Digital Lifescapes

Key findings from a new video entertainment survey outline the increasing popularity of original content, and a growing trend of paying for multiple video services. According to the latest 451 Research market study, 19 percent of streaming video subscribers are paying for three or more services -- that's up 4 points over the previous year. These streaming enthusiasts are creating their own bundles of video services, starting with Netflix (95 percent) and Amazon Video (82 percent) then adding a combination of subscription and a-la-carte platforms such as Hulu, HBO Now and iTunes. Netflix and Amazon Lead the Market Among all survey respondents who pay for a streaming service, 79 percent say they subscribe to Netflix and 53 percent to Amazon Video. That said, Amazon Video continues to be the growth story, up 5 points over the past year. Access to movies (50 percent) is the top reason why consumers pay for streaming video services; viewing complete seasons of TV shows (45 perce...

During the course of 2015, more people will watch broadcast television, pay-TV programming and a variety of other video content on a greater range of consumer electronics devices. The commercial implications of this transition will impact the whole Technology, Media and Telecommunications sectors in numerous ways. In some markets it creates a significant new upside opportunity, in others the incumbent video entertainment service providers will experience subscriber declines. In particular, advertiser supported programming will experience some disruption, as more marketers continue to shift their budgets from traditional broadcast media channels to online digital media. In addition, the growth of connected consumers accessing the internet for the first time -- many enabled by low-cost smartphones and media tablets -- in the Asia-Pacific region will increase the significance of this rapidly emerging consumer marketplace. For the 51 countries covered in the latest worldwide market...

Media tablets, especially for younger people, are an extension of the television program viewing experience. The implications to advertisers on TV could be very significant, because much of the use occurs during commercial breaks. According to the latest market study by NPD Group, 56 percent of U.S. tablet owners age 18-34 use their tablet for activities related to the TV program they are watching, or for other online related activities.  In contrast, this compares to just 41 percent among all tablet owners age 18 and older. The top three TV-related tablet activities among Millennials are: Searching for TV programs to watch (34 percent). Social media engagement related to a TV program (31 percent). And, learning more about the program they are viewing (30 percent). Even more tablet owners age 18-34 say they want to use their device in conjunction with TV viewing in the future, and apparently social media is a driving factor. Among Millennial tablet owners, 44 percent ...

The Mobile TV and Video industry is fast beginning to realize its potential -- an application for smartphones and tablets, which consumers once shied away from due to poor graphics quality or extended loading times, is finally reaching the mainstream of users. Revenues from streaming and download services on mobile phone and tablet devices will reach $9.5 billion by 2017, that's up from $4.5 billion in 2013. According to the latest market study by Juniper Research, this will be as a result of the maturation of the market for streaming subscription services and pay-per-title content, which will see new business models develop for smartphone and tablet users. Benefits of a Multi-Screen Ecosystem The new Juniper study uncovered details on how successful mobile TV subscription providers have been able to realize large revenues to date, and how their strategies will generate additional revenues over the next five years. "In order to be truly successful in the future, I...

Historically, people have disliked digital rights management (DRM) systems that are imposed on them by the entertainment industry. Regardless, the ongoing concern over digital video piracy has motivated big media companies -- such as Warner Bros. -- to pioneer new approaches. The latest effort is known as UltraViolet (UV) -- it's intended to restrict the copying of recorded movies and television shows, and yet still allow some flexibility for the customer who purchased the content. The industry creators say that UltraViolet is a free, cloud-based digital rights collection that gives people greater flexibility with how and where they watch the movies and TV shows that they purchase. Therefore, UV attempts to enable viewing video in a multi-platform environment. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, active UltraViolet accounts -- those with multiple movies and TV shows -- will exceed 65 million worldwide, that's up from the estimated 6 to 8 million at presen...

Last year was very troublesome for the video gaming console vendors. After shipping over 3 million Wii U units during the 2012 holiday season, Nintendo’s next generation console is now facing a challenging market. 2012 saw just under 30 million game consoles shipped from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony (excluding PS2) -- that's roughly 10 million fewer than the previous year. Despite these results ABI Research looks at 2013 and beyond with cautious optimism, but the company expects Microsoft and Sony to determine the future prospects for the game console, not Nintendo. "The Nintendo Wii U’s troubles are not indicative of the expected market reception for the remaining 8th generation of consoles," said Michael Inouye, Senior analyst at ABI Research . In fact, the Wii U will likely prove a closer fit with the current generation than the next. The software released to date also bears out this assessment with many cross-platform games that were previously available fr...

At the close of 2012, nearly 200 million tablets will have shipped worldwide since 2009 and an additional 1 billion tablets are forecast to ship over the next 5 years, according to the latest market study by ABI Research. New research that explores the impact a media tablet has on the daily life of a U.S. consumer shows that 22 percent of users spend $50 or more per month and 9 percent spend $100 or more -- that's much higher than spending levels observed by typical smartphone users. While tablets are most recognized as digital media consumption devices, there are a growing number of other common use-cases that extend beyond reading magazines or watching streaming video content. "Tablets are quickly becoming the go-to transaction screen within the home," says Jeff Orr, mobile devices senior practice director at ABI Research . Spending on-device of physical and virtual goods has not yet impacted retail storefronts -- which are already concerned about their venues t...

According to the latest market study by Infonetics Research, traditional pay-TV subscribers are now far less loyal than they used to be. That new independence has freed many from the expense of high-cost video entertainment services. That being said, the cable TV industry is more characterized by churn than cord cutting, as subscribers take advantage of introductory pricing on satellite and IPTV subscriptions -- typically, that's 30-50 percent lower than their cable TV service fees. Infonetics released excerpts from its "Pay-TV Services and Subscribers report," which forecasts and analyzes the telco Internet protocol television (IPTV), cable video, and satellite video services markets. Apparently, this is a market in transition, as the economy motivates more pay-TV subscribers to seek a better value for their money. "Ongoing challenging economic conditions in the key revenue-generating markets of North America and Western Europe have resulted in slowing subscri...

Despite the high expectations for the entry of OLED (organic light emitting diode) displays into the television market during 2012, these TV sets will likely now only be available in very small quantities by the end of this year. With 55" OLED TV demonstrations featured at CES in January 2012, commercial products were expected in time for the Olympics in August. But as the year progressed, the possibility of commercialization in 2012 was being questioned -- due to mass production challenges and expected high retail prices. In September, OLED TVs were once again demonstrated at IFA in Berlin, and even at some local retailers, but were still not commercially available. According to the latest market study by NPD DisplaySearch, OLED TV panel makers and set manufacturers are still forecasting that at least 500 OLED TVs will ship in 2012. While this is a very small quantity in comparison to the total TV market, the start of shipments will be an important breakthrough. OLED T...

Multimedia Research Group, Inc. (MRG) released its comprehensive study of the Multi-platform TV Middleware and Applications ecosystem. According to the findings of their latest market study, pay-TV has been on a collision course with the Internet for more than a decade, but not only has online delivery not yet cannibalized pay TV revenues to any great extent, it also has created a variety of new revenue opportunities for facilities-based service providers. "Generally speaking, consumers are growing to expect the same experience on the TV that they receive from the Internet, and vice versa," said Norm Bogen, MRG VP of Global Research. From the content provider’s perspective, this must be done securely, in ways that respect existing content acquisition and distribution agreements. Enter TV software and the technological advances required to enable new platforms. Key findings from this market study included: The 2010-2014 time-frame is a time of radical change, in w...

After struggling in 2011 with a challenging market environment, due to sliding demand and price erosion, 2012 marks a year of recovery for the flat panel display (FPD) industry. According to the latest market study by NPD DisplaySearch, worldwide FPD revenues will reach $120 billion in 2012 -- that's up 8 percent from $111 billion in 2011, and exceeding 2010 revenues. Among the various FPD technologies, TFT LCD accounts for the majority of revenues at $107.7 billion in 2012, up from $99.4 billion in 2011. However, AMOLED displays once again showed the strongest Y/Y growth, as manufacturing capacity and market players continue to expand. However, with the exception of LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon, a form of microdisplay) all other display technologies, including plasma and passive matrix forms of LCD and OLED, are declining in 2012. In a sharp reversal, AMEPD (active matrix electrophoretic display), which is used in monochrome e-readers, swung from strong growth in 2011 to ...

Senior executives at major U.S. broadcast television networks acknowledge that the shift to on-demand video viewing will disrupt their legacy status quo. They're also concerned that a recently redesigned Hulu offering may further accelerate the shift away from linear programming, and thereby reduce their video advertiser revenues. Should they be worried about the adoption of online video? Should they join the broadband service providers in lobbying the federal government to support broadband bandwidth caps -- in an attempt to curtail any further erosion of their legacy business model? Can they halt this transformation, without it erupting into a battle of the TV traditionalists vs. the digital media titans? comScore released data showing that more than 184 million U.S. Internet users watched 36.9 billion online content videos in July, while video advertising views totaled 9.6 billion. Google Sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, ranked as the top online v...

The primary London 2012 Olympic games are over, but they're clearly not forgotten. Several market studies highlighted the multi-platform or multi-device media consumption trends. There were some interesting regional variations within the market study findings. As an example, according to a pre-Olympics market study by Ipsos , while 65 percent of survey respondents say they would be watching the competition on TV, 23 percent were rooting for their countries via the Internet -- a number that swells to 34 percent in APAC countries and 43 percent in BRIC countries. Six percent of people said they would watch at least part of the Olympics on mobile devices and 4 percent intended to watch on their media tablets. Ipsos said that they expected these results to rise as people become more comfortable viewing smaller screens and choose to watch in real-time, rather than coming home to hours and hours of recorded video. In fact, 20 percent -- 31 percent in APAC countries and 37 perc...

Television broadcasters around the world are apparently deeply divided over their strategy for Social TV applications. Regardless, most seem to agree on one significant point -- they desperately need a meaningful game plan now, while the window of opportunity is still open. According to the findings from the latest market study by Futurescape , a key trend in the first half of 2012 is that some broadcasters are moving quickly to counteract the perceived influence and power that Facebook and Twitter are having over their TV audiences. The savvy broadcasters are now investing in Social TV companies and launching their own Social TV platforms. Meanwhile, others are following a diametrically opposed strategy of partnering with the dominant social networks -- in an attempt to facilitate viewer interaction. This is most evident for the kinds of major news and sports programming that viewers discuss on second screen devices -- such as smartphones and tablets -- during the live TV broadc...

Shipments of LCD TVs are now expected to grow at a slower pace in 2012 than 2011, according to the latest market study by NPD DisplaySearch . Moreover, the overall TV set market is expected to decline this year -- even as segments such as emerging markets, large screen sizes, LED backlights, and 3D continue to grow. Total TV shipments are forecast to fall 1.4 percent in 2012 to 245 million units, while LCD TV is expected to increase by 5 percent — compared to 7 percent growth in 2011 — reaching 216 million units. The decline in overall TV market demand and the slower growth in LCD TV shipments can be attributed to the slower rate of price erosion and cautious spending by consumers in Europe and Asia. Average LCD TV selling prices are only expected to decline 4 percent in 2012 compared with 6 percent erosion in 2011 and 10 percent erosion in 2010. The growth is also slower this year as the transition to digital broadcasting, which accelerated purchases in major markets over the pa...

comScore and the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) released the results of their latest market study, revealing several new findings about the viewing habits of consumers who engage with media brands across multiple touch-points. “While TV remains the leading media channel, once TV-centric media brands now engage with their consumers across a variety of digital touch-points. While this enhances the quality of brand engagement, it also increases the complexity of media planning and analysis by orders of magnitude,” said Joan FitzGerald, comScore VP of TV & Cross-Media Solutions. By leveraging comScore's multi-screen measurement panel, they can reduce this complexity by providing media companies with actionable insights that can be used to determine how to effectively reach their target audiences -- and optimize cross-media planning. Key insights from the market study include: Consumers are Engaging with Brands Across Platforms -- A study of 10 broadcast ...

Perhaps you've noticed the latest trend -- tech market researchers and pollsters are now asking consumers questions about their attachment to various devices and gadgets. Is this insight really useful or actionable? I'll let you decide... A majority (65%) of global citizens in 25 countries would choose to give up their mobile phone over one third (35%) who would give up their computer -- if forced to choose between the two -- according to the latest market study by Ipsos for Reuters News. Between television and social networking, most (58%) would give up social networking while four in ten (42%) would give up TV. Between mobile phones and sex, global citizens choose intimacy: eight in ten (78%) would give up their phones while two in ten (22%) would give up sex if they had to choose between it or their mobiles. In the battle between phones and computers, women in 25 countries would rather give up their computers (39%) more than men (31%) and those under the age of 35 ...

The video game industry is currently going through the next phase of its apparent ongoing evolution. That is, even since smartphones and media tablets became part of the market equation. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, over 38 million handheld gaming devices from Sony and Nintendo are expected to ship in 2013 -- that's significantly lower than the previous peak of 47 million units in 2008. Unit shipments following 2013 are expected to decline slightly, but dedicated handheld gaming devices are a sustainable niche, with forecasts relatively flat through 2017. Smartphone and media tablet use for gaming continues to expand, making the mobile gaming market an increasingly important companion to dedicated handheld gaming. "Mobile devices will compete with dedicated handheld gaming devices, but select consumer segments like core gamers and those individuals who do not want or have a smartphone or media tablet will still provide some demand," said ...

The evolution of online digital video will significantly impact the development of U.S. television advertising -- hopefully, for the better. comScore released a report entitled "Surviving the Upfronts in a Cross-Media World," an actionable guide for success in navigating the crossmedia landscape during this year's TV and digital upfronts. The report examines the maturation of the online video market as a supplement to traditional television advertising and the effectiveness of cross-media campaigns in television programming. Also featured in the report are actionable insights for advertisers, agencies and media buyers who are considering incorporating digital video formats into their media mix. "With the digital upfronts in their second year, more advertisers are considering adding digital video to their media mix in long-form TV programming and short-form video," said Judy Bahary, SVP, Marketing Solutions at comScore . According to the latest market stu...

The upcoming London 2012 Summer Olympics is being billed as the most connected sporting event the world has ever seen. The United Kingdom has one of the world's most developed digital ecosystems -- the ICT, software and digital content sectors are estimated to be worth £100 billion combined. According to the latest market study by eMarketer , the UK is considered a leading Digital Nation -- measured by the percentage of the British population that accesses the internet regularly, and the amount of time spent online by those internet users. A near-ubiquitous, multi-layered web infrastructure drives increased adoption. Internet usage is expanding to all demographic segments and it's being accessed via a wider variety of wired and wireless digital devices. "For the three-quarters of the UK population who are web users, the internet is everywhere," said Karin von Abrams, eMarketer senior analyst. "British consumers are accustomed to managing several web-ena...