LARGE-SCALE USER TRIAL
SHOWS VIABILITY OF SOCIAL
EXPERIENCE-SHARING TV SERVICES
IBC 2008, RAI
Omar Niamut, Martijn Staal, Hans Stokking, Erik Boertjes, Jente Klok and Sven Schultz

Social TV
Next-Generation Digital TV
Now… Next…
More channels
More of the Interactive TV
same…?
Play along…
Delay TV
when I want to…
Social TV
with friends…
Higher quality
2 17-9-2008

Social TV
Social TV – a viable service?
Now… Next…
Social TV
More channels
More of the
same…?
Are these viable services?
Higher quality
3 17-9-2008

Social TV
Large-scale user trial shows viability of social
experience-sharing TV services
A field trial with > 50 participants showed that
• Social TV allows viewers to feel more connected
• Social TV enables viewers
to find other channels
• Social TV can be used with the push of a button
4 17-9-2008

Social TV
Social TV connects and enables
• Nowadays, watching television has become an
individual experience
• Social TV allows you to share your TV
experience with others, even if you are
separated in location and time…!
• The number of channels is growing exponentially
and it becomes more difficult to find content
• Social TV enables you to find content with
the help of your friends and family…!
5 17-9-2008

Social TV
Social TV at the push of a button
• This is not Joe Average in front of his TV… This is!
• Can social TV start by using only the remote control…?
6 17-9-2008

Social TV
What is the viability of Social TV?
• To which extent does social TV change viewer experience?
• To which extent does social TV affect the viewer behaviour?
• How can social TV services be commercially exploited?
• How can social TV services be leveraged?
7 17-9-2008

Social TV
Large-scale field trial
• One of the most extensive field trials of its kind
Set-up
• tested in >50 households
• 9 groups with 4-10 interrelated friends Enschede
• from July - October 2007
Functionality added to regular TV
Determine the
• View buddy list future of television
Together with TNO
• Send recommendations
• Share remote control
• Zap to most popular channel
Measurements
• Online surveys
• Logging
8
• Experience sampling 17-9-2008

1. zap to channel that your buddy is watching
1. zap to channel that your buddy is watching
2. recommend current channel to your buddy
2. recommend current channel to your buddy
3. invite your buddy to follow you
3. invite your buddy to follow you
4. ask your buddy if you can follow him/her
4. ask your buddy if you can follow him/her
following = co-surfing, i.e. buddy A follows
following = co-surfing, i.e. buddy A follows
buddy B’s channel change behaviour
buddy B’s channel change behaviour
9 17-9-2008

II am watching RTL4. Would you like
am watching RTL4. Would you like
to switch to that channel too?
to switch to that channel too?
(Yes/No)
(Yes/No)
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Indications that a buddy watches the same
Indications that a buddy watches the same
program as you
program as you
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Experience sample:
Experience sample:
Why did you open the buddylist?
Why did you open the buddylist?
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Social TV
Social TV changes viewer behaviour
and experience
• Social TV changes behaviour
• Buddy list (2.3 x per TV session)
• Recommendations (47% accepted)
• Watching together (89% accepted)
• Social TV increases sense of connection (40%)
and stimulates phone/SMS communication
• Social TV can be used with remote control (60%)
13 17-9-2008

Social TV
Participants value Social TV services
Results and quotes from survey:
• 20% of users say that they watch other channels
• 50% of users want to use improved version with communication
• 50% of users do not mind advertisements
“It is not an “Nice add-on to
television.” “Knowing what my
intrusion of my friends are
privacy. I actually watching is fun.”
learn to know my “Although a few bugs,
friends better.” it is a nice service.”
“Where is the chat-
“Set-up of the
“No added value functionality? If a
service is good
for what I’m willing buddy is online I want
but still very
to pay money.” to chat with him.”
limited.”
14 17-9-2008

Social TV
Commercial exploitation of Social TV services
Upgrade
Social TV related
services stimulate
Premium up selling &
reduce churn
Social TV stimulates
the use of other
(premium) services
Social TV opens up
new channels for
15 advertising Advertising 17-9-2008

Social TV
Leveraging Social TV with Next-Generation
Networks
• Social TV must be realized in Next-Generation IPTV networks
• IMS enables combinational services with Presence, IM, Voice and TV
16 17-9-2008

Social TV
TV at TNO
• TNO Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a 350-employee
not-for-profit Dutch research institute.
• One of TNO’s focus points is innovation in television and interactivity. TNO
contributes actively to OMA BCAST and ETSI TISPAN standardization of
interactive mobile TV and IMS-based IPTV.
Dr. Omar Niamut
TNO Information and Communication Technology
www.tno.nl Dept. Multimedia Technology
: P.O. Box, 2600 GB Delft, The Netherlands
℡: +31 6 519 162 42
: omar.niamut@tno.nl
: www.tno.nl, search for \"ConnecTV\"
17 17-9-2008

Thank You!
Omar Niamut, Martijn Staal, Hans Stokking, Erik Boertjes, Jente Klok and Sven Schultz