- Connected TV, hybrid TV;
- Multiscreen, second screen, companion screen;
- TV everywhere, place shifting;
- Social TV, companion screen, interactivity;
- Personalisation, targeted ads, t-commerce.
(A comprehensive primer is available here.)
The easy conclusions:
- OTT TV is finding serious adoption.
- Second scree is rising.
- Standardisation may help.
- The software and hardware market is highly fragmented. Product development at break-neck speed.
- True interactivity (beyond VOD and pausing live TV) must be complicated to develop (and sell).
- Content deals are difficult to negotiate.
Trend #1: Operators launching OTT TV
- Vectra, the #2 MSO in Poland, uses the Xbox 360.
- Grande Communications, a Texas-based MSO, uses the TiVo Premiere.
- ONO (Spain) will launch its TiVo-based solution in October.
- TCT in Wyoming is using the Entone solution.
- Waoo!, a fiber-based provider in Denmark, uses RGB.
- Mobistar in Belgium added VOD.
- Numericable (France) launched an in-home developed service.
- Vodafone Iceland is launching with Espial, Amino and SecureMedia.
- DirecTV (DSB) allows anyone out of reach of its satellites (i.e. non-subscribers) to watch NFL games over broadband
Trend #2: Second screen
- ANT launched Galio Move, which streams content from the STB over WiFi to any other screen in the home.
- KPN launched something just like it: iTV Online.
Trend #3: Interactivity
- Miso is providing DirecTV with a Social TV solution that synchronises iPhone content with what is being watched on TV, as long as both connect to the same WiFi network.
- MTV has a similar service, the WatchWith app, also for iPhone (and iPad, computer). Technology from Rogue Paper.
- Ensequence and Zeitera partnered to synchronise TV content with a companion screen, for all sorts of applications: social networking, voting, behind-the-scenes content, coupon services, product placement, content discovery.
Trend #4: Standardisation
- 3-D active shutter technology: an initiative from Panasonic and XpanD, followed by a long list of manufacturers. Toshiba keeps making noise about glasses-free 3-D.
- The CEA wants to move to the 21:9 aspect ratio.
- HD is rapidly becoming the de facto 'standard', but 4K and now 8K are on the horizon (2020?).
- HbbTV is finding some adoption lately, mainly from German, French and Spanish broadcasters and manufacturers.
- Philips, LG, Loewe and Sharp partnered to standardise app development for multi-platform Smart TV apps.
Trend #5: Connected devices up, broadcast down
- Parks, Strategy Analytics, iSuppli: penetration of connected CE devices is up.
- Ericsson ConsumerLab: share of broadcast TV is down.
- IMS: OTT revenues will go up.
Trend #6: Product development:
- TV: Sharp, Apple (rumor), Vestel,
- STB: Joysee Technology, Pace, CreNova Technology, Hama,
- DVR: EchoStar,
- Media streamer: Netgear, Philips, Philips Soundbar, Syabas/PopBox, Toshiba,
- Tablet: Vizio,
- Middleware: NetUP, httv, Google TV coming to Europe, Pace, STM, ALi + Cubiware,
- SoC: Trident,
- EPG, remote control: Microsoft's TeleBing in Japan, ThinkOptics,
- DRM: NDS,
- Widgets/apps: Opera,
- Gesture-based control: eyeSight,
Trend #7: Content deals
- Samsung: HBO Go in the US, MTG's Viaplay in Scandinavia
- Sony: Bandeirantes in Latin America, NFL in the US.
- Sony, Samsung, Philips, Toshiba: INA
- Onkyo: Spotify
- Roku: Epix, Funspot
- Panasonic: FetchTV portal
- Wyplay: YouTube
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