What is OTT (Over the Top) Application or Service?

Table of Contents

• What is OTT App or Service?
• Are You Down With OTT?
• Over the Top Applications Have Been Around for Years
• OTT Applications aren’t Relegated to Television Only
  • Examples of OTT services, applications, and content
  • Examples of OTT applications or services
• Why Does OTT Matter?

What is OTT App or Service?

Are You Down With OTT?

Hello, and welcome back to our blog. Here at Setplex, we make it our mission to be up to date on the latest happenings in the Internet Protocol Television world. With the IPTV industry growing as rapidly as it is, it is important for both consumers and content providers to stay as informed as possible.

One aspect of IPTV that is becoming more affixed in the daily lives of millions of individuals is over-the-top applications. These applications help to deliver media content in the form of streaming television shows, videos, and music. In today’s post, we are going to focus on the history of OTT applications, the effect they are having on traditional media businesses, and the potential future of OTT. Continue reading below to learn more.

Over the Top Applications Have Been Around for Years

When discussing Over The Top applications, it is first important to understand exactly What is OTT. Definition What is OTT application or service? In the simplest of definitions, OTT applications are any application or service that provides a product over the internet while bypassing traditional media services.

These applications are usually related to media and communication services and are generally provided at a lower cost when compared to the traditional method of delivery. For example, let’s say you want an original Netflix series through your internet connection, and said connection is provided by Comcast.

While you are utilizing the internet services of Comcast you are technically consuming media through an OTT television application (Netflix) that is not directly owned by or affiliated with Comcast. In essence, the media is delivered “over the top” of the internet provided by Comcast, without Comcast having any control of the media being delivered.

OTT Applications Aren’t Relegated to Television Only

A few of the most famous examples of OTT television applications are Netflix and Hulu which utilize the internet to distribute media outside of the control of the major cable and satellite providers. However, Netflix and Hulu are not the only examples.

OTT apps have grown to include multiple applications related to communication services. An example of this comes in the form of the texting application Kik. Kik is a messaging application downloaded by individuals to communicate with others who use the app.

So, while an individual may have a Verizon Wireless phone, they are using Kik instead of the native texting app. Kik essentially piggybacks off of the existing internet infrastructure made available by Verizon Wireless to provide their users with a way to communicate with each other outside of the sphere of their wireless provider.

This trend in using ISPs to provide services for third-party OTT applications is only expected to continue and, as more consumers demand the ability to cherry-pick the content they wish to see, over-the-top tv applications are poised to become a booming digital market.

Examples of OTT services, applications, and content

What is OTT or Over the Top content? 

In broadcasting, OTT content is video, audio, image, and other media content delivered over the Internet or television without the involvement of multiple system operators in the control or distribution of the content.

Internet users access Over the Top content through internet-enabled devices such as

• Smart TV platforms. The best Smart TV platforms are Samsung, Sharp, Sony, LG,  Philips, Apple, and Android TV
• Mobile devices (such as iPhone, Android, and Windows)
• Video game consoles ( such as Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4 or PlayStation Vita)
• Tablets, laptops and desktop computers (including PC, Linux, and Mac)
• Set-Top-Boxes (STB)

For an ordinary Internet user, examples of OTT applications or services are something like:

• Kik, Viber, WhatsApp, Apple’s iMessage, Skype, WeChat, Google Allo and Blackberry Messenger or BBM for messages on smartphones
• Netflix, HBO, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Video, or Apple TV for video streaming
• Facetime, Viber, WeChat, WhatsApp, and Skype  for video or voice calling
• World of Warcraft, Google’s Twitch, Xbox 360, or YouTube for gaming

Why Does OTT Matter?

OTT applications matter because of what they imply about the future. As video streaming services such as Netflix have already shown, people are starting to tire of paying the major cable and satellite ridiculous amounts of money to consume media.

The rise in popularity of OTT apps further shows that people are tired of bundling together multiple services when all they really need are certain aspects of each service. Before OTT apps, if a person wanted to watch HBO they had to subscribe to the relevant cable or satellite package to receive it. Now, however, people can simply download that standalone OTT application HBO NOW and enjoy HBO content without having to pay for a corresponding cable package.

For the first time in the history of media, consumers are starting to affect the profits of major content providers by refusing to pay for services and bundles that were once considered essential. Only time will show what the true effects of OTT applications will have on the world of media, however, we believe that media companies are about to experience one of the most major shifts in broadcasting since the invention of cable.

To learn more about OTT/IPTV applications, visit the Setplex website today. At Setplex, we deliver IPTV solutions and software designed to provide the highest-quality viewing experiences available. Contact us to learn more about our products and services.

Interested in our IPTV and OTT services? Learn more about NORA and Setplex