CRE Benchmarks Video Delivery Options

A new study by the Nielsen-funded Council for Research Excellence (CRE) highlights the difficulties posed for audience researchers by the growing variety of video consumption devices such as tablets, smart TVs and gaming consoles.

Conducted on behalf of the CRE by Colorado-based One Touch Intelligence (OTI), the study says video delivery can be divided into two distinct methods, that via set-top boxes (STBs) provided by multi-channel video program distributors (MVPDs), and delivery via Internet Protocol (IP) from servers to users' devices. Among devices, national penetration of games consoles is highest at 56%, followed by DVRs (44%); Smart TVs and Blu-ray players (22% when combined); tablets (14% but growing rapidly) and over-the-top (OTT) STBs (11%). These last may be 'rendered largely obsolete', says the report, as consumers flock to other devices.

Patricia Liguori, who is Chair of the CRE's Return Path Measurement Committee as well as SVP of Research & Electronic Measurement for ABC Owned Television Stations, says users on both buy and sell sides have the not unreasonable expectation that all devices on which tuning occurs should be included in ratings. She adds: 'We knew we had a major challenge merely in quantifying the penetration levels of the various devices, but that is only the tip of the measurement iceberg.'

The report also notes possible drivers for a forthcoming boom for smart TVs and for DVR penetration, and says it plans to expand the study to include the growing use of the Cloud for content storage.

Web sites: www.onetouchintelligence.com and www.researchexcellence.com .