Measuring The Real Impact Of Smart TVs
Since the introduction of “Smart HDTVs” a couple of years ago I’ve been wondering just how much impact the built-in applications have on the purchase process, and the user experience. A new report from NPD Group sheds some much-needed insight into this area.
The headline of the report states very plainly that, “Internet Connected TVs Are Used To Watch TV, And That’s About All.” Beyond the traditional role of TV the leading role of the smart HDTV seems to be for using “Over-the-top” services like Netflix. Fully 60% of smart TV users report taking advantage of this feature.
The next most common use of the Smart TV is for listening to OTT music services, but that’s only reported as used by around 15% of the installed base. All other applications, including “video calling” services like Skype and Google Chat see use by less than 5% of users.
I’ve carried a Blackberry 8100 (aka Pearl) for the past 18 months. I like it. Prior to this I carried a Motorola Razr V3, whose sole feature was its form factor. It was a great size & shape. Decent phone too, but not a “smart phone.”