IPTV vs terrestrial, cable and satellite TV: the differences
Four ways to bring television into your home
Every television technology solves the same problem: carrying video and audio from a broadcast centre to your screen. What changes is the physical medium and, with it, the installation required, the maximum quality and each one's weak spots.
- Digital terrestrial TV: radio waves broadcast from transmitters and picked up by a rooftop aerial.
- Satellite: a signal sent from a geostationary satellite and received with an aligned dish.
- Cable: a signal travelling over the operator's coaxial or fibre network to a set-top box.
- IPTV: video streams sent over the internet and played by an app.
Technical comparison
| — | Terrestrial | Satellite | Cable | IPTV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | Terrestrial radio waves | Waves from a satellite | Operator's physical network | Internet |
| Installation | Aerial and wiring | Aligned dish | Wall socket and set-top box | None, just an app |
| Devices | TV with a tuner | Satellite receiver | Set-top box | Smart TV, stick, phone, computer |
| Typical quality | SD and HD | HD and 4K | HD and 4K | SD, HD and 4K depending on connection |
| Guide and on-demand | Basic guide | Depends on receiver | Yes, on the box | Yes, in the app |
| Weak spot | Coverage and aerial | Bad weather and alignment | Availability in your area | Quality of your network |
What IPTV brings
The clearest advantage is flexibility. Because the signal travels over the internet, you do not depend on where the aerial socket is or on having a cable outlet in every room: any device on your network can play the content.
The programme guide and on-demand content are also part of the same app, with search and categories, which is far more limited on terrestrial TV.
What to watch out for
Terrestrial and satellite TV broadcast a single signal for everyone, so congestion on your network does not affect them. With IPTV, if someone at home downloads large files while you watch, both kinds of traffic compete for the same bandwidth.
That is why it is worth checking your connection's real speed and, whenever you can, connecting the TV or stick with an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi.
Can you use them together?
Yes. Using IPTV does not stop you watching terrestrial TV through an aerial on the same set: they are separate inputs. Many households combine both and pick the source from the remote or the relevant app.
Ready to try it on your TV?
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