The internet is coming to a living room near you
We have come to expect the Internet wherever we are and whenever we want. Mary Meeker predicts that by the end of the year, we could reach 10 Billion mobile Internet devices. Yes, that’s a B. While we still have the power of a PC in the palm of our hands, one main area has yet to be conquered–the living room.
Many have tried to create linkages into the living room, but few have succeeded. In 1988, Nintendo launched the Family Computer Network Systems. With the purchase of a special cartridge, the Famicom could interact with other terminals or a central computer to monitor and trade stocks. Unfortunately, by the time I got my NES, it only came with a pad to stomp on and gun to shoot ducks with.
Perhaps the next largest leap came from Tivo. With its emphasis on UX, they brought us the concept of time-shifting our content. With a simple phone line, owners would be able to sync their cable stream to the programming list. However, Tivo’s glory days were short-lived. Why pay for a Tivo if your cable operator was willing to give you a free set top box?
In the end, the thought of connecting stand alone devices is such a huge mental leap that not even excellent UX can overcome it.
However, the tides are shifting. Over the past year, I’ve seen a multitude of new ways to connect the living room to the Internet. From simply plug-and-play devices like Roku, to elaborate Microsoft media center setups, people are realizing that the Internet isn’t just for streaming videos of cute cats playing the piano or seeing charlie biting his brother’s finger. The Internet is able to provide consumers with a lean-back 10-foot experience.
With the GoogleTV coming around the corner, and companies like Boxee that are constantly augmenting their content libraries, the Internet is finally making its way to the living room.
Last spring, my friends and I embarked on an independent study project looking at the this very space. In it, we tested the preferences of lead-users to prove/disprove hypothesis. Here are some of our findings:
- Short-Form Content (like Youtube) belongs on the computer monitor
- Most mass market consumers do not know the difference between streaming v. downloading content
- There is little room for new content platforms, new companies should seek to become embedded with CE manufacturers
- Apps for Connected TVs will provide little differentiation. Companies can only lose from not keeping up with its competitors
- Consumers want a recommendation engine for content
You can review our final presentation here:
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