The topic at issue was nothing less than the future of TV, and the powerful TV
executive had a tale to tell about his teenage daughter and the impact of the
phenomenon known as IPTV. Dad had suggested Downton Abbey that Seven
screened last year to much acclaim and even higher ratings. The forthcoming season
two, due on Seven soon, is eagerly anticipated. But his daughter was unexpectedly
enthusiastic: “Dad, season one was great but season two is even better!”

That she was able to watch the program at all, before it hit Australian screens, was
due to IPTV. It stands for internet protocol television, and means watching TV over
the internet. Some say it is about to change everything. Certainly, there’s a
bewildering array of brands to choose from, including Apple TV, FetchTV, Foxtel,
GoogleTV, Quickflicks and ABC iView.

But for young people, IPTV is not over the horizon, it is here. “They are doing it
already and doing it in droves,” says David Castran, chief executive of research
analyst Audience Development Australia. “The research indicates that for people 25
to 54 in Sydney and Melbourne, 30 per cent of their TV viewing is that, but it is DIY:
do it yourself.”

And DIY, for the most part, still means illegally. While legal IPTV is a nascent
industry, illegal piracy has taken off. And what they want, by and large, is US drama.

Stephen Brook is media editor of The Australian – May 05, 2012

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