Reducing Zapping Delay in Internet Protocol Television Using a Hybrid Modular Method

Abstract

Internet protocol television (IPTV) has revolutionized the media and telecommunication industries by providing a platform for transmitting digitized television services across the internet protocol infrastructure. However, zapping delay is a critical hiccup that deters the switching intention of terrestrial subscribers and widespread adoption of IPTV services. Subscribers often experience this hiccup in IPTV when switching channels, which makes subscribers wait for several seconds before the desired channel is found and made available. An important information may elude a subscriber during the waiting time. This research develops a hybrid modular method that takes the advantages provided at the subscriber level and network level to help reduce zapping delay hiccup in IPTV. The validation of the method has proved that it is indeed possible to reduce zapping delay in IPTV to the barest minimum over a converged network.