Last month a respected research firm plumped for ‘e-mail’ as the killer app on iTV. This based on quantitative assessments of current services.

Netpoll’s own study, Hands on TV, a qualitative study of how consumers are actually using iTV gives me reasons to disagree.

The PC-Internet is foremost a data repository and communication exchange. E-mail is the oil that lubricates the system. Most PC based activity involves the keyboard and interaction tends to be similar at home or at work.

iTV is not like this. Entertainment, not information is at the core of the proposition. In the UK only 16% of subscribers automatically get a free keyboard (ITVDigital) and without this – in the words of one – “it’s like going back to the old text messaging on the phones”.

“That’s the other big problem on it (e-mail). You can’t actually send any attachments, it is only a text based service”
(Male, 25, ITV Digital, London)

iTV is foremost a television. It occupies the family space in the living room and is generally used at a distance to watch multi-channel programming. E-mail on the PC is a close-up private activity. How much of your current inbox or outbox would you like to share with your partner, children or parents?

“For convenience and usability the PC wins hands-down”
(Male [Family], Sky Digital, Nottingham)

Many iTV subscribers have access to a PC at home or at work - most have a mobile. They see some situations where e-mail on iTV would be useful, such as writing to the supplier. However for the bulk of communications the other digital channels or even phone have significant advantages.

“We generally give job websites our e-mail address here [meaning the TV e-mail address] because you can’t really read that stuff at work can you?”
(Family, ITVDigital, London)

This may change as iTV improves technically and becomes the most ubiquitous access point (95-99% penetration expected by 2010). But the 20-30% who have iTV and no other touchpoint will still not be using iTV-mail in the same way as it is used on the PC.

“Oh yes, I mean I will stick with it because even if it’s just for the e-mail facility because I haven’t got a computer”
(Female, ntl, Nottingham)

What we feel might become the killer app (if only for communications) is Screen-2-Screen messaging. The sort of service that is popular on AOLTV in the US and does not interrupt programming. Dad can quite happily mail his thoughts on the referee to a friend without leaving the match. Teenagers can co-ordinate voting on Big Brother and mum can arrange a delivery slot with customer service while watching QVC.

iTV is a technology in its infancy, to really understand what works we need to go beyond the numbers and understand consumer interaction in the home.

More information on Hands On TV can be found at http://www.handsontv.com/default.asp?ID=econsult

Andy Mayer, Senior Strategist, Netpoll Ltd.

Several factors will determine keyboard uptake
- price
- relevant content
- added utility over the handset or mobile
etc.

Given adoption of iTV services seems to be largely driven by key trigger events rather than incremental technology (there's not much on the iTV you can't do elsewhere better bar the EPG and PVR), we're really waiting for a killer app/piece of content/programming/marketing campaign to drive wider uptake of the keyboard. As it stands it's rather like a joystick for a PC, useful but certainly not indespensible.

On 23:45:34 23 August 2001 dev wrote:
>What is the expected uptake of purchased keyboards and do
>any of the other providers plan to subsidise in the manner
>of ITVDigital?
>
>On 12:51:44 16 August 2001 wrote:
>>Last month a respected research firm plumped for
>>‘e-mail’ as the killer app on iTV. This
>based
>>on quantitative assessments of current services.
>>
>>Netpoll’s own study, Hands on TV, a qualitative
>>study of how consumers are actually using iTV gives me
>>reasons to disagree.
>>
>>The PC-Internet is foremost a data repository and
>>communication exchange. E-mail is the oil that
>lubricates
>>the system. Most PC based activity involves the
>keyboard
>>and interaction tends to be similar at home or at
>work.
>>
>>iTV is not like this. Entertainment, not information
>is at
>>the core of the proposition. In the UK only 16% of
>>subscribers automatically get a free keyboard
>(ITVDigital)
>>and without this – in the words of one –
>>“it’s like going back to the old text
>>messaging on the phones”.
>>
>>“That’s the other big problem on it
>(e-mail).
>>You can’t actually send any attachments, it is
>only
>>a text based service”
>>(Male, 25, ITV Digital, London)
>>
>>iTV is foremost a television. It occupies the family
>space
>>in the living room and is generally used at a distance
>to
>>watch multi-channel programming. E-mail on the PC is a
>>close-up private activity. How much of your current
>inbox
>>or outbox would you like to share with your partner,
>>children or parents?
>>
>>“For convenience and usability the PC wins
>>hands-down”
>>(Male [Family], Sky Digital, Nottingham)
>>
>>Many iTV subscribers have access to a PC at home or at
>>work - most have a mobile. They see some situations
>where
>>e-mail on iTV would be useful, such as writing to the
>>supplier. However for the bulk of communications the
>other
>>digital channels or even phone have significant
>>advantages.
>>
>>“We generally give job websites our e-mail
>address
>>here [meaning the TV e-mail address] because you
>>can’t really read that stuff at work can
>you?”
>>
>>(Family, ITVDigital, London)
>>
>>This may change as iTV improves technically and
>becomes
>>the most ubiquitous access point (95-99% penetration
>>expected by 2010). But the 20-30% who have iTV and no
>>other touchpoint will still not be using iTV-mail in
>the
>>same way as it is used on the PC.
>>
>>“Oh yes, I mean I will stick with it because
>even if
>>it’s just for the e-mail facility because I
>>haven’t got a computer”
>>(Female, ntl, Nottingham)
>>
>>What we feel might become the killer app (if only for
>>communications) is Screen-2-Screen messaging. The sort
>of
>>service that is popular on AOLTV in the US and does
>not
>>interrupt programming. Dad can quite happily mail his
>>thoughts on the referee to a friend without leaving
>the
>>match. Teenagers can co-ordinate voting on Big Brother
>and
>>mum can arrange a delivery slot with customer service
>>while watching QVC.
>>
>>iTV is a technology in its infancy, to really
>understand
>>what works we need to go beyond the numbers and
>understand
>>consumer interaction in the home.
>>
>>More information on Hands On TV can be found at
>>http://www.handsontv.com/default.asp?ID=econsult
>>
>>Andy Mayer, Senior Strategist, Netpoll Ltd.