Imagine you are from the U.S, going on a business trip abroad. If you want to tune to a desired event or program which is broadcasted through a local cable service, it would be impossible to watch it unless you have an IPTV service.
IPTV Stands for Internet Protocol Television and that alone shows what this service is about: Watching your favorite program using internet and that makes it a service without boundaries. A simple good quality internet connection is enough to let you enjoy tuning into a favorite sport event anywhere in the world. Let's keep the explanation of IPTV here and continue this discussion in a more meaningful way:
-Who is an IPTV provider? how do they do it?
-What are the requirements for a user to run IPTV?
-How to choose an IPTV provider who is right for you?
-How to find and subscribe to a service?
-Who is an IPTV provider? how do they do it?
IPTV Provider is someone who rents servers, installs an IPTV Management software on them, injects feeds made out of scripts and tuners, create accounts and sell those accounts to end-users who install these subscriptions on their IPTV Player apps and enjoy watching their favorite channels. These feeds contain Video, Audio generally. Subtitles and EPG on some channels also provided sometimes.
-What are the requirements for a user to run IPTV?
Device: A device plays a fundamental role in user experience using an IPTV service. IPTV is very versatile and can be used on almost any device but it is advised to go with Android devices. A Firestick 4K is currently one of the best and commonly used device.
Internet connection: A minimum bandwidth of 20 megabits with lowest ping time possible would be the minimum requirements, but the higher the bandwidth, the better. It is also advised to connect the IPTV device to the network router using cable to avoid possible radio-frequency noises.
Application: Most of the IPTV providers have their own IPTV application but if you come across a provider who does not have it, there are various applications available depending on your device.
-How to choose an IPTV provider who is right for you?
-A provider should be responsive: The first thing to pay attention to while evaluating a provider is their response time. It is of utmost important how quickly a providerr gets back to their clients. Measure the respone time between when you submit a support or sales ticket until they get back to you.
-A chance of testing the service for free: IPTV Free Trial is what all providers should offer, letting the customer have a taste of what a paid service may look like. It is advised to schedule your trial during peak hours while hot live events on so you see how the service do during heavy load. It is worth mentioning that some providers may not offer free trials while live events are on.
-Close servers matter: If a provider hosts their servers in europe and you reside in south asia, the network distance is going to be high which may result in buffering issues. Try to pick a provider whose servers are hosted close to you. You can ask the provider about this. Some providers have a multi-national server infrastructure which resolves this issue.
-Good to have it tidy: Make sure the provider categorizes the channel listing into proper folders like UK- Sports ... neat listing should be a main concern.
-Flexible Payment Options: Before going forward, make sure the provider supports a payment method of your choice.
-How to find and subscribe to a service?
The most common way would be searching google or any other search engine for providers. Grab a free trial and then evaluate. Another wise method would be asking around, see what other users' experience is. For instance, while you are testing an IPTV service, if they have a brand, search it on google and see what users have to say about them on IPTV forums.