Cable TV began in the 1950s as a way of bringing TV signals to places that could not otherwise receive them.
Cable TV reached maturity by the turn of the century and was facing competition from DBS satellite systems.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 permitted cable and telephone companies to compete with one another.
Internet TV developed in the late 1990s and became more popular with the growth of broadband.
Cable and satellite systems are structured differently from those of conventional TV.
Cable television is dominated by large multiple system operators. Two companies, DirecTV and the Dish Network, are the leading DBS providers.
Internet video can be categorized by source (professional or amateur) and content (original or repurposed).
User-generated videos, such as those on YouTube, has become extremely popular.
Internet video sites make money by charging a fee for their content or by selling advertising.
Nielsen provides rating data for cable/satellite networks. Ratings for online video-sharing sites are provided by companies that measure Internet usage.
