Video Everywhere, But How Do I Find It?
We have more video available than ever before in the form of video on demand for television, internet and mobile devices. The amount is staggering when you add in user generated content and broadcast,. The good news is that, according to a recent Neilsen report (http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/11/viewing_across_screens_grows_n.php), the average US household is watching TV for a whopping 8 hours and 18 minutes a day! You then add the 27 hours of online and 3 hours of mobile video per month for a seemingly massive customer base that cannot get enough video (or time outside the house).
This creates a situation with numerous entrants trying to secure their piece of the market. YouTube is dominating user generated videos, Hulu is fast approaching critical mass with syndicated online content, Cable and Telco providers are providing massive amounts of video on demand for their customer bases for tradition TV consumption, and Over the Top providers like Netflix and Blockbuster (http://www.blockbuster.com/corporate/newReleases) are launching their own “in home” service with a separate set top box. However, I just described a bunch of silos that have limited portability across channels and a poor user interface for discovery for the TV, which is still the main consumption channel. This completely misses the user delight of “anytime, anywhere” content. The biggest issue is being limited by a remote control that uses arrow keys and poor text input capabilities that prohibit the navigation of thousands of video titles. The next need is to effectively bring the internet to the TV in a more usable manner to better capture the online video. The last major concern is the need for portability to different devices within the home or on their person.
Interestingly enough, the closest anyone is coming to solving the above problems has been the IPTV deployments such as ATT Uverse multi-room DVR (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6613355.html) and their supporting mobile access via select devices. However, they are still constrained by the TV remote control input device and user interface which stunts internet integration and content browsing. It will require another step forward for the set top box or remote control manufacturers to solve the problem of access and discovery. Some have postulated that motion sensing controls to allow quick scroll or keyboards will be required for input (which is basically like using my computer so I don’t see the value of TV). I am not sure of the answer, but I know the amount of hardware providing more video choices is growing in my house and I still can’t find anything to watch. Any ideas?
