A survey of American residents has shown that IPTV has a way to go before consumers understand what it is or the associated benefits beyond the value of videos on YouTube. The survey, conducted in late 2007 in New York City, asked 225 residents about their attitudes and knowledge of IPTV. More than half (54%) of respondents were not familiar with the term ‘IPTV’ or ‘web-based TV’, and only a fifth (20%) had seen an IPTV show or program that was not YouTube, though a huge majority (92%) had watched videos on YouTube.

Stephen Horn, CEO of WebsEdge said, “This survey reveals the challenges faced by the IPTV market. It’s not just about a technology gap as the telecommunication and cable companies look to upgrade the last mile and IPTV companies consider the best streaming technologies; the more salient challenge is that there’s also a knowledge gap to help consumers to understand the full benefits that can be realized by IPTV programming in terms of connecting communities and bringing interactivity to the spectrum of human entertainment. This could be involving parents on school initiatives, collecting feedback from citizens on local or national initiatives, or offering specialist channels for groups and individuals.”

When asked about reasons for not wanting to watch IPTV, almost half (44%) said that they did not want to watch television via their computer; about a third (31%) cited potential problems with connection speeds and technology, while 29% said that their reluctance was due to poor content or poor quality of programming. This reveals that programming considerations and structure are key components to all potential audiences, but one of IPTV’s main benefits is its vast variety of content, viewers may be unaware of the breadth of video available online. Since IPTV can be easily searched to ensure direct relevance to each viewer, this suggests that many viewers may not realize the availability and relevance of IPTV – and in some cases may have watched programming without realizing its origin. IPTV vendors need to help educate potential audiences.

The survey also reveals that IPTV has relevance for bringing individuals and communities together by allowing and welcoming involvement from viewers. Since IPTV is hosted online, it is inherently interactive; allowing users to comment on programs, communicate with the video creators and other viewers, and to participate in dialog about the program. IPTV allows viewers to become engaged.

When asked what they thought about using an online method that would enable for two-way communications between individuals and local community groups, local government, or other personalized special interest groups, almost every respondent (97%) affirmed that this was a good idea.