Broadcasters are facing increasing pressure to clearly define IPTV for consumers

To many members of the general public, IPTV is “Internet Television” — the kind they watch when the computer is fired up to view You Tube, Joost or some other form of streaming video on the Internet.

Of course, they’d be wrong, but as an industry, it’s the responsibility of IPTV broadcasters to set the record straight. Whether the name is too confusing, the difference between Internet TV and Internet protocol television (IPTV) is too confusing for most average consumers.

“Internet TV,” by definition, is content that can be watched online, on computers or, in certain cases, on mobile devices and gaming consoles. IPTV, however, is TV content that is delivered via Internet protocol, but is — or at least can be — watched on TV sets. To add to the confusion, it can also be viewed on other devices as well.

In a recent interview with journalist Philip Hunter for IPTV News magazine, David Wray, co-founder and director of UK-based IPTV specialist Global Digital Broadcast (GDB), noted that it’s important to remember that IPTV stands for Internet protocol television, i.e. the content may travel over a broadband line, but it does not stop at the Internet, the computer or at a mobile device. People tend to concentrate on the “Internet” part, while neglecting the “television” aspect.

While Wray’s thinking is solid, his logic will not solve the consumer confusion problem. It’s a problem the marketing whizzes of IPTV need to deal with, and fast. Perhaps a name change, for clarity, is necessary before it’s too late.

The largest telcos throughout the world are leaning toward implementing triple-play packages (i.e. bundling services such as telephone, broadband and digital/satellite transmission), each promising that its way is the future and will deliver the very best, highest-definition, fast-forward-rewind-pause-play-record-watch-10-channels-on-split-screen-all-at-once service.

The only question is whether consumers think they mean watching You Tube.