A number of consumers in the U.S. and Europe are leery about IPTV service from telephone service providers because of the potential for poor picture quality, according to separate studies in the two geographic areas released Monday. The studies were conducted by InsightExpress on behalf of SupportSoft. In the U.S. survey, more than one-third of respondents were worried about the quality of pictures delivered by phone companies compared with cable or satellite providers.
IPTV, or Internet Protocol television, is technology that delivers TV programs over the Internet. Telephone companies are working to add TV services to their voice and data offerings to open up new markets and fend off advances by cable and satellite companies that provide similar packages.