Is Tivo The New Betamax?
Is Tivo The New Betamax?
Hard disk video recording system Tivo may turn out to be the new Betamax, the ill-fated video cassette system of the ’70s, according to respondents of a new survey by The Media Edge.
Of the 170 people that took part in the survey, 84% either already own Tivo recorder (39%) or intend to buy one within a year (45%). Nevertheless, 46% agreed that the system could be the new Betamax and that it might well be superseded by new technology in the near future.
Tivo allows viewers to digitally record TV programmes and can ‘learn’ the viewing habits of users and record programmes of interest automatically. It can store up 40 hours of programming. More crucially though, is that it allows viewers to rapidly skip through sections they are not interested in, such as the advertising breaks. The ad industry is understandably concerned about the long-term affects this may have on the structure of airtime advertising.
Three quarters of respondents to The Media Edge survey believe that sponsorship and programme involvement will become much more important in Tivo viewing.
“We believe that viewers will increasingly screen out the traditional 30″ advert, and that short length sponsorship credits, content provision and even longer length ‘blockbuster ads’ will grow in importance. However, we think that there will also be a middle ground, where TV ads will have to work harder creatively, with the TV stations having to provide more detailed targeting information and possibilities – making the whole experience more relevant,” says Brad Fairhead, Media Edge’s managing director.
The survey also found that 61% believe that TV stations will have to work harder at promoting their programmes to the public, given that viewing could become much more ‘active’, as opposed to the current passive viewing of pre-determined channel schedules.
“What is already clear from the early adopters use is that TV advertising is under threat and that TV stations will need to make sure that their programmes are both good and properly promoted, and that advertisers will need to work much closer with the stations on content ideas. It’s a cliché, but you could suggest that the 30″ ad is on its last legs,” concludes Fairhead.
The research has appeared in the same week as a report by Informa Media which suggested that up to 1m homes in the UK could have personal video recorders by the end of this year (see PVR Homes To Hit 500m By 2010).
The Media Edge: 020 7387 4522 www.mediaedge.com
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