51% prefer catch-up on TV, 49% not heard of YouView
January 21, 2013
Research from Twonky, the connected home experts, shows that over half of the UK (51 per cent) prefer to watch catch-up services on a TV, rather than a smartphone or tablet. Only 19 per cent of people surveyed say that convenience is more important than screen size.
The last 12 months has seen a plethora of software and apps released for consuming video content on-the-go, such as Sky Go, Netflix, and 4oD. Whilst TV streaming apps are proving popular, with 41 per cent of people having downloaded at least one, film streaming apps are still lagging behind with only 13 per cent.
The research also found that the top three annoyances with watching video online, at home or on the go are:
1. Slow broadband speed means frequent buffering (46 per cent)
2. Ad breaks are too frequent or repetitive (26 per cent)
3. Content of Internet TV applications is lower quality than TV (17 per cent)
Also launched in 2012 was YouView, the UK hybrid digital TV service provided by BT and TalkTalk to offer BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand5. Having taken four years to be released the service has been overshadowed by offerings the major UK broadcasters have developed themselves, such as Sky and Virgin Media. As a result, 49 per cent of people in the UK have not even heard of YouView.
Other key findings include::
- Almost a third (29 per cent) of people most often watch TV on their mobiles or tablets whilst in bed (50 per cent of 18-24 year olds)
- Following the rise in popularity of the second screen, 19 pe rcent of people think it is anti-social to use smartphone or tablet whilst watching TV
- During the Christmas period, nearly 40 per cent (38 per cent) of people used second screen devices to avoid the pain of Christmas TV scheduling. A further 37 per cent used them to catch up on shows missed because of the family
- Even though 2012 was the year of Olympic fever, the most popular sport tweeted about by men was Premier League football
Jerome Rota, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products and Services at PacketVideo, said of the results: “After such a focus on mobility in 2012, we were slightly surprised by the results of this research but not entirely shocked. Although entertainment on the go is a convenient development, larger screens still provide the best user viewing experience. Consuming media on a large screen allows for a better quality of viewing and a more social experience. The internet is full of high quality of content with the added benefit of anytime viewing. That, combined with these findings, suggests that the connected home is the preferred solution for the perfect entertainment environment.”