Main goal of NGN based IPTV is to provide to end user a comprehensive list of converged IPTV services [2]. New generation IPTV services have to provide service personalization, interactivity, blending of services, user targeting, enhanced accessibility and mobility.
IPTV services can be split to three groups:
- Basic IPTV services
- Advance IPTV services
- Converged IPTV services
Basic IPTV services consist of minimal set of IPTV services which are expected from NGN based IPTV service provider:
- Broadcast TV (with or with trick modes) – delivery of linearly broadcasted TV channels.
- Trick Modes – enable control playback and pause, forward, rewind content.
- Pay Per View (PPV) – user pays for example only for particular show or time period not whole TV channel or TV package.
- Content on Demand (CoD) – user requests content consumption on demand (e.g. Video on Demand or Music on Demand).
- Personal Video Recording (PVR) – user can record content in network (network or n-PVR) or locally in STB (client or c-PVR).
- Electronic Program Guide (EPG) – provides service selection information required by the viewer to find and select the programmes to be watched.
- Parental Control – protection mechanism to limit access to television content for children’s in age below rating of programme.