What is IPTV? Understanding the Ongoing Revolution in Digital Media

You may not have heard the term IPTV, but you have probably been using it to watch live TV, catch-up TV, or VOD (Video on Demand). With new entertainment services and platforms popping up alongside traditional TV providers, there’s something amazing to watch everywhere you turn.

Some readers may be concerned about IPTV’s legality because it’s possible to accidentally slide over the line and watch illegal content without realizing it. Data privacy is another concern because data breaches can lead to hacking and identity theft.

Let’s get some facts on the table to help you stay safe and legal.

What Is IPTV?

IPTV stands for internet protocol television. It describes one of the three ways television or video content can reach viewers. IPTV content gets delivered to your screen via your broadband internet connection. The other, more traditional ways are via light pulses in fiber-optic cable (cable TV) or radio waves from a satellite (satellite TV).

It’s still about getting your fix, only through a new delivery system.

One big advantage of IPTV is that you can choose when you watch. With cable or satellite TV, you only get one chance. If you’re not in front of your big screen at broadcast time, you’d better hope a mate has recorded it, or you will have to wait for another chance for unlimited time.

Another benefit is that you can choose how you watch. Who needs a TV screen when you can work along to a DIY show in your workshop or a cooking show in your kitchen? You can use a laptop, desktop, tablet, smartphone, or even mirror your computer screen to your big-screen TV.

Lastly, IPTV is easy to personalize. The “IP” in IPTV refers to your internet IP address. IP-based connectivity means you can interact and use built-in options and settings to personalize your viewing experience.

Modern devices, such as computers, can receive IPTV without any modifications. For older TVs, you may need a set-top box like Roku or Amazon Fire TV to convert the data you receive over your internet connection into a format your TV can read.

Examples of The Three Different IPTV formats

If you’re not sure what type of content your favorite platform offers, here’s a quick checklist:

• Video on Demand (VOD) allows you to watch content whenever you like it. Streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime are one of the most popular examples of VOD services.
• Time-shifted media, also known as “catch-up TV,” allows you to watch shows you missed when they came out. However, it is only available for a limited time. You can’t go back and watch shows from years ago—for that, you’ll need VOD. Companies like CBS and NBC have apps to let viewers watch shows they might have missed.
• Live IPTV let’s stream sporting or other events like regular TV, but on any device. CBS Sports HQ, Hulu Live TV, and Sling TV are good examples of Live IPTV.

Is it Legal to Watch IPTV in Canada?

Watching IPTV is perfectly legal. However, using IPTV to watch premium content for free is illegal. Please don’t use it to avoid paying a subscription fee for platforms like Netflix, Sky Sports, Amazon, Disney+, etc.

However, you may accidentally stumble across illegal content on IPTV.

It’s easy for anyone—including shysters—to start an IPTV channel. IPTV technology allows you to upload any content you like to your channel and share it with others. It’s very convenient, but sometimes it can also cause issues over legalities.

Some people add copyrighted content to their channels and make it publicly available for free or a very low fee. Watching copyrighted content for free—or paying a discounted price to watch it on a dodgy channel—can lead to trouble. It’s better to stick to one of the established, legal IPTV channels, like DirecTV Now, Hulu +TV Live, Playstation VUE, or Canada’s IPTVAnubis, PrimeSalto, or EternalTV.

The Other Risks of IPTV

It’s always better to safeguard your personal information while on the internet. IPTV uses your IP address to deliver content, so a VPN for IPTV is essential to your setup. Secure each device with a reliable VPN provider. It will protect your IP address and minimize the risk of a data breach.

You should also change the privacy settings on all your devices to allow minimal data collection. It’s safer to assume that websites and apps like to collect as much information as possible from your devices. Protect all the sensitive information on your device in encrypted storage.

ISPs (and some governments) monitor their users’ online activities because they could get into trouble for allowing you to stream copyrighted content. A VPN will keep your ISP from snooping, but please don’t use a VPN to watch copyrighted content illegally.

Always use strong passwords and never recycle passwords. Sometimes, hackers get lucky when they pick out passwords from old data breaches and combine them with your email address in credential-stuffing attacks. This is one of the reasons why you should enable two-factor authentication for everything you do online.

You run extra risks if you stumble across rogue channels with illegal content:

• There’s no guarantee you’ll get what you pay for. Scammers may max out your credit card and then sell your information to other hackers.
• Legitimate channels offer apps via legitimate libraries, e.g., the Google Play Store. You’re in trouble if a channel advises you to “jailbreak” a legitimate streaming device like an Amazon Fire Stick to sideload their app. Jailbroken and hacked Amazon Fire Sticks and phones are dangerous.
• Illegitimate streaming sites often package viruses into download links to stream the content.
• Some even use fake playback or control buttons that send users to malicious websites.

Do a Little Homework First

There are many fly-by-night IPTV channels. They may take your money and vanish before you get to watch any of the good stuff. Be careful if the channel’s subscription cost is too low to be true. Another telltale sign is poor video quality or lots of advertisements. If in doubt, stick to established channels on IPTV to avoid unnecessary security risks.