A survey has recently been completed to determine the requirements on JANET in the areas of:
IPTV
Student Television
Central Content Storage
The results of this survey will be published on this page shortly
The survey is the second part of a contents requirements exercise which has been commissioned to ensure that any services developed in this area support user requirements. This exercise comprises of both a series of interviews with key JANET community representatives, and a wider questionnaire. The preliminary findings of this exercise, undertaken on behalf of JANET(UK) by Alex Roberts at the University of Wales Swansea, can be viewed at a recent presentation at Networkshop 35.
IPTV
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a description of technologies that enable users to watch broadcast and on-demand television services over an IP network. In simple terms the IP network simply replaces the traditional television infrastructure such as terrestrial, cable or satellite. The flexibility of using an IP network to deliver television services however means that users may benefit from increased interactivity and potentially on-demand choice.
IPTV on JANET
A number of IPTV activities are currently underway within the JANET community. These include the INUK IPTV Freewire service and a number of localised initiatives to deliver intra-campus television services over data infrastructures.
JANET(UK) has seen a significant increase in JANET connected sites making use of IPTV technologies. A number of sites now deliver IPTV services to student residencies, and throughout campuses, providing a more flexible delivery medium than is currently offered using traditional coaxial television cabling. In general the use of data networks to provide services such as IPTV and Voice, removing the need for separate television and telephony networks, is becoming more commonplace. This convergence of services is particularly prevalent in new Greenfield developments.
This growth and change of use within the JANET community is an exciting opportunity to make moving pictures an every day technology.
