Did you know that, in the SVoD market, there are reported to be over 1.129 billion streaming service users in 2020, with this figure expected to rise to over 1.306 billion by 2024? That’s around 15.2% and 16.9% respectively of the global population using a streaming service.

 

It should be no surprise that it’s Millennials who are leading the way when it comes to going mainstream with streaming, with Generation X just behind them. According to Deloitte, 72% of Trailing Millennials, 69% of Leading Millennials and 60% of Gen Xs are streaming service subscribers.

 

With statistics showing that Millennials will make up three quarters of the global workforce by 2025, the percentage of us streaming will be huge.

 

As we move further into the digital age, and as streaming becomes ever more popular, the definition of viewers has also changed. In its research, The Changing Nature of TV, CenturyLink has segmented these into three primary types. While segmented into three main categories, these will overlap and many consumers will fit into more than one.

 

TV traditionalists – For these viewers, the big screen is still key to viewing. While they may subscribe to multiple streaming services, in the main they will only watch them via their television sets. For them, television has been, and always will be, a social experience. They don’t perceive a difference between video provided through traditional services or via streaming and, as such, their expectations of streaming quality and reliability are similar to those for traditional broadcast. They’re probably far less likely to experiment with innovative features unless there is clear value and don’t often take advantage of new features that become available. They simply want to watch TV.

 

Convenience seekers – For these viewers, anytime, anywhere access is key. They want to be able to watch their video, whether it’s provided by a traditional service or via SVoD, on whatever device they’re using at the time. What’s more, they’re willing to compromise quality for convenience. And while they aren’t looking for new features, they are very aware of how the streaming services work through their various apps and have mastered getting the most out of each subscription.

 

Demanding streamers – This is our group of viewers who really enjoy streaming. They often subscribe to more than one service, and they know that, as subscribers, they’re in the driver’s seat. If their chosen service doesn’t meet their needs, they’ll find another that does. And it’s not just about content – it’s about the whole streaming experience. From ads to password sharing, these viewers demand that the service conforms to their needs and they are ready to demand the experience they expect from the streaming service providers.

 

Where is streaming?

With the changes in our behaviour toward an always-on world, and a more sociable way of living, the way we consume TV has also changed. Streaming services are catering for these new demands, transforming the very definition of television viewing and shared content.

 

Now we prefer to choose what to watch and when to watch it, rather than having a pre-defined schedule of programmes, with the ability to binge watch an entire series in one evening, or to watch a previous series before a new one starts. We may also wish to watch on a different device – a mobile phone, tablet or laptop.

 

What’s more, now, we want to take our content with us, wherever we go. So, whether we’re on a train and wish to watch a back catalogue from a favourite series during our journey, in the office during lunch with a need to catch up before a next episode is launched, or in a hotel room with an evening at our disposal to start something new, we want our SVoD with us.

 

While streaming is easy via a smartphone or similar device, casting it onto the TV provides the enhanced, home-from-home experience that many consumers are demanding. So, whether in a business meeting space, a booth in a bar, entertainment or public venue, or in a hotel guest room, giving the option to customers to be able to access their personal content is key.

 

This is confirmed in CenturyLink’s research. When asked how often they watched streaming video on each kind of device, 60.32% of respondents suggested that they would prefer to watch their streamed content on the TV at least once per day, against 47.95% who would prefer to watch through an app on their mobile phone.

 

These figures are further confirmed by Conviva’s State of Streaming Q4 2019 research, which suggests that TVs are still the go-to streaming device for viewing OTT video. In a study of viewing behaviour across 250 OTT apps worldwide in Q2 2019 found that 56% of the time spent viewing this content happened on connected TVs, while less than 25% of the streaming happened on mobile.

 

How is streaming used in commercial settings?

In the commercial setting, as well as enabling users – whether customers in a restaurant or bar, or office workers in the meeting room – to access their video streaming services, the ability to access other content on their personal devices, such as their own presentations and content, and to share that on the TV or large format display is equally important.

 

With more and more businesses also creating video, including live streaming content, to engage with their audiences, the facility to allow visitors to stream that content from their BYODs onto displays for meetings and presentations, is becoming a necessity.        

 

The Philips B-Line is a highly versatile, Google and Crestron-certified UHD Professional TV, designed to enhance meeting room collaboration and bring new levels of simplicity to sharing and scheduling content in the food and beverage industry.

 

Harnessing the power of Android P, Crestron-connected and with Chromecast built-in, the B-Line allows content to be wirelessly shared to one or more displays from any BYOD device – from a laptop to a tablet or smartphone. Better still, no new apps or additional hardware are required, ensuring hassle-free sharing for users and a cleaner, wire-free installation, removing the risk of potential theft for businesses too.

 

Giving easy access to streaming on hospitality TVs

Whether Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or the newly released Disney+ to name just a few, anyone with a smartphone and a subscription to a streaming service has access to what seems like endless hours of free and paid content.

 

Casting these onto a professional television in a home from home setting isn’t always as easy as it sounds, though. The Philips MediaSuite Hospitality TV revolutionised this in 2019. The world’s first professional TV to include Chromecast built-in, it negates the need for additional hardware and allows users to seamlessly share their own content securely, at just the touch of a button.

 

In 2020, MediaSuite is set to revolutionise the marketplace again, adding Netflix-embedded to its repertoire, so that guests can enjoy the content on their go-to streaming service safely, securely and with no hassle.

 

Chromecast built-in – seamless and secure content sharing – from photos and movies to music and presentations – cast from own device directly onto the TV, with no additional hardware or wires required.

 

Google-certified – with access to the Google Play Store, allowing users direct access to thousands of apps, including popular services, such as Netflix, YouTube, Deezer and Spotify, plus local news, weather and traffic information.

 

Netflix-embedded – the world’s most popular streaming platform, with more than 167 million paid memberships, can be embedded into the TV. A world-first in the professional TV marketplace.

 

Android P platform – delivering improved security and a host of new and exciting features, including Google Voice Assistant.

 

MediaSuite’s Chromecast built-in feature enables users to stream from their chosen service providers, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max, shared directly from their chosen device with no additional wires needed.

 

To find out more about the streaming capabilities available via Philips MediaSuite, please call your local Philips Professional Display Solutions sales manager.