Getting connected

Connected TVs are being woefully underused at the moment. This week YouGov released a survey showing only one third of connected TV buyers are doing so to connect to the internet. Most are currently being bought by early adopters looking to have the most up to date gadget. Picture, sound quality and screen size are cited as the most important factors, rather than the interactive web content.

YouGov suggested the results are more to do with future proofing the TV, likening it to when HD ready TVs were sold before HD channels were available. But that argument doesn’t really stack up as connected TV content is already available. It has been somewhat limited as content providers wait for consumers to show more interaction before making the leap themselves. But we are gradually seeing content owners and broadcasters become more media savvy. Content is now being distributed across a variety of IP-connected devices such as games consoles, smartphones, tablets and laptops. There’s a huge opportunity here to transform the TV experience from just simply viewing to interacting.