Once dismissed as a mere experiment by prognosticating pundits, Internet-delivered TV has finally become a reality, thanks to recent announcements by the likes of Dish Network’s Sling TV, CBS, HBO and Nickelodeon. Channels that were once strictly bound within the confines of the cable can now be freely accessed through the Internet by paying a small monthly fee with no binding contracts or equipment rentals.
How does Internet TV Work?
Streaming TV box works by connecting an Internet-enabled device such as an Internet TV box, computer, gaming consoles, Blu-Ray and DVD Players to the TV and streaming video content directly from select Internet sites. Some TVs are already Internet-enabled and can stream Internet content directly without any need to connect to a separate device.
The most basic way to stream Internet video through your TV is to connect it to a computer. Most of the latest computers on the market come with advanced functionality that makes it easy to connect to TVs, and some even allow connections to be made wirelessly to the TV over the home’s Wi-Fi network. Using a computer for Internet streaming, however, is a resource-intensive process. Moreover, many computers are not readily compatible with TVs and require specialized cables that can lower picture quality when using Wi-Fi or HDMI.
Using a streaming TV box set-top box to stream video content from the Internet is usually the most viable option compared to the other methods listed here because these boxes are quite cheap—they are generally in the $100-$200 range—and can be used anywhere as long as there is good Wi-Fi reception. A HD Internet TV box is capable of providing better quality pictures than computers even where broadband speeds are low. Additionally, many of these boxes offer a web browser that gives the viewer a wide variety of choices.
There is quite a large number of internet TV receiver box available in the market today. Models like Apple, Google and Roku are some of the most popular. If you live in the Australia, it’s possible to watch American networks by buying a streaming TV box in Australia or Internet TV box Australia and subscribing to services such as Hulu which stream video from multiple American networks including ABC, NBC, Fox, and MTV Networks. The Australian Internet TV industry has at least 35 networks that can be readily accessed including A & E, BNN, CBC, City TV, CPAC, CTV, Discovery Channel, Global TV among others.
At the moment, most streaming TV boxes in Australia perform a single function, meaning you will need a separate device for accessing digital TV.