NBN Co Blog

 
 
Print

Blog Category

Tue 21 AUG

Comment

NBN News

The NBN: a new world of entertainment for Australians

Posted on Tuesday 21 August 2012 by Steve Langdon

An artist's impression of the future of Internet Protocol TV -- multiple high definition channels could be delivered at once, with live social media and synchronised interactive content available alongside.

The humble TV is going through a significant change in Australia and round the world. It's no longer a simple box connected to a rooftop aerial - it's becoming a gateway to content from all over the world available via the internet.

Australians are among the most enthusiastic adopters of technology, and have taken up smart TVs, tablets, set-top boxes and game consoles quickly, turning us into a nation of connected entertainment consumers, with many people used to watching TV while also using their tablet or smartphone.

The next step in the evolution of Australia's entertainment options is Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) -- broadcast TV content streamed live over the internet.

Instead of your TV signals coming through an aerial or satellite dish, IPTV allows compatible equipment to use the internet to access movies, TV shows and live events over home broadband.

Today's home internet connections don't always allow smooth playback -- movies can take a long time to start playing and live channels may pause unexpectedly.

NBN Co's aim to connect 93 per cent of Australian premises to fibre across the country means there will be vastly more bandwidth available for service providers to provide end users the ability to access high-quality video at more and more locations. As a result, Australia is becoming fertile ground for IPTV services, and they're expected to grow significantly here.

The NBN has technology baked in to every part of the network to facilitate the delivery of live video content in high definition. The technology, called "Multicast", allows content to be streamed into the NBN just once per serving area, and then replicated out to potentially thousands of people watching it at once.

Top 5 benefits of Multicast over the NBN:

Two screens are better than one: In addition to full high-definition video streams over the NBN, service providers can offer synchronised 'second screen' options (such as tablets and smartphones). Imagine watching an uninterrupted HD sports broadcast with scores, statistics and player information updating live on your tablet computer in front of you.

Choice of channels and locations - With NBN fibre and the right service subscriptions, you'll be able to watch premium live HD channels from various providers throughout your home on any compatible device connected to the home network.

Quality - Multicast has dedicated, reserved bandwidth over the NBN, giving Australian service providers the potential to offer high quality, reliable IPTV services to help meet viewers' high expectations.

Interactivity - IPTV all comes over the internet, which is inherently a two-way connection, so viewers will likely be able to interact with, or even participate in, their favourite shows and pull down exclusive additional content, where available.

Ready for tomorrow - The Multicast feature is expected to be able to adapt and support the TV resolutions of the future, including support for Quad HD (four times the current full-HD resolution) and Ultra HD TV (16 times higher!) which is expected to be released by the end of the decade.

View more about:
Multicast, IPTV, Entertainment, TV, Video

By Steve Langdon, Manager Multicast, IPTV & Video Products

Steve is responsible for end to end product management of the Multicast IPTV product that will enable the broadcast quality delivery of High Definition video over the Australian National Broadband Network. He has had a long history in broadcasting including numerous management roles at Foxtel over the last 10 years.

Legal stuff you need to know:

When we talk about speeds delivered over the National Broadband Network, we are referring to the wholesale speed to telephone and internet service providers. The speed you can achieve, and services you can use, on your individual connection will depend on many factors including the services you subscribe to, the software and communication protocols you use, quality of your equipment and connection to your home/business, the broadband plans offered by your telephone or internet provider and how it designs its network to cater for multiple users.

Recent blog posts

  1. CategoryTechnology

    NBN street cabinets: now made in Melbourne

    NBN street cabinets: now made in Melbourne

  2. CategoryCommunity

    Faster broadband bears fruit for farmer

    Faster broadband bears fruit for farmer

  3. CategoryCommunity

    Tell us your NBN stories

    Tell us your NBN stories

  4. CategoryCommunity

    How superfast broadband is enabling better home security

    How superfast broadband is enabling better home security

Comments

All comments are moderated and will be reviewed before they are published. To ensure your comments will be published, please read and follow our Community Guidelines.

By commenting you agree to Disqus' (the blog comment platform owner, a US company) Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and to the NBN Co Privacy Policy and NBN Co's Community Guidelines. NBN Co and Disqus may collect, store and use personal information that you post in accordance with these terms and policies.

NBN Co Logo

Blog Community Guidelines

NBN Co welcomes your comments. We are committed to ensuring that issues discussed on the blog are relevant and expressed calmly and in a way that is respectful of all participants. Your use of the NBN Co Blog is subject to these guidelines and our general website Terms and Conditions of Use.

To ensure the standard of discussion on the site remains polite and on-topic, NBN Co reviews all comments before publication. Comments will be reviewed during normal business hours (9:00 - 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday) and, if accepted, will generally be posted within two hours. You will not be contacted if your comment is not accepted.

You should NOT post any comment that:

  • is aggressive, inflammatory or defamatory;
  • is too long or repeats previous posts;
  • misrepresents NBN Co, its shareholder or its board members;
  • is not about the topic of the discussion;
  • is not relevant to the NBN or broadband;
  • attacks or impersonates individuals;
  • is, in our judgement, mainly about promoting an external website; or
  • presents another legal, commercial or technical risk.

Your comment should be your own, don't copy from someone else.

You must supply a valid email address to be able to post a comment. Your email address will not be published.

We reserve the right to edit, withhold or remove any comment that does not comply. You may be personally liable if your comment is unlawful.

Comments about our moderation policy will not be published. The moderator's decision is final.

If you find a comment offensive, please contact the NBN Blog team and tell us why you think the comment breaches these guidelines. Please include the web address for the page on which the comment appears in your email.

You agree that we can use your comment (in whole or in part) in other forums, including on our website and in marketing materials.

NBN staff and contractor comments

NBN staff and contractors should review the social media policy available on the NBN Intranet before commenting on the site.

Customer Service

NBN Co does not sell directly to the public, so any questions about your specific NBN internet connection should be directed to your telephone or internet service provider.



blog comments powered by Disqus

Most popular blog posts