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New boost for internet TV
(18-10-07) - The number of people watching television over their broadband connections has seen another growth spurt according to new statistics.
There are various ways to watch internet television, also known as IPTV, but the number of those downloading programmes and movies to watch later saw the biggest increase, almost doubling from 1.3 million - or five per cent of UK broadband users – in 2006 to 2.4 million – or eight per cent of users – this year.
The Internet and Convergence report from Continental Research also showed an increased popularity in “streaming” where footage is watched “live” rather than downloaded. Websites such as YouTube and Joost have made streaming popular and accessible, and the numbers of broadband users watching IPTV in this way has grown by one million, to a total of 2.9 million over the past year.
The report added that the use of the BBC iPlayer and Channel 4’s 4oD service for mainstream, on-demand IPTV combined with user’s general satisfaction with IPTV, a potential 7.7 million users look set to try it out over the next year.
Explaining that screen size, as well as picture and sound quality, was a factor in the 12 per cent that were dissatisfied with IPTV, James Myring, of Continental Research, said: “In a world where TV screens get bigger and bigger, people have a much higher expectation of screen size. When assessing the potential of alternative viewing platforms this needs to be taken into account.”
The report showed that 4oD is currently the most used IPTV service, beating the BBC iPlayer by 25 per cent to 16 per cent respectively, though the iPlayer is still a relatively new service.
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “Many people are keen to try out innovative technologies such as IPTV but they also need to consider the impact that all this downloading and streaming has on their data allowances.
“If people are not careful, they could end up being charged by their broadband provider for excessive downloading. Anyone who is worried can install our free Broadband Download Monitor to keep an eye on download limits while still enjoying all that IPTV has to offer.”
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