Frequently Asked Questions

A DVR requires you to pre-schedule recordings and often needs dedicated hardware, while catch-up TV automatically stores all broadcasts on the provider's servers. All you need is an internet connection and a compatible device.

The availability window varies by provider, but aired content typically remains accessible for 7 to 30 days after the original broadcast.

No, Cloud TV is generally more cost-effective than traditional TV because it eliminates the need for physical infrastructure.

Yes, Cloud TV platforms are designed to handle both live streaming and on-demand content efficiently.

Cloud TV works on smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, laptops, and web browsers.

Yes, with DRM and encryption technologies, Cloud TV platforms ensure high-level content protection.

DRM is a system that prevents unauthorized redistribution of digital content and restricts how purchased content can be copied. It works by encrypting the content and granting access only to users who hold the decryption keys, usually issued through a licensing mechanism.

DRM takes a proactive approach by creating barriers to content theft, usually through encryption or code embedded in the digital content. These tools can control which devices and people can access the content and for what time periods.

Copy protection prevents users from making copies of a work, typically through encryption or scrambling so only devices with the right key can read it. Digital watermarks, fingerprinting, and copy-restriction software are other common techniques.

Permission management limits who is allowed to use a work. It relies on methods like software licenses and keys, user and IP authentication, proxy servers, VPNs, geo-blocking, and tying products to specific hardware or software.

HLS stands for HTTP Live Streaming, a media streaming protocol that delivers video and audio over the internet to viewers. It is used for both live streaming and on-demand streaming.

Content is captured by devices like cameras and microphones, sent to a live video encoder, transmitted to a video hosting platform via RTMP, and then delivered through HLS ingest to an HTML5 video player. The process depends on an HLS encoder and a powerful video hosting platform.

Online video shifted away from Adobe's Flash technology to HLS with HTML5 players because HLS and HTML5 are open specifications that anyone can access free of charge. The newer technologies are also safer, faster, and more reliable.

Standard VOD only offers content whenever the viewer requests it, while HVOD adds scheduled programming and live broadcasts similar to TV channels on top of an on-demand library.

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. It delivers TV channels and on-demand content over the internet instead of traditional cable or satellite connections.

Middleware organizes the content library, authenticates users, processes billing, generates the program guide, ensures device compatibility, and lets providers brand the experience.

It processes subscription payments, generates invoices, and manages renewals so users experience uninterrupted service and can easily subscribe, renew, or cancel.

Both manage digital content, but the distinction lies in asset focus: MAM specializes in time-based media such as video and audio, while Digital Asset Management covers broader digital assets like images and documents.

OTT technology adjusts to the network performance of the entire delivery chain in real time, taking a best-effort approach so video and audio play without buffering pauses. This compensates for differences in connection speed, display device, and network hops between provider and viewer.

A viewer pays a one-time or rental fee, and once the payment is processed they can stream that content as often as they like during a set viewing window. When the window expires, access is typically revoked.