Research suggests that the average person in the United Kingdom spends a total of more than one full day a year searching for something to watch. Some might be surprised it is only that long. The solution is apparently smarter searching and recommendations based on your mood.
The research was cited by EE, the consumer brand for BT, to support the new Smart Search feature on its EE TV product. Based on a survey of 2,000 respondents, it found that on average they reported spending a total of 28 hours a year searching for something to watch.
Nearly half said they would give up and rewatch the same old shows just to avoid the agony of deciding.
Over half believe they spend longer browsing than actually watching.
Two thirds admit to having nodded off before they have even chosen something.
28 hours sounds like a long time. It is 1680 minutes spread over a year. Let us assume they watch for 250 days a year, that is about 6.75 minutes a day spent deciding what to watch. That is a self-reported average.
Some research suggests that some people may spend even longer looking for something to watch.
The idea that people spend longer browsing than actually watching seems a bit of a stretch, but the perception shows the apparent problem.
The solution from EE is called Smart Search. Inevitably, it uses artificial intelligence to interpret natural language. Instead of needing an exact title, viewers can describe what they are after by mood, plot, theme, or even a half-remembered line from a show.
We have seen this before. The problem is that when people are browsing, they may not actually know what they want to watch. They may be looking for inspiration. If they see the same old things listed, they are no more inspired than the last time they saw them.
The example given is “show me good films with plot twists”. At least that might filter out bad films predictable plots, which to be fair covers a lot of cases, although no-one goes out to make such movies.
Mood Matcher is designed to address the problem of not knowing what you want to watch by offering recommendations based on questions on how you are feeling.
The idea is that you are asked what you are in the mood for, for example something dark, light, heartfelt, thought-provoking, or fast paced.
If only it were that simple. The psychology of viewing is probably a lot more complex than that, but it is a point of differentiation
Both features are available on the EE TV app on compatible devices, with plans to roll out to EE TV Pro and EE TV Box Edge customers.
Luciano Oliveira, who is responsible for home and television products at EE, said: “With the sheer amount of great movies, boxsets, and sport now available, we hear the nation’s frustration with spending more time searching than actually watching.
“Smart Search and Mood Matcher on EE TV are the perfect antidote — together, they take the effort out of choosing so you can get straight to the entertainment you love, with the hardest part of your evening now being choosing the right snacks, not the show.”
www.ee.co.uk