Although the dividing point appears to be wafer thin, research from Informa Telecoms & Media claims that the number of OTT-to-the-TV viewers will surpass IPTV viewers by 2013 and that by 2015 380 million people globally will view online video via connected devices.
The survey differentiates between OTT (over the top) video, which uses a broadband IP pipe for its content delivery and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), which uses a broadband IP pipe for its content delivery, by who's using the pipe to deliver the content.
"This (OTT) growth will be driven by the phenomenal popularity of services such as BBC iPlayer and Netflix" compared to those watching "managed IPTV services from the likes of Verizon, BT and Orange," the survey said.
The results, while "not necessarily bad news for IPTV providers," do add a sense of urgency for providers who "should be adding these features to their own services," the report said.
For more:
- see this news release
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