Iptv

[carocat]

As announced at CES:

While mythical, IPTV inclusion wasn't a mystery. Last year a Microsoft exec said IPTV on the Xbox 360 was a "fair bet" and Engadget asked Gates directly about IPTV on the 360. With significant investment in IPTV already, bringing that functionality to the Xbox 360 was an obvious move for Microsoft. Some of the functionality of their offering will include:

* "digital video recording capabilities" for gaming, movie viewing, and even voice and video chat -- we're really gonna need a bigger hard drive
* Live chat while watching television -- we're so going to watch Lost with out friends. "I totally knew that was going to happen!"
* Play on Xbox Live while recording television live in the background

Hold your horses! IPTV on Xbox 360 won't be available until "holiday season 2007." Even then, you'll need to be in a market "deploying TV services based on the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform." Right now, we've got a lot more questions than we've got answers.
Source (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/07/ces-the-xbox-360-to-get-iptv-in-07/)

So what is IPTV?

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a system where a digital television service is delivered using the Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. For residential users, IPTV is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand and may be bundled with Internet services such as Web access and VoIP. The commercial bundling of IPTV, VoIP and Internet access is referred to as a Triple Play. Adding the mobile voice service leads to the Quadruple Play denomination. IPTV is typically supplied by a broadband operator using a closed network infrastructure. This closed network approach is in competition with the delivery of TV content over the public Internet. This type of delivery is widely called TV over Internet or Internet Television. In businesses, IPTV may be used to deliver television content over corporate LANs and business networks.
Wikipdia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPTV)

Thoughts?

[quickshot89]

sounds good, would it however increase the TV rates you have to pay?

[Tob3z]

Going on whats going down in the UK at the moment BT have just released there Vision box. But wait... this isnt TV down the phone line as such.

BTs box has a digital tuner in it. So TV is viewed via this. However if there is any past shows, movies, etc you can pay a small fee or a monthly subscription for all you can eat and it will download it to your Vision box. However the difference here is it will stream it so you can watch it as it downloads.

So currently the UK doesn't have a IPTV service I dont think. Anyway IPTV is basically streaming TV channels down your internet line.

The IPTV part of the 360 is almost like a separate program. The guide still works is the background but you are taken out of the dash and straight into TV.

I really don't know how the system works in the US but it's going to be interesting if it comes to the UK at the same time. In the UK we have to pay a TV license fee of

[kurosaki7]

That would be the main thing for me, would you no longer need a TV license? How much would it cost?

Once i have had those two answers then i would see. However i d/l most the tv shows i like as they never air here first so i hardly watch tv on my tv at all anymore!!

[sub]

A TV licence is required, by law, for every household which ones any device capable of recieveing a TV signal, even if you don't have an aerial you need a TV licence because the TV can accept a TV signal.
So yes you would still need a licence.

IPTV is a bit of a waste of time unless they start broadcasting over here in HD in which case I'll gladly pay a subscription fee as long as I can use the recordings on any device I choose without DRM.

[Tob3z]

There will never be a TV license fee for IPTV because it's a different service. So the great thing is if you own a 360 and a TV you don't have to pay TV license. You only pay a TV license if your TV or other device is connected to a aerial. So people who think if you own a TV you have to pay TV license are wrong. Believe me on this as I have done my research.

So if you don't watch TV with the current 2 ways then no TV license! Students and people with no cash rejoice!

[kurosaki7]

Two conflicting opinions there, how can they charge you if you only own a TV, you are not using their service so why the f should you be made to pay for it, thats utter bs!

[carocat]

I didn't pay the TV licence in a house I lived in 3 years ago. They didn't believe us that we weren't watching TV, so they sent someone round. We had 3 TV's, but we weren't actually watching TV. Unnanounced. He checked the TV's, none of them had an arial/Skybox/cable connected to them.

It wasn't a problem and they accepted it. As far as I know they still have to exercise the benefit of the doubt....

[Tob3z]

If you phone them/email them saying you own a TV but you use it for console gaming/PC they will take you off there record. Obviously your going to get in **** if they find you have been lying though. I was reading a massive discussion on this the other day on some other forums.

Just to backup what I am saying. Here is the FAQ on there site (http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/gethelp/faqs.jsp#link1);


What if I only use a TV to watch videos/DVDs/as a monitor for my games console? Do I still need a licence?

You need to notify us in writing that this is the case and one our Enforcement Officers may need to visit you to confirm that you do not need a licence.

Do I need a television licence if I only watch programs received by satellite?

Under the Communications Act 2003, you need a television licence to receive or record television programmes. This applies if they are received by a satellite, cable or land based transmitter. If you are watching any satellite service, controlled from within or outside the UK, you must have a television licence.

You may have been informed, in the past, that a television licence was not required if you received television program services from outside the United Kingdom. This was changed in the Communications Act 2003, and if you are using your TV to receive or record television programmes broadcast by satellite from outside the UK, you are now legally required to have a TV licence.

Nothing about IPTV there ;)

[sub]

AVforums was it? :P

Was pretty sure it was just if you own a device capable of recieving a TV signal you had to have one, mind you that was based off my old manager in Comet as the reason behind us taking names and addresses when selling things that can recieve a TV signal :P

[Tob3z]

No twas over in the GD section of overclockers forum. Where people always ***** about something or another. How kids shouldn't get EMA... paid with my taxes... you should pay for BBC, they provide radio as well. All the kind of stuff not even my Granddad goes on about.

[bal]

If you phone them/email them saying you own a TV but you use it for console gaming/PC they will take you off there record. Obviously your going to get in **** if they find you have been lying though. I was reading a massive discussion on this the other day on some other forums.

Just to backup what I am saying. Here is the FAQ on there site (http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/gethelp/faqs.jsp#link1);


What if I only use a TV to watch videos/DVDs/as a monitor for my games console? Do I still need a licence?

You need to notify us in writing that this is the case and one our Enforcement Officers may need to visit you to confirm that you do not need a licence.

Do I need a television licence if I only watch programs received by satellite?

Under the Communications Act 2003, you need a television licence to receive or record television programmes. This applies if they are received by a satellite, cable or land based transmitter. If you are watching any satellite service, controlled from within or outside the UK, you must have a television licence.

You may have been informed, in the past, that a television licence was not required if you received television program services from outside the United Kingdom. This was changed in the Communications Act 2003, and if you are using your TV to receive or record television programmes broadcast by satellite from outside the UK, you are now legally required to have a TV licence.

Nothing about IPTV there ;)

I this is true, I have called up the agency when I moved away from home, and you don't need one so long as you it's only for gaming. My brother who games, has also done the same thing.

I do watch TV anyway, because my halls have a licence for the whole building. Because of the shared TV's

[quickshot89]

There will never be a TV license fee for IPTV because it's a different service. So the great thing is if you own a 360 and a TV you don't have to pay TV license. You only pay a TV license if your TV or other device is connected to a aerial. So people who think if you own a TV you have to pay TV license are wrong. Believe me on this as I have done my research.

So if you don't watch TV with the current 2 ways then no TV license! Students and people with no cash rejoice!

your wrong tbh, any equipment capable, whether connected or not, needs a license, so this includes capture cards unused TV's, even portable hand-held TV's need 1

[Tob3z]

your wrong tbh, any equipment capable, whether connected or not, needs a license, so this includes capture cards unused TV's, even portable hand-held TV's need 1

Ahh. Guess they must need to tell all of there staff and maybe update there website FAQ.

[quickshot89]

Ahh. Guess they must need to tell all of there staff and maybe update there website FAQ.

well, i was just told that on their website last week, i might be wrong thou :rolleyes: :o

[Tob3z]

Did some more reading. Anyone got 30Mb Broadband? Didn't think so. :(

[Backflip]

I think IPTV is a really good idea, but could the 360 really handle it with its miniscule hard drive? I download loads of shows as I never watch TV anymore, but I have 500GB of HDD space to deal with it and I can't see anything like that happening for the 360, unless we pay M$ three times the price of an equivalent HDD for the privilege.

[quickshot89]

but, what if you can set to download to a network area? MS have announced that they want to do this remember?

[Backflip]

Ah, well that I didn't know. Is that anything (i.e. gamesaves, demos etc), or just videos and the like? If it is anything that would be pretty cool and *could* mean easily running homebrew games on your 360, and sharing them with friends etc.

I'm sure this kinda thing has already been covered, I never stay up to date with that kinda news any more :(

[sub]

I would imagine that if you owned a Vista pc with the media center option then the 360 would simply record to it's own HDD then transfer it over the network to the Recorded TV folder of the Vista PC, I doubt they'd bring this option for MCE 2005 :(

[quickshot89]

@ sub, im not sure, i just remember M$ saying they wanted to make content available all over the home with a terabyte storage thing they have come up with, im guessing it would allow the 360 to read, but im not sure about write, would be kool thou, game saves etc on 360, movie content on storage