HDTV/3D TV News
Website: Rapid TV News
Viewers are increasingly demanding in how their watch their TV.
No longer is it a simple argument between ‘lean back’ TV viewing and ‘lean forward’ interactive-type video consumption.
A Rapid TV News expert panel on IPTV says the argument that online usage would ‘cannibalise’ TV watching was no longer relevant.
“People want television entertainment media on their terms, and to consume when they want to consume it,” says Vision/IPTV’s Luke Kennedy.
“I think certainly when we’re looking at things like the competition between lean back and lean forward, there was this thought that other devices would cannibalise the television watching, so the laptop would cannibalise the TV. I don’t think that’s what’s happened.”
Bob Gentry, a partner at Marquis Consultancy, says the interesting part about this debate is that IPTV allows a whole different set of experiences.
“A message needs to be put out loud and clear to the broader world.
“Social networking is a key point.
“People do several things at the same time now which IPTV enables.”
However, Gentry admitted that commonality in terms of broadcasting standards were still a problem.
“I think [common standards] really is key to delivering the ultimate consumer experience,” said EchoStar Europe’s Mark Goodburn.
“But we say we’re not yet there. There needs to be some form of standardisation because if you take a look at it from the consumer’s point of view, the need to distinguish between content that is free, and content that is paid for.
“And also different devices, for example, [with] one device connecting to a backbone allowing users to download content to only that device.”
In my view watching TV on mobile phone will look attractive but people won’t find it attractive to use it. TV will never lose its important and mobile phones will never be able to take the place of TV.