Internet television to "redefine pay TV"

Increasing broadband speeds and coverage could mean that internet protocol television (IPTV) could "redefine" the subscription television market by replacing the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional broadcasting, reports say.

According to net4now, the US-based analyst Yankee Group Research predicts that over nine million households in the United States could be subscribing to television and video services over high-speed broadband connections by 2011.

These services, which could be bundled together with internet access and voice over internet protocol, provide greater flexibility than traditional broadcast television, as users will be able to access Video on Demand (VoD) - an online catalogue of shows they can choose to watch any time.

IPTV also offers greater interactivity, as viewers could use interactive on-screen programme guides, choose camera angles for sporting events or access picture-in-picture, which would allow them to channel surf without leaving their current show.

Yankee Group programme manager Vince Vittore said: "IPTV will forever alter the video ecosystem by creating not only a new breed of service, but also a new breed of service provider."

American network ABC showed the first television show over internet protocol, an episode of its World News Now, in 1994.