Last week’s survey that found 45 percent of Europeans have watched TV on the internet came as a surprise – and a separate survey out today proves predictably contradictory. Just 15 percent of UK adult internet users have downloaded a full-length TV show and only 14 percent a whole movie, says the YouGov research commissioned for CacheLogic. Why not? Most of the 2,400 respondents said download speeds and poor reliability were barriers – but 65 percent would be “fairly” or “very” interested in using quicker, easier systems. (Release)
Curious. Take-up of faster broadband speeds has actually been more prevalent in the last year, while Five and Channel 4 started making their shows available at the end of 2006, though only to those using Internet Explorer, and at a cost. BBC and ITV, the leading commercial network, have yet to come out with its VOD offerings. If anything, this research may suggest viewers do not want to wait for a lengthy download to finish before they can start watching.