More than 20% of flat panel TVs shipped in Europe this year will be able to connect to the internet, according to a new report from Futuresource Consulting. The study follows in the wake of the 2009 European market introduction of the first TV and Blu-ray devices able to access content directly from the Net.
By the end of 2010, the installed base of connected TVs will increase to 15 million devices, representing nearly 10% of the total number of flat panel TVs in use. The next step for manufacturers, says Futuresource, will be to add more compelling video services, including paid-for movie streaming that will create revenue-sharing opportunities with content owners, aggregators and application developers.
Futuresource expects “sophisticated services”, including major catch-up TV services and VoD services, to offer greater competition to the premium subscriptions offered by Pay TV operators.
“In Europe, four of the major brands have already launched connected TV products that go beyond basic home networking functionality and allow delivery of over-the-top web services,” said David Watkins (pictured), research consultant at Futuresource. “This includes basic weather and news pages, social networking, video streaming and catch-up TV. Although initially limited to high-end and mid-range products, we’re going to see web connectivity feature on an increasing number of products next year, becoming standard within two to three years. We expect content to be the next battleground and a key driver for connection and usage, particularly through interaction with social networking sites and access to recently released movies.”
For more information, or to purchase the full Futuresource report (entitled Connected TV & Blu-ray Market Status: Western Europe), contact David Watkins on +44 (0) 1582 500127 or via email at [email protected].
