[opendtv] Re: Smartphone, tablet owners worldwide enjoy apps while watching TV, finds research
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2013 12:44:18 -0400
On Aug 1, 2013, at 9:15 PM, "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> Interesting article, and the results seem logical. One thing is, when reading
> statements like this:
>
> "The research also revealed that 85 percent of tablet owners and 65 percent
> of smartphone owners view online content on their mobile devices instead of
> on their TVs at least some of the time."
>
> This isn't saying that these people watch most of their TV on the handheld
> devices. Some fraction might, or on the other hand, they might also watch
> only minutes of TV per month on their handhelds. It doesn't say.
I believe there is a huge difference between watching video on tablets and
smartphones. I would call the smartphone the "last resort" when you really want
to follow a live event - typically sports - and cannot get to a TV. But tablets
are good enough for extended viewing and are starting to replace TVs in the
kids rooms and bedroom.
Tablets are also very popular in automobiles, especially to keep the kids
entertained. It is difficult and expensive to stream video to the car, but it
is fairly easy to download content to a tablet before a long drive or trip. And
games are a big attraction as well, even when sitting in front of the big
screen in the family room.
> It's hardly surprising that a large percentage of people do stuff on their
> handhelds while they watch TV. They also exhibit this behavior while involved
> in any other kind of activity, including driving their cars, eating meals at
> home or at a restaurant, walking, and going to the movies! So honestly, that
> one statistic doesn't say much.
It says a lot about using the TV as background noise. I too find that people's
behavior can be disturbing - I have watched people at the same table texting
one another at a bar… ;-(
> It's also not surprising that many more people watch TV on tablets than on
> smartphones. Screen size is the obvious drawback. Sound quality too, I'm glad
> they mentioned that. (Although sound quality with a TV's own amp and speakers
> is pretty pathetic too!! You really need a separate sound system to
> appreciate how good DTV audio really is.)
Or decent headphones.
>
> On this: "The research also revealed that 85 percent of tablet owners and 65
> percent of smartphone owners view online content on their mobile devices
> instead of on their TVs at least some of the time."
>
> Weird. This implies that lots of people are using their TVs for web browsing.
> Given the restrictions of most connected TVs, I find that amazing.
I don't think it implies that at all. As you point out so often, most connected
TVs and OTT enabled TVs (Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, Play Station, et al) do not
support web browsing. But they do provide access to popular OTT sites like
Netflix and Hulu Plus. In this context, it is not surprising that someone with
a Netflix subscription might use the best device available at the moment. For
example, a business person traveling might watch something on Netflix while
staying at a hotel, and use the big screen at home.
When it comes to browsing, the UI is very important; there is a big difference
between "casting" a website for others to share on the big screen, versus
personal browsing, which is easier on a tablet than using a keyboard and mouse
with a TV.
Regards
Craig
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