Media Playground 2013: the Screen Session

Wednesday morning saw MediaTel’s sixth annual Media Playground get under way with a particularly insightful session examining how multiple screens are complicating the media landscape, kicking off a busy day of informative and lively debates.

Despite being struck down with a particularly strong strain of man-flu, Graham Lovelace of Lovelace Consulting soldiered on and chaired the lively panel, with his usual composure, through the various issues the industry is facing in the multi-screening world.

To set the scene, the audience was treated to two presentations – the first from MediaTel’s own Julie MacManus who divulged a flood of Connected Consumer statistics about consumers’ current interactions with screens.

However, there was one fact that seemed to stick in the panel’s minds: due to the latest technologies being stealthily packed into current generation televisions, most connected sets are now passively purchased – and one third are never even hooked up to the internet.

The audience was then taken through a ‘TV scorecard’ session with Nigel Walley, managing director at digital media consultancy Decipher. Walley cast his view on the brave new world of shiny devices that he described as a “complex and bewildering landscape” to navigate for consumers.

Walley also warned the audience of the evolving complexities new technology will bring to an already complex market.

Walley’s presentation explained the evolution of the TV ecosystem, from the simple days of yore to today’s connected and converged offerings and beyond – including the much touted cloud-based service; something Walley wasn’t so convinced we’ll be seeing any time soon.

“Do not be seduced by the idea of the cloud. I hope to be retired by the time it becomes a reality,” he said. “It’s 15 years away at least.”

Despite counting up to 14 different versions of BBC’s iPlayer in his own home, Sky’s aggressive planning and implementation in the evolution of the set top box awarded the broadcaster top marks from Walley. “They are paving the way for the next leap, targeting every screen in the home.”

The same couldn’t be said for Virgin Media’s development, with Walley stating that innovation within the company had stalled with the recent acquisition by Global Liberty.

When confronted with Walley’s view that the most successful broadcaster will have to “own all the screens” in the home, Emma Scott, managing director, Freesat, refuted the claim, saying that the Freesat experience is about having eyes on the TV.

“They need to own the customer. Linear viewing is at the heart of this, catch-up is simply an add-on experience.”

Too many screens?

Jon Block, controller of digital products at ITV, highlighted the penetration of tablets across the population. “There has been an amazing rate of change,” he said, while stating his disdain for the idea of multi-screening in the cinema.

Simon Rees, CEO of Digital Cinema Media, was quick to point out that he also didn’t want second screening “ruining the unique cinema experience”. Cinema apps currently in development would involve augmented reality, sound recognition and even sort us out with some free popcorn. But, most importantly, the user can not interact with the app until after the film – “the key concept is not to mess with the cinema experience and to protect the big screen for advertisers and viewers.”

When confronted by the news that 16% of the UK’s population was in possession of one or more tablets, Rees pointed out that he felt there was a huge regional inconsistency at play. “It’s London versus the rest of the UK. London is a bubble – you don’t see everyone walking around with tablets in Wales.”

The debate heated up when the panel was asked by an audience member if television had in fact become the second screen. Walley believed that until the internet can rival the quality of satellite, PVRs will rule. With the dawn of consumer 4K televisions – that offer even better picture quality than the latest HD – broadcast was “defending itself”.

Emma Scott wasn’t quite so sure about heralding in a new age of television, pointing out that while set top boxes will continue to advance and reach a global standard, 4K just isn’t practical for most, suggesting it was not much more than a gimmick that can’t add much more than HD on the vast majority of screens.

“On average, the UK has much smaller houses than the US. 4K makes no difference except when viewed on an enormous screen,” she said.

Advertising on multiple screens

Jon Hewson, advertising director EMEA at Rovi, was at pains to point out that he was “device agnostic”, joking that when he was in Nigel’s caravan looking at his crystal ball he saw a different future. “They are all screens!” he said. “Interacting and watching television are two different propositions. TV is designed to consume great content; it’s not about the ‘second screen'”.

“I totally agree”, Jon Block piped in. While consumers definitely engage with tablets, “true cinematic and storytelling power lies within the TV.”

Walley expanded on this point by describing TV as a shared experience, whereas the second screen is personalised, adding: “the concept of the 1950’s family audience is not dead.”

When Lovelace put it to the panel that the second screen was potentially a threat to advertising, Block pointed out the historic nature of the viewer’s wandering attention. “People have been doing things during ads forever. I’ve been knitting for years.”

Finally, when Lovelace asked the panel how they ensure viewers find content in the ever confusing connected world, Simon Rees said he believed further understanding of consumer behaviours was the key and that there was an advertising model to answer all those questions. “Having the right meta data is important.”

“Less is more,” Emma Scott chipped in returning to her previous point. “Content will shine out when placed in the correct parameters.”