Held on March 18 -20 in Olympia, London and organized by Informa Telecoms & Media, TV Connect ranks among the leading industry events focused on the connected TV environment.
TV Connect 2014 marked the events 1Oth year, and by all accounts it was a great success – bringing together 8,000+ attendees 260+ industry speakers and 200+ vendors representing over 100 countries – all gathered to discuss/debate, shape and grow the connected TV industry.
Kannuu was onsite, taking it all in and meeting with customers (present and prospective), partners and industry influentials to discuss the industry’s most pressing challenge and foremost business imperative; namely, simplifying and the search and discovery experience for consumers in today’s dynamic world of increasingly connected TVs and exploding OTT content.
As expected, topics at TV Connect ran the gamut of competing IP delivery standards to streaming video quality to Cloud TV adoption to new IPTV devices to content monetization, bandwidth challenges, TV everywhere and legislative developments, among other critical issues.
Suffice it to say, the debates where as vibrant as opinions were diverse.
Holding all together was universal consensus that connected TV holds enormous monetary potential, is massively disruptive, hugely in demand, and has fostered a fiercely competitive market.
For a good roundup of news stories coming out of this year’s TV Connect, check out IP&TV News.
OTT is King and STBs Reign
A prominent theme throughout the event was the central role and (perhaps surprising) staying power of Set Top Boxes (STBs) in driving connected TV popularity, as evidenced by the slew of STB-related announcements and Roku 3’s coronation at TV Connect as the ‘Best TV Consumer Device.’
From an historical perspective, variations of the STB go back to rabbit ears, UHF converters, original cable boxes, VCRs, DVD players, DVRs, Blu-ray players, and video game consoles.
In today’s connected TV world (and for the sake of simplicity), by Set Top Box, we mean any device that delivers Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) – particularly popular OTT services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Zulu, Crackle, along with a growing host of additional streaming services.
Driven by OTT’s growing popularity, the STB category is rapidly and radically being redefined by dongles and thumbdrives and other such devices that enable connected TV.
No one wants to be left behind in the ever-expanding OTT market. As smart TVs grapple with the limitations inherent in their proprietary, ‘walled garden’ approach to OTT apps, STBs are rapidly filing the void and satisfying consumer demand.
For their part, Cable TV companies, satellite companies and Pay-TV providers are working mightily to put IP reception capabilities into their next-generation STBs. And for good ($$$) reason.
According to a recent report from Research and Markets, by the end of 2013 a total of 158.2 million households around the globe will have viewed some form of OTT internet TV programming on a connected TV set, and of these, 76.6 million households (234 million individuals) will be viewing OTT internet TV programming on a regular, sustained basis in 2013.
By 2017, Research and Markets reports, the sustained usage viewership will have increased to 373.1 million households or 1,189 million individuals.
Parks Associates reports that more than 50 percent of US broadband households now use paid over-the-top (OTT) video services, either subscription or transaction, and IHS envisions a whopping 20 percent annual growth for the next few years in the sale of over-the-top (OTT) receivers and video players.
Research from The Diffusion Group (TDG) January 2014 study of US broadband consumers found that 63 percent of US broadband households have at least one net-connected television, up from 53 percent at the beginning of 2013. (This includes TVs connected to the Internet either directly as in a smart TV, or indirectly via ancillary net-to-TV STB devices like game consoles, Internet sticks, etc.)
Moreover, TDG predicts that by 2020 the consumption of broadband video — content stored and distributed over an open IP architecture — will surpass the consumption of traditional broadcast TV programming.
According to IHS, the global market for connectable set-top boxes (STBs) is expected to surge by 91 percent from 2012 through 2017. Worldwide shipments of connectable STBs are forecast to rise to 125.6 million units in 2017, up from 65.8 million in 2012, IHS reports.
Furthermore, IHS forecasts a total of 45 percent of all STBs shipped in 2017 will be connectable, up from 26 percent in 2012.
Without question, IPTV/OTT is the most impactful element transforming all aspects of video delivery and the consumption experience of TV, and STBs reign supreme in delivering OTT to the masses.
The Connected TV / Findability Paradox
Given today’s current, dynamic environment, one thing is certain — the amount of OTT content is sure to soar in the years ahead, enabled by an ever-increasing amount of TVs connected via STBs.
These exciting developments, for all their promise, also bring into clear relief connected TVs’ greatest challenge.
Namely, the connected TV / Findability paradox. In other words, the difficulty and frustration consumers must face as they search across a growing number of siloed OTT services to quickly and easily find what they want to watch.
Enter Kannuu. Guided by the inviolable rule that with OTT’s popularity growing exponentially and connected TVs nearing ubiquity, ‘Findability’ is the linchpin to consumer satisfaction and service provider success.
Kannuu’s findability engine intuits in real time what a consumer is searching for, presents ‘aha’ prompts and most importantly, dramatically reduces frustration and time traditionally associated with finding that perfect movie.
Consumers crave instant ‘Findability’, and Kannuu thrills consumers with an experience second to none, providing a single, easy-to-use interface for searching across all OTT services (as well as traditional linear programming).
By breaking through the connected TV / Findability paradox, Kannuu affords service providers boundless opportunity to differentiate their offering, attract and retain consumers, drive extra spend, increase ad revenue, and fully monetize their video assets.
Oh yeah, and being platform agnostic and committed to open standards, the Kannuu search and discovery platform integrates seamlessly with all STBs and Smart TVs (present and future).
Cheers to all of our friends (old & new) at TV Connect, London!
Check out this great article by Gary Arlen featured in CEA’s “IT Is Innovation: View From the Set-Top.
Great examination of the dynamic and clearly viable STB space, and the desperate efforts of established pay-TV providers and CE manufacturers to play catch up and/or achieve sustainable competitive differentiation in the ever-expanding IPTV universe.
Curiously, it is often the small yet vital things that separate market leaders from wannbe laggards, and in today’s dynamic, fast-paced world of connected TVs and exploding content, this truism has never been, well, truer.
The ability to quickly and easily search across an ever-growing number of channels, services, apps (etc.) for something to watch is paramount. Whichever provider does away with the tortuous onscreen keyboard and provides the best solution for consolidated search and discovery across multiple video services and devices — will own the customer, and a healthy cut of all revenue opportunities associated with that privileged relationship. Period.
Our bet is on the player(s) with the smarts to incorporate the Kannuu search & discovery platform!
News of Roku’s streaming stick — and rumors that Roku is eying an IPO — have the connected TV universe buzzing — and rightfully so.
With its slick design and over 1,200 content-streaming apps, Roku’s streaming stick is sure to build on the company’s solid momentum. But Roku’s secret sauce for success just may be its streamlined remote control.
It is often the small things that separate market leaders from wannabe laggards, and in today’s world of connected TVs and exploding content, this truism has never been, well, truer.
Case in point: Roku’s understanding that, imbued with decades of conditioning, consumers will alway reach for the remote — providing that it is eloquent and streamlined — as the preferred device for interfacing with their TV.
As the amount of available streaming content grows, the remote’s significance — given its familiarity, convenience and comfort — increases exponentially.
All that remains for Roku to secure its rightful place atop the smart TV universe is to get rid of that tortuous onscreen keyboard!!
The ability to search fast and easy across an ever-growing number of services/apps for something to watch is paramount.
Roku + Kannuu is an unbeatable combination.
Check out Kannuu demo video:
Now envision picking up your Roku remote, selecting search (which includes searching across all channels), and navigating the fast and intuitive Kannuu interface.
Presto! The aggravation of search fail averted!! Instant viewing pleasure assured!!
Kudos to Rovi for its understanding of the importance of search & discovery in the red-hot smart TV space.
But truth be told, voice recognition a la Veveo will only get Rovi so far.
To truly dominate, a more ecumenical approach to input is required, and a keener understanding of consumer behavior is paramount.
Rovi should make more of consumer affinity acquired from decades of conditioning for a streamlined remote control .
All that needs to go is the tortuous onscreen keyboard, and siloed searching across multiple channels.
“Over the next nine to 10 months, we expect to have a completely unified experience.” John Moakley, Rovi EVP
You are close, Rovi. Now step up your search & discovery game with Kannuu:
On February 5 – 6 at TV Hackfest in San Francisco, in response to the Gracenote Brief, Kannuu UI experts Aran Rhee and Ben Davey created a second-screen app in under 24 hours that blew away Hackfest judges and has everyone rethinking the whole second-screen concept. Combining Google Glass, Gracenote API’s and Kannuu’s search, recommendation and pair-n-share technology, the guys created a real-world working implementation of what just may be the true, next generation, second-screen experience.
Second-screen apps enhance the experience of watching television by providing interactive features and additional content related to the main program. But there’s sometimes a glitch in the dual-immersion experience.
Watching television is a passive, ‘lean-back’ activity while navigating a second-screen app is more of an active, ‘lean-forward’ endeavor, and switching back and forth between screens can often diminish both experiences – just as an inadequate search & discovery experience in today’s increasingly connected TV environment can quash viewing pleasure.
In broad strokes, here’s how the app, dubbed “TV Through the Looking Glass,” works:
Wearing Google Glass and watching any content on any connected TV, the consumer who wants to know what program is being watched presses Google Glass once, and up pops the name of the program along with thumb nail art and additional high-level information.
To make this possible the app taps the Gracenote Entourage Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) platform, which recognizes what’s playing from the audio, and the Kannuu cloud-based findability platform for relevant metadata and additional localized recommendations, and of course, Google Glass for displaying this information.
Aran and Ben could have stopped there and had a pretty cool second-screen app, but there is more…
If the consumer would like additional, deep-dive information or associated recommendations on the program he or she is watching, or wants to participate in any related, real-time social activity, one more tap on Google Glass, and a translucent overlay appears on the TV screen containing a wealth of information about the program – director, actors, ratings, related content, recommendations, etc., and social activity related to the program, such as Facebook and Twitter chats or real-time online discussions about the program.
Making this happen is the Kannuu findability platform, which presents up all the deep dive info, Kannuu pair & share technology, which invokes the translucent overlay on the connected TV screen, and integration with zeebox, which summons in real time all related social activity.
Did I mention that while all of this great deep-dive information and social activity is presented on the TV screen via a translucent overlay, the original program continues playing and can be seen clearly? Or that from identifying the program from audio content to having high-level information appear on Google Glass to having deep-dive information and social activity appear on the TV screen requires a mere two taps?
No interruption. No disconnect from switching back and forth between screens. No frustration from failed search & discovery.
Seamlessly integrating Google Glass, Kannuu, Gracenote and zeebox, TV Through the Looking Glass affords viewers an intuitive, non-intrusive, fast, easy and fun experience that truly delivers on the second-screen promise. Duly note that this app/service fully functioned, significantly more than just a concept.
Focusing on the user experience, breaking through the search and discovery bottleneck, minimizing the distraction or disconnect multiple screen viewing often occasions, and truly enhancing the viewing experience is what Kannuu is all about.
We’re very proud of Aran and Ben, and we are grateful to work along side Gracenote, zeebox and others committed to open standards. The combined potential of all of the great technology available today is dizzying, and it is often the case that when companies work together in true partnership, what is created is greater than the sum of the parts. TV Through the Looking Glass is a wonderful example of this.
With growth comes the challenge of making video content fast and easy to find in today’s connected TV world. According to Bill Maher, Netflix is failing miserably. Check out this video
More importantly, Netflix and all other OTT providers should check out Kannuu!
By all accounts, smart TV adoption has hit an inflection point.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the latest predictions:
A scan of recent news headlines makes it abundantly clear that the smart TV race is well underway (and everyone wants to be a player):
Who will in the smart TV race? It’s hard to say at this point. But for consumers to come out on top, one thing is certain — search & discovery across multiple apps for something to watch must be made fast, easy and fun.
In fact, Wired Magazine reports that more the 95% of consumers cite the ability to quickly find what they want to watch when they want to watch it as the most important smart TV feature.
Quickly finding content in today’s wold of exploding smart TV content is Kannuu’s raison d’être.
We give manufacturers, service providers, and content creators a competitive edge in today’s highly competitive smart TV race.
But, most importantly, we’ll make sure consumers come out on top with fast and easy search & discovery on their smart TVs!