Are You Down With OTT?
Hello, and welcome back to our blog. Here at Setplex, we make it our mission to be up to date on the latest happenings in the Internet Protocol Television world. With the IPTV industry growing as rapidly as it is, it is important for both consumers and content providers to stay as informed as possible. One aspect of IPTV that is becoming more affixed in the daily lives of millions of individuals are over the top applications. These applications help to deliver media content in the form of streaming television shows, videos, and music. In today’s post, we are going to focus on the history of OTT applications (OTT app), the effect they are having on traditional media businesses, and the potential future of OTT. Continue reading below to learn more.
Over the Top Applications Have Been Around for Years
When discussing Over The Top applications, it is first important to understand exactly What is OTT. Definition What is OTT application or service ? In the simplest of definitions, OTT applications are any application or service that provides a product over the internet while bypassing traditional media services. These applications are usually related to media and communication services and are generally provided at a lower cost when compared to the traditional method of delivery. For example, let’s say you want an original Netflix series through your internet connection and said connection is provided by Comcast. While you are utilizing the internet services of Comcast you are technically consuming media through an OTT television application (Netflix) that is not directly owned by or affiliated with Comcast. In essence, the media is delivered “over the top” of the internet provided by Comcast, without Comcast having any control of the media being delivered.
OTT Applications Aren’t Relegated to Television Only
A few of the most famous examples of OTT television applications are Netflix and Hulu which utilize the internet to distribute media outside of the control of the major cable and satellite providers. However, Netflix and Hulu are not the only examples. OTT apps have grown to include multiple applications related to communication services. An example of this comes in the form of the texting application Kik. Kik is a messaging application downloaded by individuals to communicate with others who use the app. So, while an individual may have a Verizon Wireless phone, they are using Kik instead of the native texting app. Kik essentially piggybacks off of the existing internet infrastructure made available by Verizon Wireless to provide their users with a way to communicate with each other outside of the sphere of their wireless provider. This trend in using ISPs to provide services for third party OTT applications is only expected to continue and, as more consumers demand the ability to cherry-pick the content they wish to see, over the top tv applications are poised to become a booming digital market.
About examples of OTT services, applications and content you can read in the full article on Setplex blog.