Over the top (OTT) media service is a. Hotstar, Now TV, Sling TV, MercTV, and Sky Go as well as a wave of 'skinny' television services that offer access to live streams of linear specialty channels similar to a traditional satellite or wireline television provider, but streamed over the public Internet. An over-the-top (OTT) application is any app or service that provides a product over the Internet and bypasses traditional distribution. Services that come over the top are most typically related to media and communication and are generally, if not always, lower in cost than the traditional method of delivery.
(Redirected from Over-the-top content)
Over the top (OTT) media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers over the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast and satellite television platforms that traditionally act as a controller or distributor of such content.[1]
The term is most synonymous with subscription-based video on demand services that offer access to film and television content (including existing series acquired from other producers, as well as original content produced specifically for the service), including Prime Video, fuboTV, Hulu, Netflix, Hotstar, Zee5, Now TV, Sling TV, MercTV, and Sky Go as well as a wave of 'skinny' television services that offer access to live streams of linear specialty channels similar to a traditional satellite or wireline television provider, but streamed over the public Internet, rather than a closed, private network with proprietary equipment such as set-top boxes.
Over the top services are typically accessed via websites on personal computers, as well as via apps on mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets), digital media players (including video game consoles), or televisions with integrated smart TV platforms.
Definitions[edit]
In 2011, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) stated that it 'considers that Internet access to programming independent of a facility or network dedicated to its delivery (via, for example, cable or satellite) is the defining feature of what have been termed 'over-the-top' services'.[2]
In contrast to video on demand video-delivery systems offered by cable and IPTV, which are tightly managed networks where channels can be changed instantly, some OTT services such as iTunes require that the video be downloaded first and then played,[3] while other OTT players such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video, offer movie downloads that start playing before the download completes (streaming).[4]
The FCC categorizes the OTT services into two groups: multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs); and online video distributors (OVDs).[5][6]
Virtual MVPDs include such varied services as DirecTV Now, fuboTV, Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue, MercTV, and YouTube TV.
An OVD was defined by the FCC as:
any entity that provides video programming by means of the Internet or other Internet Protocol (IP)-based transmission path where the transmission path is provided by a person other than the OVD. An OVD does not include an MVPD inside its MVPD footprint or an MVPD to the extent it is offering online video programming as a component of an MVPD subscription to customers whose homes are inside its MVPD footprint.[5]
Background[edit]
In broadcasting, over-the-top (OTT) content is the audio, video, and other media content delivered over the Internet without the involvement of a multiple-system operator (MSO) in the control or distribution of the content. The Internet provider may be aware of the contents of the Internet Protocol (IP) packets but is not responsible for, nor able to control, the viewing abilities, copyrights, and/or other redistribution of the content. This model contrasts with the purchasing or rental of video or audio content from an Internet service provider (ISP), such as pay television, video on demand, and from internet protocol television (IPTV).[7] OTT refers to content from a third party that is delivered to an end-user, with the ISP simply transporting IP packets.[8][9][10][11]
Types of content[edit]
OTT television, usually called online television or internet television or streaming television, remains the most popular OTT content. This signal is received over the internet or through a cell phone network, as opposed to receiving the television signal from a terrestrial broadcast or satellite. Access is controlled by the video distributor, through either an app or a separate OTT dongle or box, connected to a phone, PC or television set. By mid-2017, 58 per cent of US households would access one in a given month and advertising revenues from OTT channels exceeded those from web browser plug-ins.[12]
The record of simultaneous users watching an OTT event was set at 18.6 million by Disney's Indian video streaming platform Hotstar.[13]
OTT messaging is defined as instant messaging services or online chat provided by third parties, as an alternative to text messaging services provided by a mobile network operator.[14][15] An example is the Facebook-owned mobile application WhatsApp, that serves to replace text messaging on Internet connected smartphones.[16][17] Other providers of OTT messaging include Viber, WeChat, Skype, Telegram and Google Allo. [18]
OTT voice calling, usually called VOIP, capabilities, for instance, as provided by Skype, WeChat, Viber, and WhatsApp use open internet communication protocols to replace and sometimes enhance existing operator controlled services offered by mobile phone operators.[citation needed]
Modes of access[edit]
Consumers can access OTT content through Internet-connected devices such as phones (including Android, iOS, and Windows-type mobile devices), smart TVs (such as Google TV, and LG Electronics' Channel Plus),[19]set-top boxes (such as Apple TV, NVidia Shield, Fire TV, and Roku), gaming consoles (such as the PlayStation 4, Wii U, and Xbox One), tablets, and desktop- and laptop computers.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Jarvey, Natalie (15 September 2017). 'Can CBS Change the Streaming Game With 'Star Trek: Discovery'?'. The Holywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2017-10-28. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^(CRTC), Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. 'Results of the fact-finding exercise on the over-the-top programming services'. www.crtc.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-06-03. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- ^Gibbon, David C., and Liu, Zhu. Introduction to Video Search Engines. Washington, DC: Federal Communications Commission (FCC). p. 251.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- ^Cansado, Jose Miguel (13 October 2008). 'Will Internet TV Kill IPTV?'. Archived from the original on 2017-06-06. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- ^ abFCC (May 6, 2016). Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming [Seventeenth Report; MB Docket No. 15-158; DA 16-510](PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: Federal Communications Commission (FCC). pp. 4417–4587. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2016-10-26. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^'FCC Officially Launches OVD Definition NPRM'. Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on 2017-08-19. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
- ^IPTV is the delivery of television content using signals based on the logical Internet protocol (IP), rather than through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.
- ^Hansell, Saul (March 3, 2009). 'Time Warner Goes Over the Top'. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^'Over-the-Top Video and Content Delivery Networks Will Transform Video-On-Demand Provisioning'. Electronic Component News. November 19, 2009. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012.
- ^'Why 2011 Is Being Called The Year Of 'The Cable Cut''. Business Insider. December 30, 2010. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^'Who Is Playing The OTT Game And How To Win It'. Business Insider. December 30, 2010. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^Andrew Orlowski; Can the last person watching desktop video please turn out the light?Archived 2017-08-08 at the Wayback Machine, The Register, 8 Aug 2017 (retrieved 8 Aug 2017).
- ^Manish Singh; Hotstar, Disney’s Indian streaming service, sets new global record for live viewership, Techcrunch, 12 May 2019 (retrieved 12 May 2019).
- ^'Chart of the Day: Mobile Messaging'. Business Insider. May 17, 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^Maytom, Tim (August 4, 2014). 'Over-The-Top Messaging Apps Overtake SMS Messaging'. Mobile Marketing Magazine. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
- ^Albergotti, Reed; MacMillan, Douglas; Rusli, Evelyn (February 20, 2014). 'Facebook's $18 Billion Deal Sets High Bar'. The Wall Street Journal.Missing or empty
|url=
(help) - ^Rao, Leena (September 4, 2015). 'WhatsApp hits 900 million users'. Fortune. Archived from the original on 2016-01-28. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^'Apps Roundup: Best Messaging Apps'. Tom's Guide. Oct 4, 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
- ^Roettgers, Janko (January 8, 2016). 'LG's New TVs Mix Streaming Channels from Buzzfeed, GQ & Vogue with Traditional Networks'. Variety. Archived from the original on 2017-02-03. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
Further reading[edit]
- 'FCC Adopts 15th Report On Video Competition'. U.S. Federal Communications Commission. July 22, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2014. Announcement of release Report.
- 'User Interface Holds the Key to OTT Success'. Pay OTT TV. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on June 18, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Over-the-top_media_services&oldid=917309518'
OTT stands for over-the-top and is also referred to as “value added.” Most of us have been using OTT services without actually realizing. Simply put, OTT refers to the service you use over the network services of your service provider.
Here is an example to better understand the concept:
You have a 4G data plan with a mobile operator, from which you have bought a smartphone and with which you have GSM calls and SMS service. Then, you use Skype or any other VoIP service to make cheaper and free voice calls and SMS using the 4G network. Skype here is referred to as the OTT service.
Using the Internet the Way You Want
The service provider whose network services are being utilized for the OTT service has no control, no rights, no responsibilities, and no claim on the latter. This is because the user should be free to make use of the internet the way they want. The network carrier only carries the IP packets from source to destination. They can be aware of the packets and their contents but can do nothing much about it.
Besides, this is what makes VoIP a much cheaper and often free alternative to expensive phone calls – the caller does not pay for the dedicated phone line as is the case with traditional telephony, but uses the existing internet without dedication and without rental. In fact, if you read more on the billing mechanisms of most VoIP services, you will see that calls that are placed within the network (between users of the same service) are free, and the paid ones are those that involve relaying to a PSTN or cellular network.
The coming of smartphones has revolutionized OTT services, namely voice, and video services over wireless networks since these machines have multimedia and advanced communication functions.
Free and Cheap Calls and SMS With VoIP
VoIP is the most successful industry of recent years. Among its numerous benefits, it allows communicators to save a lot of money on both local and international calls, and on text messages. You now have services that allow you to use your smartphone with the underlying network to make free calls and send free text messages.
Internet TV
OTT has also been a vector in the proliferation of internet TV, also known as IPTV, which is the legal distribution of videos and television content over the internet. These video OTT services are obtained free online, from Youtube, for instance, and from other sites where more sustained and constant streaming video content are offered.
What Will the Network Carriers Do?
OTT is causing harm to network service providers. Telecoms have lost and are losing hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue to VoIP OTT operators, and this excludes video and other OTT services. Network carriers will, of course, react.
We have seen reactions in the past, with restrictions imposed on their networks. For example, when Apple’s iPhone was released, AT&T imposed a restriction to VoIP services over its 3G network. After pressure from users and the FCC, the restriction was finally lifted. Fortunately, we aren’t seeing many of those restrictions now. The telcos have realized that they can’t fight that battle and that maybe they should content themselves with reaping the benefits of offering good 3G and 4G connectivity for users who use OTT services. Some network service providers even have their own OTT service (which is finally not really OTT, but rather an alternative to it), with favorable rates to its customers.
Now some users will move completely out of their reach. It’s those who will use the OTT services – make calls, send text messages and stream videos – in a Wi-Fi hotspot, which is free.
So, as a user, make the most of OTT services. You risk nothing, as the market dynamics suggest that things are only going to get better ahead for consumers.