People are increasingly obtaining the option to watch online video on their televisions thanks to Internet-connected TVs, set-top boxes, and video games consoles. Is this an area of growth which should be nurtured?
PC Vs TV
Until now, and even at this point, the vast majority of people use their computers, and only their computers, to access the Internet. It just makes sense, with a PC or laptop made for the job with its crisp monitor and mouse and keyboard combination.
But things are slowly changing. Mobile Internet is becoming big business, rapidly growing all over the world but especially in Asia. And the number of living room devices that can be hooked up to the Web is also growing at a seemingly exponential rate.
A Range Of Options
There are the televisions themselves, with a new range of Internet-enabled TVs announced at the recent CES in Las Vegas. And then there are the set-top boxes such as Roku and Apple TV, as well as hybrid Blu-ray/Web TV players.
But while these are all great, they’re unlikely to sell in any great numbers at the moment, with the mainstream not yet feeling the need to have everything hooked up to the Internet. It will change, but until digital downloads and streaming video become the norm rather than the niche, it won’t happen.
Video Game Consoles
Which is where games consoles come in. All the current-gen consoles, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii, can be hooked up to the Internet. This is currently mainly used for online gaming, but there are seemingly endless possibilities for the consoles to be used to deliver online video to people’s front rooms.
The PS3 and Wii have their own browsers, meaning any owner of one of these console can potentially use them to visit video Web sites and watch videos on their big, widescreen, (probably) HD televisions. The Xbox doesn’t currently have a browser but does have dedicated video services, the latest of which is Netflix.
YouTube TV Web Site
YouTube has recently announced the launch of a ‘TV Web site’ (located at youtube.com/tv) which is being initially targeted at PS3 and Wii owners. The need for a version of the site specifically designed for use on consoles is the lack, generally, of a keyboard and mouse. PS3 owners are stuck with a traditional controller while the Wii Remote offers a point and click variation on the mouse.
The new TV-optimized version of YouTube is stripped down, and offers the bare essentials. You can still log into your account or search for videos and channels but the layout has been altered to cater for console owners.
Conclusions
This is a good move when you consider that there are 40 million Wiis. 30 million Xboxes, and 20 million Playstation 3s in the world right now. And that figure is only going to climb over the next few years.
It could be that games consoles provide the perfect opportunity for video sites to start integrating more into the living room. And YouTube has seen the potential first, discounting the BBC iPlayer. Let’s just hope Hulu and the like now follow suit.
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