decipher

Freeview is calling on Government to address concerns regarding:

1. Costs affecting consumers with second sets – currently, the Government plans to supply free filters only for the main TV set in the home. However, latest BARB figures estimate the number of additional Freeview sets to be as high as 21 million.
2. Costs and inconvenience affecting consumers who live in multiple dwelling units – the Government will not be providing installation support for filters to affected households unless they qualify as vulnerable consumers. However, 83 per cent of affected homes use either an amplifier or are reliant on a communal aerial system which would need professional installation support, involving considerable cost.
3. Support for the elderly – while almost 40 per cent of Freeview’s viewers are over 65, only 39 interviews with those aged 65+ were considered by Ofcom in concluding if the majority of people within this age bracket would find installing a filter themselves straightforward. Moreover, whether local authority care homes and other public buildings will be eligible for support is unclear.

The research indicated it is essential for marketers to know characteristics of the demographic they are trying to reach. According to the research, the three main areas of concern for consumers are:

• Making it easy - one click is fine, two OK, three and you are asking too much
• Do not make me give too much away - hold off asking consumers to fill in forms - reminding later is fine
• Respect privacy - consumers do not want to reveal their credit card number in front of friends and family

"Key to success is the understanding the nature of the deal: there is a value exchange between the amount of personal details surrendered and the perceived benefit

theoretically, having a unified solution that enables TV networks to control what’s played where — and how the commercial time is counted and displayed — could free cable, satellite and telecom providers to roll out TV Everywhere services faster.

“The CC expects consumer choice to increase further when Sky launches its own Internet-based service in the summer (branded Now TV), which will offer Sky Movies without the need to take any other pay-TV content or subscribe to Sky’s satellite platform.

The commission is expected to publish its final report in July.

25% said they surfed online to find out more about the programme they were watching, the remainder used the devices for completely unrelated activities

In the last 12 months, TalkTalk has spent £4 million on the venture.

Smart devices — everyday appliances become intelligent and empowered, for example a fridge making recommendations on what food to order. Retailers could develop greater personalisation and gather deeper insight into their customers.

Social media elements on Twitter and Facebook will allow viewers to interact while playing.

In the ‘Ask the Nation’ twist, recommended answers from players at home will be aggregated alongside the studio audience’s views

It is ITV’s first playalong quiz app and although free to access, ITV will sell advertising and sponsorship opportunities around the game.

Throughout the show, host Chris Tarrant will also provide live updates on how viewers are getting on in the same way Davina McCall does during Channel 4’s The Million Pound Drop Live.

“Instead of just shouting at the TV viewers will be able to interact with the show. We hope it will enhance the viewing experience,” said Victoria Ashbourne, Millionaire’s executive producer.

A third (34%)  of US adults saying they watch more video content today than they did a year ago while viewing of TV video programming is up 28%, with consumers citing convenience and the appeal/variety of programming as the top factors for increased viewing.

This behaviour is more prevalent among younger consumers, as 85% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 70% of 25- to 34-year-olds multitask with another device while watching video on a television.

Yet despite the emergence of the variety of devices on which to consume video, TVs are still the most commonly used device for watching video but other devices are gaining in popularity. HDTVs are the most prevalent devices used for video viewing, used by two-thirds (66%), 62% using a laptop to watch video and 55% using a desktop. A third (33%) of consumers use a smartphone to watch video content, and 17% are using tablets.

Viewing of content on portable devices has also increased, with 40% watching more on those devices today than a year ago, while two-thirds (66%) who are watching video content on television are simultaneously using other CE devices.

Among consumers using televisions to watch video content, nearly half (47%) also use their sets for other purposes; a third (34%) of those who use a television to watch video also use their set to listen to music, and one in five (21%) uses a television to listen to audio.

the CEA also found that future television purchases will be based on better picture quality and larger screen sizes

a quarter of consumers (25%) plan to purchase an Internet-enabled TV.