Will YouView be the catalyst for connected TV?

Will YouView be the catalyst for consumers and their understanding of connected TV opportunities?  Quite possibly.

According to Sarah Rose, Channel 4’s head of VoD & channel development, YouView will help the connected TV market – in terms of boosting both public awareness and other on-demand services.  Speaking at MediaTel Group’s ‘The Internet Comes to TV’ seminar in London yesterday (in association with Rovi), she said the biggest VoD push will come when YouView is launched, mainly because the service will be marketed so heavily by its partners, which include Channel 4 and the BBC.

As such, consumers will become more aware of internet TV services – the potential they have to change the way people view linear TV (with added benefits) and how easy it will be to watch catch-up content on a TV set.  By default, this will presumably extend to highlighting manufacturer’s offerings, such as Samsung, which has invested hugely in smart TVs – especially if content owners and manufacturers work in partnership.

Last week at the asi European TV Symposium, Samsung’s head of content services Dan Saunders showcased the company’s latest product, which has the potential for 70 applications that can be in full screen mode. These include BBC iPlayer and LoveFilm as well as a range of music services, access to social networks and catch-up TV.

Yesterday, Saunders admitted that the majority of Samsung’s apps are “stocking fillers” (for now) but said the BBC iPlayer is key.  “It has huge value and benefit – consumers instantly get it.  It sells Samsung sets,” he said.

Hoping YouView has the same effect, Rose explained that 4oD launched a year before the iPlayer but picked up pace when the iPlayer was on the market.  The BBC ensured the iPlayer was both well marketed and easy to use, and as such, achieved impressive take-up for the corporation and its competitors alike.

YouView will no doubt do the same for the connected TV market.  “YouView is about a lot more than Freeview 3.0,” Rose said. “It is about ease of navigation, people just need to understand it… and once they do, it will benefit other services too; big players can help the small players.”

So it seems the only issue now is cost.  Newsline believes a YouView box will set you back by around £200, which some media commentators feel is a pretty hefty amount and could well hinder the mass shopping spree that the partners are clearly hoping for.  Although, partners BT and TalkTalk may well subsidise early sales to get the ball rolling.