Can apps work on connected TV?
The primary apps used by connected TV viewers are catch-up services, YouTube and other video-on-demand portals, according to research from Futuresource Consulting. The findings showed that viewers also engaged with Facebook, Twitter, eBay and Skype.
Analysts, while predicting the growth of “apps on TV” do not expect vast app stores such as Apple’s to spring up any time soon. David Sidebottom, a senior consultant on digital media at Futuresource said: “Non-entertainment-based apps could lend themselves to TV screens better than smaller mobile screens.
“This could mean education, like one-to-one or one-to-many tuition, gambling, remote monitoring of places and individuals and medical discussions or diagnosis via the TV. You could also replace the teletext experience, like when buying holidays.”
There may even be a chance for games to hit the connected TV screen – Electronic Arts’ vice president Mark Vange believes that apps can bring together the traditional viewing experience and gaming platform: “You could be watching a football match and can then go and play FIFA with the same team. That will get people using it for the first time and open the door to new players.”
Despite these examples, it is still felt that “lean back” viewing (apps that are less interactive) will continue to dominate. Brett Sappington, director of research at Parks Associates added: “By their nature, apps that help match consumers to content help get consumers to their desired content quickly, facilitating rather than interrupting the viewing experience.
“Apps for social networking or other interaction on the TV screen are problematic, particularly at times where several people are watching TV. Consumers are becoming more accustomed to the world of apps on connected devices but will not want apps to take up screen space while they are watching.”
Present app numbers are small compared to the major app store players – currently Samsung has over 1,000 registered apps – but future expansion appears likely, particularly in the form of apps that can be seen as extensions of existing content, notably the True Blood and Nat Geo apps.
Interestingly, the three most popular apps on Virgin Media are BBC iPlayer, YouTube and Spotify, all of which are tried and tested and updated regularly.
Virgin Media’s strategy differs somewhat to that of other providers, with seasonal promotions offered to coincide with the launches of new series, for instance.
“We are managing and curating this and that is something you don’t tend to see on typical connected TV platforms”, said Ian Mecklenburgh, Virgin Media director of consumer platforms and devices.
The industry appears to appreciate the potential problems that could emerge though “saturating” the connected TV app market – the strive for relevance is ongoing and apps are generally designed to be a complement to existing TV services, not a distracting, separate entity.
As vice president of digital innovation and communities at Orange, Patrice Slupowski pointed out: “We are inviting some internet services into the heart of the set-top box, although we do not think users are ready for complete app stores.
“When we ask our customers, they express a desire to use some internet-related content and features on their TV but we do not envisage a big shop with hundreds of thousands of apps. We have to be careful to invite the relevant ones with a very good experience.”
Read the full Videonet article here.