Private television platforms broadcasting over the Internet or via antenna/cable push users to different alternatives in terms of their prices. What is IP TV, which is growing day by day, how does it work and is IP TV legal? We have explained the answers to your questions for you.
Most of us want television to be as comfortable, versatile and more enjoyable as it is when we watch something online. That’s why we’re looking for alternative ways to replace basic cable or satellite programs day by day. As a result of these searches, platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and IP TV enter our lives. However, lately we have heard IPTV to users Will penalties be applied? The question of its legality is being questioned more because it is a more obscure and unknown concept than the others.
Considering that today’s digitalization steps have spread to television broadcasting, IP TV is unfortunately also watched illegally, although it is a legal service. As a result of this information, What is IP TVwhich IP TVs are illegalLet’s examine the answers to questions such as which ones and not, in more detail.
What is IPTV?
IPTV (internet protocol televisionAs the name suggests, it is the transmission of television programming using the internet protocol. In a more understandable way, we can explain IP TV as encrypted or unencrypted channels are converted into IP packets and broadcast to the end user over internet access technologies. In other words, IP TV sends TV series and movies over your internet connection instead of transmitting them via satellite.
IP TV, the first broadcast of which was the World News Now program of the US channel ABC, started to be used in the USA and European countries in the early 2000s. The work of IP TV Turkish telecom started in our country in 2008. After a 2-year development process, it was made available to users under the name Tivibu.
How does IP TV work?
IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) As the name suggests, its foundations are based on data transfer over the internet. IPTV, which we will show as examples of broadcasting platforms such as Tivibu and Turkcell TV+, which have a large user base in our country, briefly provides video and audio data over the internet.
IPTV, compared to satellite broadcasts, which have different advantages in their own way, price and availability We can say that it has different characteristics in terms of Adding that the packages created by the broadcasting company and containing the broadcast data are generally delivered to our homes using fixed lines, let us also state that the satellite and antenna technology remains more analogue than IPTV and is an old technology in terms of accessibility.
In the most general way, the programs we watch on television are converted into radio waves and broadcast over the air and sent to the roof antennas in the house. The antenna converts these waves back into electrical signals. Your television set decodes these broadcast signals to produce sound and video. So, how does IP TV work? The working logic of IP TV is quite simple.
Signals emitted by television channels are converted to digital by undergoing various processes. These digital data are transmitted to IP TV over internet lines with the help of various distributors in order to broadcast. However, in order to transfer the data to be received over the internet connection to the television, you must have an IP TV supported satellite receiver, Smart TV enabled television or IP TV supported box.
Which IP TV services are legal and which are not?
Using IP TV in itself is not a crime, but using IPTV to broadcast illegally and watching these broadcasts constitutes a crime. So in order to answer this question, the first thing to consider is what broadcasts IP TV contains. For example, if you are watching public unencrypted channels from IP TV with the consent of the broadcaster, this does not constitute a problem.
Tivibu, which Türk Telekom provides services in our country, or Turkcell TV +, which is provided by Turkcell, are good and legal examples of legal IP TVs. As we mentioned above, apart from the television industry that broadcasts channels, online broadcasting platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are also in the legal IP TV category in a way.
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What penalties are given to those who watch IP TV?
Let us, as consumers, examine in more detail what the cost of watching an illegal IP TV broadcast will be. If you are a consumer who watches IP TV legally, there is no penalty for you. However, if you are not a consumer watching IP TV illegally, things change here and your action is a crime. This act, which is defined as the crime of gratuitous exploitation according to the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237, is explained as follows:
“Anyone who makes use of telephone lines and frequencies or encrypted or unencrypted broadcasts made by electromagnetic waves without the consent of the owner or the possessor is punished with imprisonment from six months to two years or a judicial fine.”
So to summarize, if you are watching IP TV illegally. 6 months to two years in prison or fine You can be punished with
What penalties are given to those who broadcast IP TV?
Persons and institutions that broadcast IP TV illegally are subject to penalties that are much greater than the penalty for the end consumer. for the offense of gratuitous exploitation 6 months to two years in prison not only be penalized, but for illegal marketing reasons. 69,086 TL administrative money and broadcast suspension is also given. Noting that the Board of Advertisement continues to work on the aforementioned issues without slowing down, we strongly recommend that you do not use such illegal practices.
The future of IP TV
It is very difficult to estimate the number of users of IP TV services today. Considering the wide variety of distributors, different formats, and an incredibly wide range of pirated content, there’s a lot of data to take into account. According to research by Grand View Research, the value of the IP TV market in 2025 117 billion dollars It is said to happen.