UK Smart TV demand 'very low', says research

Demand for connected TV sets offering access to services such as BBC iPlayer and YouTube is currently "very low" in the UK, but could be boosted next year by the arrival of Google TV, Apple, YouView and Netflix, new research has claimed.

Respected research agency YouGov has today published its consumer technology predictions for 2012, covering people's expected consumption of tech products and services, such as connected TV, tablet computers and social networks.

According to YouGov, only 15% of UK consumers said that they expect to purchase a connected, or 'Smart', TV from the likes of Samsung or LG within the next 12 months.

But YouGov noted that Smart TV is still growing, largely because people are connecting their TV to the web via external devices, including games consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PS3, along with 'plug in' boxes such as Boxee.

It is also expected that connected TV takeup will increase next year when the first set top boxes are launched by YouView, the joint venture partnership backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Arqiva, BT and TalkTalk.

> TalkTalk to run internal YouView trial in early 2012

YouGov said that one in ten people in the UK already own a Smart TV and while the intention to purchase is "very low", this could be stimulated by the launch of US entertainment streaming giant Netflix in early 2012, along with live online coverage of major sporting events such as Euro 2012 and the London Olympics.

Google is also said to be in talks with Samsung to launch its Google TV service in specially built sets next year, while there are rumours that Apple will release a connected flat plant TV product called iTV.

The biggest driver for adoption of Smart TV is the availability of content, reports YouGov, as 36% of UK respondents aged 18-24 said that they would make a connected TV purchase if they could watch their favourite TV content on-demand.

Another expected issue is the growth of social TV, as services such as Facebook and Twitter are already available on connected TV services, enabling users to interact and comment on the action while watching programming.

YouGov media consulting director Dan Brilot said: "Smart content producers must continue to develop their services to make it increasingly easier for people to watch what they want, when they want, wherever they want.

"This next evolution of our TV sets is enabling viewers to share and comment on media content using Facebook and Twitter, or even to set up 'virtual living rooms' where programmes are watched at the same time between friends but at different locations with social networks enabling the sharing of the viewing experience."

Use of tablet computers such as Apple iPad was also found to be low, as just 4% of the UK population own one, but this was said to be "growing". YouGov expects the tablet market to accelerate next year with the arrival of Amazon's affordable Kindle Fire.

Elsewhere in YouGov's report, it was discovered that Facebook is the number one web portal, with 60% of the UK's online population using the social network every day.

YouGov said that Facebook could soon become the world's main conduit to interact with the web, as it currently ranks as the number one site in the US and a close second to Google in the UK.

According to YouGov's own social media tracker, three fifths (60%) of the UK online population now use Facebook more than once a day.

The agency said that if the expected Facebook stock market flotation goes ahead in 2012, the company would have "even more financial clout to challenge Google as the global number one web company".