Can the number of connected TV iPlayer views compete with iPad views?

Speaking at Apps World this week, Daniel Danker, general manager, on-demand at the BBC, claims the corporation has been contrasting the effort involved in achieving reach and views on BBC iPlayer on connected TV devices versus the Apple iPad.

The iPlayer is now on over 600 different connected TV devices, up from 400 at the end of last year, and although viewing of iPlayer via the TV is up ten-fold from last year, it still is not achieving its potential, according to Danker.

By comparison, the iPad is performing amazingly well for the broadcaster. As Danker explains, the iPad “is just one device, has 11% penetration in the UK but delivered 11.7 million requests in a month”.

The CE industry cannot claim responsibility for this upturn of usage on connected TV devices, as the majority of the increases were via existing platform operators with IP connectivity.

Danker believes the current methods to connect by the majority of devices are just too complicated for the average consumer, and when connected it is difficult to find the apps and content you want.

As Danker explains: “When you are developing the user interface you need to remember that people did not buy a computer – they bought a TV and it needs to feel like a TV. Rather than trying to put the web on TV we need TV on TV.”

Read the full article at v-net.