IPTV Architecture

Microsoft sells IPTV as a complete solution for delivering video content over an Internet Protocol (IP) network to consumers’ homes. In this diagram, a service provider is acquiring video in various formats from content sources (left), such as TV broadcasters or videotaped movie libraries. A video encoder from an IPTV hardware partner, such as Harmonic, Inc., or Tandberg Television, encodes this content into the current digital video standard, MPEG-2, or one of two high-definition video standards designed for television screens: H.264, which is based on MPEG-4, or VC-1, which is the SMPTE-approved version of Microsoft’s Windows Media 9 Video Advanced Profile codec.

Next, IPTV acquisition servers take the video content and route it to the operator’s IP network (not the public Internet). Within that network, IPTV operations and management servers are responsible for routing the video streams to consumers’ homes. These servers also run custom applications that integrate IPTV with other services, such as billing systems, voice and data services (e.g., Internet access, European Teletext systems), and notification services (e.g., to provide onscreen alerts of an incoming phone call). Microsoft server applications can assist in some of these functions-for example, Live Communications Server can be used to provide notifications, and SQL Server can be used to store subscriber data.