Poor picture quality is a barrier to content adoption
January 27, 2009
A broadcast industry poll conducted by AmberFin has revealed that poor picture quality remains a major barrier to content adoption on new viewing devices, such as a mobile phone and PC. Furthermore, 70 per cent of experts surveyed agreed the industry is failing to capitalise on the new market opportunities offered by the Internet, VOD and mobile due to the quality and cost issues associated with repurposing and delivering high volumes of content across multiple viewing devices.
Respondents agreed current image quality of video content falls short of viewer expectations and is in need of improvement. Over 35 per cent of the industry experts surveyed, rated image quality of content viewed via PC over broadband connection as being poor, or at best average, while 28 per cent noted a similar disappointing experience via mobile phone or handheld device.
The experts believe greater quality is critical to adoption and is intrinsically linked to the creation of new revenues and compelling services. When asked about paid for content, 33 per cent of respondents said only high quality video would attract viewers to pay or subscribe. Moreover, nearly half (44 per cent) believed viewers would consume more content via a mobile phone if picture quality were improved.