Computing Now | June 2009 | Theme | Designing a Reliable IPTV Network

IPTV IEEE Internet Computing, May/June 2009, pp. 15–22 Designing a Reliable IPTV Network by Robert Doverspike, Guangzhi Li, Kostas N. Oikonomou, K.K. Ramakrishnan, Rakesh K. Sinha, Dongmei Wang, and Chris Chase Distribution of real-time multimedia over an IP backbone has been gaining momentum with content and service providers. (For example, see www22.verizon.com/FiosForHome/Channels/fios/FiosTV_comingsoon.aspx and www.iptvnews.net.) The challenge is to distribute real-time, linear broadcast TV while ensuring that users experience no more than a few seconds' delay. Loss-recovery mechanisms have a limited capability to recover from burst packet losses. To recover from short burst losses, providers use a combination of higher-layer methods, such as player loss-concealment algorithms, retransmissions, and packet-level redundancy mechanisms. If we combine these higher-layer loss-recovery mechanisms and protocols with the capability to rapidly restore the IP-transport network after a network failure, then we can provide end users with the necessary quality of service (QoS). Read more ► Share this article IEEE Internet Computing magazine provides journal-quality evaluation and review of emerging and maturing Internet technologies and applications. Current issue: Internet-Scale Data Management What else is new? The Promise of Functional Programming Not on the Shelves Making Augmented Reality Practical on Mobile Phones, Part 1 Beyond X 2.0: Where Should We Go? Never Let a Serious Crises Go to Waste Games in the Classroom: Using Games as a Motivator for Studying Computing: Part 1 This month's theme: IPTV About this month's theme: IPTV is about more than the delivery of digital television over Internet technology—it's about creating a videocentric, visually compelling, next-generation Internet that’s accessible on any device, any time, anywhere. Read more ► IPTV Related links ► More articles on IPTV: Designing a Reliable IPTV Network Standardization Activities for IPTV Set-Top Box Remote Management Digital Television for Mobile Devices Not All Packets Are Equal Reducing Channel-Change Times with the Real-Time Transport Protocol