A quarter of Smart TV owners regularly use TV apps
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Exclusive: 3D Focus polled 300 Smart TV owners and found almost a quarter of those are regular users of connected TV functionality.
The numbers mirror those found by the latest NPD Connected Intelligence Application & Convergence survey which found about 40% of Smart TV owners had never connected their TVs to the Internet.
There are a plethora of apps available on modern TVs such as Twitter, Skype, Google Maps and Facebook but clunky interfaces and usage of computers during TV viewing has meant only TV centric catch up on demand TV services have been popular.
Exposure is another issue; with so many apps to choose from, how does one app stand out from the crowd when buried under several menus unless it appears on the home dashboard?
When asked, 'How often do you use smart TV apps'? the responses were:
38% (114) said Never or Rarely
23% (70) said Occasionally
24% (71) said Regularly
7% (20) said they did use Smart TV apps initially but the novelty was over
8% (25) said they would use the apps but that it was too clunky.
(124 of the 424 respondents said they did not own a Smart TV.)
During the CES in January, there were indications of TV manufacturers wising up and looking towards placing the apps on tablets and smartphones instead, especially as so much TV viewing is done by occasionally looking up from a computer screen. For example, one Smart TV from Panasonic was controlled by a dedicated second screen app installed on an iPad mini assisting the viewer to find a show to watch, see what friends were watching, browsing through a list of favourites etc.
Poor interfaces could have a lot to do with low uptake. Have you tried accessing the YouTube app on a Smart TV using a regular remote control? Why would you not just watch it on your computer after searching for a clip with a Qwerty keyboard?
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Companies are trying to make searching, accessing and finding content easier. LG's recent line-up of Smart TVs can be accessed with Nintendo Wii style 'Magic Wand' remote controls. Nuance Communications, the company behind the successful Dragon speech recognition software on the PC and Mac will launch the Dragon TV platform on Panasonic’s new Smart TV line-up for 2013, expected in UK shops this spring.
3D VOD operators continue to add content to a growing install base of connected 3D TV owners. SENSIO has inked a new licensing deal to bring movies from Paramount Pictures to its upcoming 3D video on-demand (VOD) streaming service 3DGO!
Yabazam continues to grow its range of content and is finding particular success with Sci-fi and horror and yesterday we reported that 3Doo have extended the reach of their marketplace to 10 million potential customers after signing a OTT deal with LG.
So far, it appears that consumers still want their TV for one thing – watching video and that isn’t a bad thing necessarily, especially when that is what it does best.
What do you think? Do you use apps on your TV? Let us know below!
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