IPTV Part 4 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I had cable TV and Internet service then went to Dish Network for TV service but was drawn to IPTV offering from local telco (Matanuska Telephone Assn.) where telephone, IPTV (using Amino equipment), and high speed Internet were offered in a package. The promise of HDTV to follow digital TV held me as a customer for over a year. With delay after delay in roll-out of the HD service I finally gave up and switched back to cable with about 20 HD channels to enjoy on the JVC 1080p set. Internet was mostly good with high speed DSL line at advertised 8mps (actual closer to 4.5mbps) but TV mediocre at best. Compared to neighbor with cable HDTV it was poor. HDTV is just that good. I just don't think there's enough of an "installed base" of customers to push the newest equipment and protocols (MPEG-4) to mainstream use.

....Internet was mostly good with high speed DSL line at advertised 8mps (actual closer to 4.5mbps) but TV mediocre at best. Compared to neighbor with cable HDTV it was poor. HDTV is just that good. I just don't think there's enough of an "installed base" of customers to push the newest equipment and protocols (MPEG-4) to mainstream use.

In my area SureWest provides HDTV over IPTV. I believe I've read in several locations that they were the first to offer it to consumers. They use a system by Minerva Networks. Minerva Networks provides the head-end stuff and the middleware operating on the Amino Communications STBs. Initially, they used the AminNET110 for SD and AmiNET120 for HD... both were MPEG2 only. They then started implementing the AmiNET130... providing faster channel switching and I believe a better picture for some reason. The AmiNET130 also is capable of MPEG2 AND MPEG4 (H.264/AVC). Currently, there are 23 HDTV channels available, but next month, 15 additional channels are to be added (SureWest as of yet has not detailed what 15 channels). Also, next month we are to have an option for the new AmiNET530, which is a DVR version of the 130. It will have a 160GB hard drive and will be able to stream recorded content to the AmiNET130 boxes in the house. I have read about the physical capabilities of the AmiNET530, but I do not know what features will be enabled (like how many streams will be able to be recorded at once or if an external hard drive will work to off-load the little 160GB hard drive).

At the end of the second quarter, SureWest had 21,118 video customers (I, along with many of my neighbors became video customers in July when it was offered in our neighborhood.) They provide 310 SD channels and as previously mentioned, 23 HDTV channels, soon to be 38. They also have VOD, but unfortunately none in HDTV at the moment. I believe a change-over from MPEG2 to MPEG4 (H.264/AVC) is part of the deal with the additional channels and DVR. As each customer has a dedicated 100Mbps fiber connection, they have the bandwidth to provide quite a bit; theoretically providing as much content as AT&T's U-verse while also providing 50Mbps/50Mbps Internet service (I chose 20Mbps/20Mbps). They provide services other than this, including DSL for those in areas not yet served by fiber, although no IPTV over DSL. They had 59,792 combined data (fiber & DSL) subscribers and 120,969 telephone customers at the end of the second quarter.

With fiber to the house and bandwidth up to 100mps I can see how you have success with HDTV right now. To have 20mps up and down would be a dream to behold here! Interestingly, our house is within 1000ft of the fiber node but copper to the house. The rating was 16mps to be shared by IPTV and Internet connection. One idea would be to add a second telco line to the DSL gateway thus giving and additional 16mps feed. So it seems that at this time you need substantial bandwidth to make HD IPTV work today.