connect IPTV test 2021: the clear winner is Magenta TV

Which providers deliver the best TV entertainment per IPTV, even when the internet is being used for simultaneous data transmission and telephone calls? For their IPTV test 2021, connect and zafaco tested the most important German IPTV package offerings by comparing them with one another.

In the national category, Deutsche Telekom repeats its excellent performance from the previous year with its Magenta TV package deal and once again achieves the grade “excellent”. 1&1 HD-TV scores a “very good” rating, and Vodafone a “good” with its GigaTV Net deal.

In the regional category, M-Net is up front with a “very good”, ahead of EWE and Net Cologne, both of whom achieve a “good” rating.

For classic TV broadcast reception, the IPTV transmission path has already gained third place behind satellite and cable broadcasting (DVB-S and DVB-C). Terrestrial TV broadcasting (DVB-T) has already been overtaken by television transmission via the internet. No wonder: in view of the boom in video streaming, the technically-related reception of linear television via the internet protocol seems a particularly logical choice to users.

In order to evaluate product performance, the network specialist zafaco was commissioned by the trade journal connect to carry out a total of 603,003 measurements between 17.5 and 13.6.2021. The picture and sound quality of the IPTV packages, the start-up times and error rates of the set-top receiver boxes, and the switching times in various zapping scenarios were evaluated. The tests were partly carried out with parallel up and downloads as well as simultaneous IP telephone calls in order to reflect typical user behaviour in families or flatshares.

Those interested can find details of all test results and further information at www.connect.de/IPTV-Anbieter-Test.