Research into IPTV video viewing habits

Research shows that 74% of users who have broadband connections, both at home and at work, watch or download video online.

Some analysts consider that IPTV viewing habits are, at the moment, most comparable to cable or satellite viewing habits. On the whole, on-demand is primarily a value-added service on IPTV and not a core proposition, while catch-up TV doesn't encompass every programme. Viewing is still fairly linear on IPTV, while almost the opposite exists online. Linear channels are generally less popular than video sites.

It is thought that the demographics of IPTV customers also differ from online video viewers. The only similarity is that IPTV viewers are broadband-enabled. They tend to demonstrate the characteristics of an older age group. They are likely to be higher educated, on higher incomes, and more likely to have children and to be married. This is primarily due to the way IPTV services are marketed.

It is considered that consumers don't care about the technology involved in delivering their TV as long as they can sit down to watch their favourite programmes. As such, they have comparable profiles to satellite or cable viewers. Viewers online, however, are well aware of how they are consuming media.

The Pew report also shows some important figures on video sharing, stating that more than 57% of online video viewers share links to the videos they find with others, while 75% receive links to watch video that others have sent them. This sharing capability already exists on IPTV in some markets. In France, Free Telecom launched its user-generated content, TV Perso, earlier this year. TV Perso allows users to upload videos via their set-top box onto the network. The videos can then be shared with friends and family or can be made available to anyone with a Freebox.

Sharing capability on IPTV has provoked legal issues. Different rules and regulations govern televised and Internet content, and user-generated videos on TV will be subject to more stringent controls than online videos. Operators will not want to be fined by regulators for distributing inappropriate content or sued by rivals for breaching copyright. This is likely to hold back the launch of further user-general content services on IPTV.

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