Another tidbit here from the latest Harris Buzz report, this time looking at media streaming in the living room.
Among the 13 items we measured were
Apple TV and
Google TV, respectively the re-launched and new media streaming technologies from the two tech giants.
There's no doubt in my mind that streaming to the living room TV has a massive future. Whether this is done via set tops or built into the TV itself is a question and, indeed, Google TV operates as both as set top box and built into some Sony sets.
If anyone is going to rule the living room experience then Google and Apple have as good a chance as any. Microsoft has its Media Center experience via Xbox 360 and we shall soon see more Media Center embedded devices coming out.
Media streaming to the living room TV is nothing new. Windows Media Center first appeared in a 2005 edition of their XP operating system, its 10-foot interface and remote contol providing a true sofa-controlled experience. And of course plugging the PC/laptop directly into the TV has been possible since day 1 but mouse controlling and squinting at a distance is not a sofa and living room experience.
One of the issues facing a wider adoption of living room media streaming is awareness and understanding. Being a techie, I understand what this is all about and I can make a reasonable choice as to whether to go for Window Media Center/Xbox 360, Apple TV, Google TV, Popcorn Hour, Netgear, Boxee or DLNA services built into my ethernet-connected Samsung TV.
But what about the mass market? What about their awareness and understanding? This is where Harris Buzz comes in - using a Harris Poll survey it's a regular measure of new launches in entertainment, media and technology, with a representative base of 1,000+ GB respondents aged 16-64. This data is from December 2010.
The first thing we see is that the main thing holding back both Apple's and Google's venture is a substantial lack of familiarity. Less than 1 in 10 in the general public have a strong or deep familiarity with what they're offering. Okay, it is early days for sure and even a long-standing benchmark like BT Vision has only double the familiarity levels.
But it does suggest that if Apple TV or Google TV are to become mainstream living room technologies and not just for the early adopters (like the iPod and potentially over the next couple of years slate devices) then there is a long way to go to educate the market on their products and their benefits.
If you want to know more, don't hesitate to get in touch - details on right-hand pane.
