Testing IPTV and video streaming!

Which providers offer the best picture quality and play videos without pauses and interruptions, and how do sound and images react to load situations? connect and zafaco take a closer look at these questions.

Today television is more and more frequently watched on the Internet – whether by means of IPTV like Entertain or using web services such as Amazon PrimeNetflix and co. Which providers offer the best image quality together with undisturbed and pause-free video pleasure?

Video streaming is, at least with regard to transported data volume, one of the most important Internet applications: Around 70 percent of worldwide data transmission are required for moving images. In addition, DSL has today also developed as one of the possible reception methods for classic TV channels: According to current data from connect some 3.3 million households and thus around eight percent of the 39 million German TV households are watching TV using IPTV

And according to a study, which the IT trade association Bitkom carried out in 2014, video streaming replaces classic television amongst one third of users above 14 years of age either partly or completely. 44 percent claimed to be watching much less conventional TV as a result of the video offers available on the Internet, and 18 percent were even prepared to do without classic television completely.

Special evaluation of IPTV

The greater the use of streaming offers, the more pressure on the networks – and the greater the danger of a reduction in image and sound quality. For this reason connect has also been investigating since 2012 in collaboration with their fixed network partner zafaco the quality and services which network providers offer with their IPTV provision. The relevant measurement data is collected in the course of our large fixed network test (see <link file:390 _blank download file>connect 8/2016), and then evaluated separately. As this year’s results show, there are clear differences between the national providers Telekom Entertain1&1 “Digital TV provided by Telekom” and Vodafone TV. You can read the full reports in the current connect 9/2016.

New in the test: Video on demand

In addition to the IPTV offers, this year we have also looked more closely at streaming or video-on-demand services, which represent growing competition to conventional television. Those who primarily get entertainment and information from NetflixAmazonFacebook or YouTube, also expect smooth video transmission in high resolution and with little disturbance.

Just how well this runs depends to a great degree on the output platforms and network connections. In this area too, the network test experts detected clear and sometimes surprising differences. You can read just how well the most important streaming services performed in this discipline in the current <link file:442 _blank download file>connect <link file:442 _blank download file>edition 9/2016.