Motivation

The use of IP networks for the delivery or exchange of sound and television signals as multimedia content¹ is spreading at an impressive pace. This is confirmed by the very high rate of increase in the penetration of these IP-based services.

The capability of IP networks is steadily increasing in terms of bandwidth, quality of service, reliability, and so on; this leads to the fact that the IP delivery of sound programmes and television programmes over IP networks of "entertainment" quality has become viable.

IP networks today are adequate for the delivery of sound programmes or television programmes of entertainment sound/picture quality and timeliness; they now meet the expectations of an audience accustomed to the programme quality provided by the DVD and by broadcast/cablecast television.

In addition, the growing use of multimedia applications, which might be delivered together with television and sound programmes, stimulates the use of IP based transmission. Taking advantage of interactive communication capability of such applications makes it possible to provide more advanced and value-added multimedia new services such as tele-medicine, remote-learning, the global environmental observation, and other public interest services. A new type of push service can be also realized by introducing an interactive functionality into a new video distribution system, which automatically recommends television programmes to each user based upon his/her preference for example.

It is important and urgent to study the requirements, architectures, and methods of the service provision systems to deliver these advanced applications over IP networks. This study will include, but is not limited to, advanced service delivery platforms for server-client application implementation, for software as a service (SaaS) implementation approach where a server hosts and operates application software for use by its clients through a network, and for terminal-centric applications as well.

Accordingly, it is necessary to continue studies on a Question which covers wide effective utilization of IP networks for delivery of sound and television programmes and other multimedia services. Innovative service provision platforms from viewpoints of system architecture, application management mechanisms, service control protocols and content delivery mechanisms should be studied for high-speed and real-time transmission over IP networks.

Question

• What are the service requirements applicable to the interactive delivery of services comprising sound and television programmes with advanced multimedia applications over IP networks for contribution and/or for distribution purposes, in terms of sound quality, picture quality, quality of the other components of the programme, synchronization of the various programme components, timeliness, reliability of delivery, etc.?
• What are the service requirements applicable to the interactive secondary delivery ("webcasting") of services comprising sound and television programmes with advanced multimedia applications to the public over IP networks, in terms of sound quality, picture quality, quality of the other components of the programme, synchronization of the various programme components, timeliness, reliability of delivery, etc.?
• What is the appropriate platform architecture to provide advanced multimedia services with the satisfaction of the above-described service requirements including server-client model, software as a service approach, and terminal-centric application concept?
• What are the appropriate mechanisms to provide service information provision functionality including creation, preparation and transmission of service information, which provides a program configuration to a receiver?
• What are the appropriate mechanisms to provide content provision functionality including ingestion and preparation of multimedia content such as sound, television and other advanced multimedia applications?
• What are the mechanisms to control and organize the applications transmitted to terminal devices?
• What are the mechanisms to provide management capability of transmission network?
• What are the mechanisms to provide management capability of terminal devices?
• Which protocols are appropriate for control of unicast-based services, e.g. advanced interactive services?
• Which protocols are appropriate for control of multicast-based services, e.g. advanced linear-TV equipped with innovative functionalities?
• What methods are appropriate for transmission of time critical media such as sound or television?
• What methods are appropriate for transmission of static information such as multimedia presentation or application programs, e.g., carousel distribution, on-demand transmission?
• Which sound and picture source coding methods can be recommended for this kind of delivery of sound programmes and of television programmes with advanced applications?
• Which protocols are appropriate for fast file transfer of applications such as audio or television programmes, maintaining content integrity?
• Which IP-related protocols should be recommended for the time-efficient transmission of extremely large files such as the ones required to deliver full-length HDTV or higher resolution programmes?
• Which architecture can be recommended to ensure synchronized and timely reception of the various components of the programme at the destination point?
• What enhancements to existing Recommendations are required to provide energy savings directly or indirectly in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) or in other industries? What enhancements to developing or new Recommendations are required to provide such energy savings?

Tasks

Tasks include, but are not limited to the preparation of updated or new Recommendations as required.

An up-to-date status of work under this Question is contained in the SG 9 Work Programme.

Relationships

Recommendations:

• Application platform: J.200, J.201, J.202
• Set-top box: J.290, J.291, J.292, J.293
• Home networking: J.190, J.192
•  IPTV secondary distribution framework: J.700