R APE P E WHIT Trinet Tips: Internet Connected TV Channeling the Bigger Picture LA-(949) 442.8900 DC-(703) 548.8900 www.trinetsolutions.com ©Trinet Internet Solutions, Inc. 2011 WHITE PAPER Channeling the Bigger Picture With competition for consumer attention at an all-time high, many companies are focusing on creating the perfect website and mobile application to dierentiate themselves from the rest. But while all the focus is devoted to the small screen, companies are neglecting the largest and most popular screen in a person’s home - the TV! The Signicance of TV According to Nielsen, the average American watches 142 hours of Boxee television a month. In the last year alone, TV viewership has increased 22 minutes per person per month adding to its dominance as the Since 2009, Yahoo’s competitors have created other Internet TV devices, primary source of video content for all demographics. Similarly, the such as Boxee (above), Roku, Google TV, and Apple TV. Smart TV number of TVs per U.S. household is constantly increasing, with 55% technology can also be found in appliances such as Blu-ray players, owning 3 or more sets in 2010. As a result, the total amount of TV gaming consoles, home theater systems, audio products and set-top viewing for 2011 is expected to increase to 4.49 trillion hours. boxes. What Are TV Applications? Nielsen’s Television Audience Report (2010) What is Connected TV? A TV application is a product that allows your television to access Internet Connected TV, often referred to as Smart TV or Hybrid TV, is a specic web content or services on-demand. TV applications, also called means to deliver content directly to the consumer through their favorite TV widgets or TV channels, are designed to enhance a viewer’s TV medium, the television. Connected TV allows users immediate access to watching experience. TV widgets, implemented by Yahoo, are used in web applications on their TVs. This emerging technology was rst conjunction with TV viewing, appearing as an overlay at the bottom or developed by Yahoo working with Intel in 2009. Since the development side of your screen while a movie or show plays above or next to it. TV of the rst Smart TV platform, companies such as LG, Sony, Samsung, watchers can use widgets to display information on request (such as the VIZIO and Panasonic have begun embedding this technology into high weather), perform a certain function (like web search or movie denition televisions. streaming), or interact with others (in a social networking environment). LA-(949) 442.8900 DC-(703) 548.8900 www.trinetsolutions.com ©Trinet Internet Solutions, Inc. 2011 WHITE PAPER With the development of products like Apple’s Apple TV, Samsung’s Smart TV and free software like Boxee, it is expected that TV screens will become an increasingly connected device. LG Smart TV TV channels (Roku) and applications (Google TV) are similar to TV widgets with varying degrees of functionality. Roku, Boxee and Apple TV all supply applications and channels for streaming movies, shows, photos and music from the web onto the TV. Google TV also provides Yahoo TV Widget the ability to browse the web directly on the TV. 72% of teens in the UK use mobile applications to comment on shows as they are watching them. DID YOU KNOW? YOU DID Give Them What They Want It is important to remember that TV viewers do not want to make the TV screen a larger computer screen. Instead they want to use the TV and internet together to create a richer entertainment experience. Michael Greeson, President of research rm, The Diusion Group, says “most people see widgets as a way to enhance their TV viewing experience, not simply as another way to access the internet.” Google TV As more people incorporate the internet with their daily TV viewing, the challenge for companies becomes how to oer personalized widgets, Google TV is capable of searching your television, allowing users direct applications and optimized websites to enhance the entertainment access to their TV, the web and their applications. This service allows experience of their supporters. quick access to either the web or the TV. How to Make Connected TV Work for You Who Uses Internet Connected TV? When people sit in front of the television, they are seeking a more relaxing experience; a departure from the stress that often comes from More than 30 million U.S. households are using digital TVs, Blu-ray accessing the internet on a computer or mobile device. players and gaming consoles to view online content on their TVs. Thirty percent of all households have at least one television set connected to the internet (an increase of 24% from 2010). LA-(949) 442.8900 DC-(703) 548.8900 www.trinetsolutions.com ©Trinet Internet Solutions, Inc. 2011 WHITE PAPER Companies should be aware of this dierence and cater to their Developing an eective TV application or TV-friendly website requires a supporters accordingly, aiming to provide a user-friendly TV application well thought-out strategy that recognizes the audience and their that brings all updates, suggestions, and insights to the viewer with interactions with the television medium. So, when you are ready to minimal extra work. proceed with the development of your TV application, channel, widget or TV-optimized website, go with an experienced team. Media is becoming more interactive. Create a social channel to engage with your supporters and discuss TV QUICK TIP QUICK broadcasts such as popular shows or breaking news. About Trinet Have more questions or interested in Internet Connected TV? Give us a call. We love this stu. Founded in 1995, Trinet Internet Solutions, Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, CA with an East Coast oce in the metro Washington, D.C. area. As an award-winning Web rm, Trinet Internet Solutions, Inc. oers Internet Connected TV development. Our team of experts can integrate your company’s content, audio, video and eCommerce onto a Yahoo TV Samsung TV Widget, Roku Channel or Google TV Application. Users who can search the web from their TV need to be provided for accordingly. Like mobile web searching, TV web searching depends on 1 Nielsen, 2010. accessing user-friendly websites. Creating and maintaining a site 2 Nielsen, 2011. optimized for Connected TV is essential for enjoyable TV web browsing. 3 Nielsen, 2010. 4 Mashable, May 2011. 5 Leichtman Research, March 2011. People are viewing multiple screens at the same time. 6 Digital Clarity, March 2011. Allow them to build o each other, so the user can see an item on your TV widget and be directed from it to your company’s mobile application. These touchpoints build QUICK TIP QUICK upon a person’s daily interaction with your company across multiple screens. Unlike a computer or smartphone where users interact one-to-one, TV watching is very often a many-to-one experience. TV applications have to reect televisions more communal nature, not requiring the heavy reliance on a single individual’s personal prole or information. Instead, companies should seek to cater to the collective (but still personal) needs of all TV viewers. LA-(949) 442.8900 DC-(703) 548.8900 www.trinetsolutions.com ©Trinet Internet Solutions, Inc. 2011.