Detecon, Inc., a leading global telecommunications and information technology consultant, has released several key predictions and caveats for the emerging IPTV industry. Detecon's IPTV: Technology and Development Predictions, is a must-read for those interested in keeping current with IPTV technology and market developments.

"We can help service providers do the proper analysis for a more robust, more cost-effective IPTV deployment," said Eckart Pech, CEO Detecon, Inc. "Over the years, we've seen promising new technologies develop around the world and our experience can help US carriers better compete." Detecon, who has provided telecom consulting services in over 120 countries around the globe, offers valuable insights to how markets behave as technologies and competitors converge.

Detecon's white paper outlines an array of IPTV architectures, explaining the core components of an end-to-end system. The paper also takes two deep dives into issues like channel change and video codec. Detecon investigates the requirements IPTV imposes on the network for additional bandwidth and multicasting support. The paper also describes several IPTV initiatives in the US and abroad.

Detecon's eye-opening IPTV predictions and caveats include a warning that popular IPTV middlewares might need some significant changes. "Software companies are committed to IPTV and have invested significantly in marketing and engineering," said the paper's author, Dr. Patrick Pfeffer, Chief Network Architect at Detecon, Inc. "But most releases are far too complex, with subsequent releases likely to be even more complex," warned Dr. Pfeffer. "Software partially mitigates the lack of bandwidth in the local loop, but that doesn't outweigh the potential risks." He urges Telcos to press software companies for simplified architectures and open interfaces.

Dr. Pfeffer also cautioned that most of the current Telco IPTV models are undifferentiated "Me-Too" video offerings aimed at helping Telcos gain mere parity with Cable MSOs, who are quickly deploying VoIP for Triple Play. "We can help Telcos be more innovative by leveraging their communications leadership, while expanding into entertainment services," added Dr. Pfeffer. "Building an IPTV capable network is certainly within reach for Telcos, but succeeding in the market will require a dramatic culture change."

Other key findings include:

The Future of Television -Video on Demand?
VoD might be the killer app, but it is not restricted to movies and also includes TV programming recorded with NPVRs (Network Personal Video Recorders). The problem is if VoD becomes a prevalent form of TV viewing (unicast vs. multicast), the current IPTV networks Telcos are building will not have enough bandwidth.

Renewed CAPEX:

The current ADSL network can not support IPTV and must be overhauled, with double the CAPEX needed to future-proof the network. This investment should benefit equipment manufacturers and lead to further concentration in the industry.

Small is Beautiful:

There are many successful deployments of IPTV across the world. Most of them are by small or medium size operators. Many large operators are struggling.

An executive summary of the paper is available at www.deteconamericas.com/iptv_paper.shtml.