services related to the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Digital home, Remote care and prevention, and Ultra High Definition OTT, among others.

ASuite is the application used for the configuration of the new AVANT9; it is available for both Android and Windows. The multiband amplifier configuration can be stored in a tablet, smartphone or computer and later downloaded into the previously installed multiband amplifier or into the AVANT9 prior to installation.

Whichever method is used, the procedure is so quick and automatic that the headend adjustment becomes a simple task performed in no time.

Application available on: asuite.televes.com