Friday, 24 October 2008

Multi-Screen Video Services Have Promise In US

The boundary lines between the TV, PC, and mobile screens are blurring with increased broadband and 3G penetration, reports In-Stat.

The high-tech market research firm says, service providers are being challenged from all sides for control over the consumer and the content they consume. The challenge for network service providers is how to add value in the connected lifestyle.

"One answer is the introduction of multi-screen video services," says Keith Nissen, In-Stat analyst. For instance, consumers could view NBC's videos of the recent Olympic Games on TV, PC, or mobile devices using existing network services. Another alternative is converged multi-screen services that offer consumers the same capabilities, along with value-added, next-generation features and functions that make the service device independent.

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
• Within five years, there is the potential for 11 million TV-PC service subscribers and nearly 16 million converged PC-mobile service subscribers in the US.

• Based on consumer surveys, In-Stat has concluded that TV-PC two-screen video services are best offered as content-only multi-screen services, with a common, web-based portal for content identification, sampling, selection, and purchasing.