In a follow-up to a previous post about Vint Cerf, I wanted to talk a little about a video I found on ValleyWag (and hosted on YouTube, naturally).

In this clip, Cerf talks more about delivering TV via IP (since he is one of the inventors of IP). He says that providers can deliver content delayed, which customers can watch later. Or they can get it faster than real-time.

ValleyWag says:

According to him, it would then be possible to serve content faster than real-time — it would take 16 seconds to download an hour’s worth of video on a 1 gigabit-per-second connection — which would eliminate strain on service providers and placate consumers seeking videos without jagged images and distorted sound. Or we could all just use BitTorrent.

Essentially, Cerf says that the Internet can be used as a distribution method or channel to deliver TV, much like Telecom operators are using closed IP networks to deliver networks around the world. And why not? I agree with Vint Cerf. Delivering TV via traditional networks just isn’t flexible enough nor can you get the interactivity that’s possible with IP delivery.

Since IPTV is more popular in Europe and Asia, people outside the U.S. are seeing the value to IP delivery. But most customers don’t even understand the difference. And that’s the way it should be. The delivery mechanism can be transparent, while providing added interactivity, new ways of watching and navigating TV and optimizing advertising. That’s what the dream of IPTV is all about.

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