December 12, 2008 - In last year's Little Book of Broadband Video, we sardonically described the growing popularity of online video by slightly altering the well-worn parental call for a shared moment in front of the living room TV: "Come on kids, gather round the laptop."
While tongue-in-cheek, the statement spoke to the growing popularity of online video viewing among all age groups (yes, even middle-aged parents are watching online video). Though factually correct, viewing online video remains socially distinct when compared to watching, say, DVDs on the TV. In this week's chart, we look at the experience of watching a DVD versus Online Video.
Online Video Viewers: All Alone, Naturally
Viewing online video is a far different kind of experience than most consumers are accustomed: it is lean-forward, face-to-screen viewing with extraordinary levels of interactivity required. It also entails a radically different social setting. Watching online video remains a highly-personalized experience: more than 70% of online video viewers above the age of 18 watch online video by themselves most of the time.
DVD Viewers: Bring on the Party!
DVD viewing, on the other hand, is very much a social activity: only one-third (30.8%) of respondents said they watched DVDs primarily by themselves, while two-thirds view DVDs in the company of others at least half of the time (44.4% 'equally by myself and with others' plus 22.7% 'mostly with others').
The Interpretation
- Online video viewing remains for the most part a solitary experience that takes place in front of - you guessed it - a PC monitor. It remains a 2-foot experience, failing to match the 10-foot experience of the living room TV.
- Not only does it take place in front of a PC monitor, an audience of one uses a mouse to navigate within a video environment that still smacks of the Internet. It is highly interactive, with the viewer constantly encouraged to wander off course to check out related content, an activity not well suited for group viewing. It takes the concept of 'hogging the remote' to an entirely new level! How often do you share a mouse?
- DVD viewing, on the other hand, takes place primarily in front of the TV in the comfort of one's living room. More often than not, it is an experience shared with friends or family. "I'm going to watch a new movie, want to join me?" Yes, on occasion we might not mind watching a DVD by ourselves, but this doesn't generally characterize the experience. In the end, DVD viewing remains primarily a 'do-with-others' kind of activity, better shared than not.
- Let's think more deeply about the concept of a 'shared' experience. Online video sharing already takes place pretty often - certainly too often for Hollywood. Yet linking video through sites like Facebook, Hulu, or YouTube (not to mention good, old-fashioned email!) is very different than sitting down with a friend to watch a movie on TV. This is not to say it isn't technically sharing, but it is substantively different from an in-person, real-time social experience.
Our understanding of 'sharing' a common viewing experience may be evolving, but it is not necessarily replacing the natural desire to be together. Some activities are just more enjoyable when you're sharing your time and company with someone else.
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