ibc_ibc 31/08/2014 13:18 Page 2
42m US homes have connected smart device
uring the first quarter (Q1) of
2014 there were 42 million US
households with a TV connected
to the Internet, either via a video game
console, Blu-ray disc player, streaming
media player or the TV itself. According
to the NPD Connected
Intelligence Connected
Home Report, between
Q1 2013 and Q1 2014
the number of homes
with a TV connected to
the Internet grew by
6m. The vast majority
of this increase was
driven by growth in the
number of homes with
Connected TVs and
streaming media
players.
For the first time, there
are now more US
households with streaming
media players than Blu-ray
disc players connected to the Internet. As a
result, the streaming media player platform
now reaches a larger digital audience than the
app-related content on Blu-ray disc players.
“Consumers want devices that can deliver
high-quality content to their TVs,” said John
Buffone, executive director, Connected
Intelligence. “The increase in Connected TV
D
Pay-TV subscriber
growth continues
The growth of pay
television continues, as
providers embrace
multiscreen services to
offer subscribers more
viewing options, according
to the July 2014 Multiscreen
Index published by
informitv.
The report shows a 1.4%
increase in digital television
subscriber numbers across
100 leading pay-television
and streaming media player penetration is
proof that consumers are investing in
solutions that can provide app-related
content in the simplest, most effective way.”
Having the ability to connect these
devices wirelessly is the most important
Having the ability to
connect these devices
wirelessly is the most
important feature for a
consumer.”
services around the world in
the first quarter of 2014.
They collectively gained
4.17m video customers over
three months and 17.43
million year on year, an
increase of 5.2%.
The 100 multichannel payTV services in the Multiscreen
Index cover over 30 countries
and represent around 330
million subscribing homes
worldwide.
Services in Europe, the
Middle East and Africa gained
the most subscribers, led by
Tricolor in
Russia, adding
340,000 in three
months.
Satellite
services made
the greatest
gains over the
quarter, just
ahead of telco
feature for a consumer. According to the
Connected Intelligence Connected TV User
Experience Report, 67% of Connected TV
users said having a device that can connect
with Wi-Fi influenced their decision
regarding the device they preferred to use for
apps on TV. Ease of use
features, whether devicecentric or related to searching
for content, were four of the
top 10 features highlighted by
consumers. These features
include an easy to use remote,
easy to use home screen, the
ease of finding an app or
channel the viewer is looking
for, and the ease of finding
new apps.
“In some ways the TV
viewing experience consumers
want has not changed,
although how they receive it
continues to, and an app
experience is no different,” said Buffone.
“Consumers want easy to find, entertaining
programming and a quality picture that does
not buffer. While device manufacturers
cannot solve all of the challenges inherent in
Internet content delivery, they can ensure
viewers have an easy to use remote and
home screen as well as facilitate content
discovery.”
networks, while operators in
India accounted for most of
the gains for cable.
Sixty-five per cent of payTV services in the Index now
deliver to multiple screens in
addition to the traditional
television, including phones,
tablets and other networkconnected devices.
“The informitv Multiscreen
Index shows continued
growth in pay-TV
subscriptions worldwide,”
says Dr William Cooper, the
founder and chief executive
of informitv. “Across the
hundred services in the
Index, net subscriber gains
far exceed net losses.”
Two-thirds of services in
the Index reported net
subscriber gains. The ten
services with the largest
gains added 2.45m video
customers over the quarter.
The ten reporting the largest
losses collectively lost 0.28m
video customers in three
months.
The reported gains do not
include substantial growth
for services in China, for
which reliable figures are
unavailable.
The top ten services in the
United States that report
subscriber numbers added
314,300 digital video
customers in the first quarter
of 2014. Strong gains by the
telco networks over the year
offset losses by some cable
companies.
The planned mergers of
Comcast with Time Warner
Cable and AT&T with DirecTV
will lead to a greater disparity
between the major providers
and smaller operators, says
the research and analysis
firm.
ADVANCED TELEVISION 3