Connected TV watched in 42m homes
US, Euro punters mad for IPTV
Across the US and Europe, 42m homes are already accessing internet services through their TVs, market watcher Strategy Analytics reckons.
Given the rise of Netflix, Hulu and other such services, it's no surprise to learn that the Americans are leading the move from broadcast television to IPTV.
SA spoke to 4800 punters over there and over here. Some 20 per cent of the US survey participants said they have watched internet content on their TV screens in the past month, but only ten per cent of Europeans had.
Ironically, the UK leads the way in internet-streamed catch-up content, thanks to BBC iPlayer. SA's numbers suggest that while more TVs and set-top boxes are gaining iPlayer support, most of the service's uses still watch it on a computer.
Speaking of hardware, US consumers tend to get internet content on theit tellies through their games consoles. Europeans prefer to connect up PCs, SA's survey found.
Streaming content over a home network and internet-connected Blu-ray disc players are also significant in both territories, it added.
The usage of TVs that can connect directly to the internet over a home wireless network or a wired link was not mentioned, suggesting it's still a minority interest. No great surprise, that - connected TVs are relatively new, and many folk have yet to feel the need to upgrade their current flat-panels.
But the growth in net-linked TVs capable of running their own apps - so-called Smart TVs - is expected to boom over the coming three years. ®
COMMENTS
This is what happened to "Linux on the desktop"
It became Linux on the TV.
You have a box at home. Connected to it is a screen, internet connection, plug-in external storage and a plug-in disk (or disc) reader. It contains an operating system and takes forever (OK, 15 seconds - about as long as a valve'd TV, plus ca change!) to start up. If you like you can download patches and upgrades for it.
So what is it? It says "TV" on the box, but nmap -O reports it's running Linux 2.6.X
Maybe we should stop worrying too much about labels and realise that very soon the house TV will be capable of hosting your word-processing apps, maybe even talking to a printer and giving you video Skype when you least expect it. Then, if things go according to plan your granny's worst nightmare can at last come true: that since she can see the presenters on TV programmes, they'll be able to see her, too.
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family.
Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and
electrical tin openers.
Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed
interest mortage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your
friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a
three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics.
Choose DIY and wondering who the duck you are on a Sunday morning.
Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing
game shows, stuffing ducking junk food into your mouth. Choose
rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable
home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, ducked up
brats you spawned to replace yourself.
Choose your future.
Choose life.
But I don't choose to pay a monthly sub for a selection of programs I've no interest in or have seen before.
why use a limited net connected telly?
connect you PC to your telly and use PIP. Full PC functionality and TV!
These net connected TV's are a poor attempt at best.
Yeh but you can choose the 10% you want and ignore the rest.
IPTV first came out in the UK in 2004 (Hull) when industry pundits claimed it would be widespread in 5 years (notably pundits at the BBC who also championed FreeView).
Since then the networks bitched and moaned about traffic so much they didn't even consider it.
Now the IPTV industry is running out of speculator money they need to keep press releasing good news and hiding the stuff about how completely useless the browser is. (seriously, imagine IE6 with a hangover)
But everyone just bought a new 32" LCD super FreeView HD TV so there's a very small market for at least the 5-10 year life of those new TVs
Which is why a lot of companies were going down the patent troll road instead of focussing on their stated goal, not just dropping the ball but failing to even notice the game.
Finally we get spoon fed this "look foreigners like it and they are cool & sexy" and "the French have it, you don't want to have worse TV than a Frenchman"
The BIG issue is nothing to do with hardware or platform though. Because whoever you consume your TV through the fact remains it's just Eastenders, Hollyoaks and repeats for 90% of the schedule.
