A report reveals challenges for conversion to online television and video services. Research commissioned by the government in the United Kingdom was announced at the annual summit of the DTG in a video address by Stephanie Peacock MP. It paints a picture of the reality of television viewing for those that remain confused by technology.
The report was commissioned from independent research firm Revealing Reality by the Department of Media, Culture and Sport as part of the Future of TV Distribution consultation to consider the impact of the possible switch off of terrestrial television transmissions in the United Kingdom.
It reveals a confused picture, not helped by an insistence on referring to the alternative as IPTV or internet protocol television. This is a term that has technical meaning and strictly refers to delivery of services over managed networks by telecommunications companies. In contrast, many television and video services are delivered over the top of any internet connection and are often referred to as OTT services.
Neither of these terms should mean anything to the average viewer, who may think in terms of television delivered over the internet or online video services. It is therefore no surprise that consumers seem confused when asked about IPTV, in the same way that only people in the industry talk about digital terrestrial television as DTT.
The research sample included 50 DTT users, 20 users of IPTV, and 30 that used some combination.
What was clear from the research is the reliance that many people have on television for company and entertainment, particularly among the elderly and more vulnerable viewers.
Naturally there were those that said they rarely watched television, while for others it was almost always on. A 73-year-old man said: “I don’t think I could survive without a TV… I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.” A 58-year-old woman said: “I’ve just got to have sound in my house… so if I don’t have some noise, I’m just not comfortable.” A 65-year-old woman said: “When you’re on your own [TV] makes you feel as though somebody’s around you all the time… it’s nice to have it there… I can’t imagine a house not having a television.”
For many people this is the reality of what television means to them. “I haven’t heard of I-P-T-V,” said a 56-year-old man, not surprisingly. “What’s iPlayer, what’s ITVX? I don’t know these channels,” said a 46-year-old woman, no doubt to the disappointment of the respective organisations that plug them relentlessly in their promotions.
“I don’t think it’s a great thing to have Internet on all the time because you’re getting all those radio waves through your house… I don’t think people should live online, I think they should live naturally,” said a 62-year-old woman.
It is evident that awareness of television technology is very low among some groups. Some of their perceptions may be misplaced and the industry does not seem to have done a very good job of addressing them. Some believed that it would be unaffordable while others would genuinely struggle with the additional cost. Other barriers to adoption are rooted in the reality of poor experience of internet connections and very real financial concerns, particularly among those that are most vulnerable and most reliant on television for their social connection to the wider world. Ensuring affordable and reliable connectivity remains a key factor in supporting the adoption of online television delivery.
The report should be required reading for executives and policy makers that often seem very detached from the reality of what television means for many people.
The Future of TV Distribution research report is published by the Department of Media, Culture and Sport and is available from the government web site.