More news favoring IPTV — better video compression (via J.D. Lasica).

What I don’t get though is that some people seem to think that viewers will watch IP video real-time, as a stream. I doubt it. Seriously. Doubt it.

Any system that does IPTV right will allow users to download shows ad hoc (surf the Web, find them, download them), or use and iPodder like system to down load favorite shows as they become available. All shows will be watched at the viewer’s convenience, not when some programmer wants them to watch it. So better compression is great, but it isn’t about watching the stream as it comes in. I don’t think.