I firmly believe that content tagging and video sharing features are key ingredients to transforming the legacy TV viewing experience. Better content meta-data will help improve the programming search and discover process, and the addition of personal viewer recommendations will create new consumer value.
As more and more eclectic indie-produced content makes its way to the Internet for distribution, consumers will need a more effective way to find content that fits their individual interests and lifestyle. A proven method to enable new content to find its intended audience, and thereby gain loyal viewers, is the harmonization process of applying 'consumer persona' mapping.
Picture-in-picture and camera-angle selection features (considered leading-edge for IPTV) clearly don't address the fundamental consumer experience shortcomings of the TV 1.0 model. Ironically, this is the key area of greatest market opportunity, and will lead to significant service differentiation. As I've essentialy said in all my IPTV strategy assessment columns, the misled telcos were advised to focus on 'cool,' when they should have instead advanced up the value-chain to 'meaningful.'
In the summer issue of Broadband 2.0 magazine, I wrote a column that features the findings from a book entitled "Making Meaning -- How successful businesses deliver meaningful customer experiences." Anyone who needs to better understand the new higher standard for engaging consumers in the 21st century should read this essential guide. In particular, it should be 'required' reading for every broadband service provider leadership team.