Hybrid
Hybrid DTT/Satellite Solution
In difference to the Telco driven "classic" IPTV solution we do not assume here a closed controlled IP network but we assume that for instance a satellite or DTT pay TV operator wants to enrich his existing pay TV broadcast service with on demand services over the public Internet ("over the top"). But this can also be an independent "over the top" service provider who provides value added services over IP utilising for example standard DTT free TV for broadcast as part of an integrated solution.
Since the public Internet would possibly not allow for true streaming of content, the operator would need to buffer the content or download the content to a STB Hard Disk Drive (HDD). Since STBs with built in HDDs have become reasonably cost effective this is an attractive solution to be combined with a local PVR service, where the HDD would be split between a subscriber controlled area for PVR and an operator controlled area for push VOD content.
In order to provide scalable download capacity a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is required. This can be provided by a CDN hosting company who typically charges on a per Mbps download capacity or can be managed by the TV operator using its own CDN. The CND can also use peer to peer capabilities in the network or also including the STB.
Another consideration to implement IP push VOD solutions is to use DTT/Satellite bandwidth e.g. during the night, either stream the push VOD content in real time to be recorded on a local HDD or even "burst" the traffic with a higher bandwidth and shorten the time for content transfer. Robust error control mechanisms need to be used since e.g. STB which are not online would miss such windows. It would be possible to start with a IP push/pull model for a smaller scale solution and then move to a DTT/Satellite based model for larger scale.
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