This insightful text presents a guide to video distribution networks (VDNs), providing illuminating perspectives on reducing power consumption in IP-based video networks from an authoritative selection of experts in the field. A particular focus is provided on aspects of architectures, models, Internet protocol television (IPTV), over-the-top (OTT) video content, video on demand (VoD) encoding and decoding, mobile terminals, wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), software defined networking (SDN), and techno-economic issues. Topics and features: reviews the fundamentals of video over IP distribution systems, and the trade-offs between network/service performance and energy efficiency in VDNs; describes the characterization of the main elements in a video distribution chain, and techniques to decrease energy consumption in software-based VoD encoding; introduces an approach to reduce power consumption in mobile terminals during video playback, and in data center networks using the SDN paradigm; discusses the strengths and limitations of different methods for measuring the energy consumption of mobile devices; proposes optimization methods to improve the energy efficiency of WMSNs, and a routing algorithm that reduces energy consumption while maintaining the bandwidth; presents an economic analysis of the savings yielded by approaches to minimize energy consumption of IPTV and OTT video content services. The broad coverage and practical insights offered in this timely volume will be of great value to all researchers, practitioners and students involved with computer and telecommunication systems.​