What Display Daily thinks: The streaming wars are kind of upon us but not quite. They will, no doubt, include greater degrees of interactivity, and the obligatory inclusion of gaming features. The commitment to be both is likely to change region by region. So, what’s that got to do with the price of fish or TVs?
TVs are still pretty dumb. They really lack the spark of user experience, relying solely on their looks.
So, what do you need to make the TV experience better?
You could start with more responsiveness. And it’s not enough to tout refresh rates or support for VRR, you need an OS and core functions to be fast. That means that the user experience is instantaneous, and responsive, and menus update in a fraction of a second, and the user doesn’t feel like they are working on outdated, outgunned hardware.
TV OS’s are fine. They work. But, they are slow and plodding and designed for display company management and not display users.
Do people resent having to buy a TV with an OS and interface of its own and then having to buy a streaming box or stick to get the services and performance they need? Well, I do.
Here’s a good start: if you are sending out a TV with a remote that has numbers on it, like you would need to put in channel numbers, for example, you may have stolen my grandfather. We thought we lost you gramps, but I am glad that you are happy and safe, and designing TVs somewhere in Asia. Now, come home, grammy has Roku and uses it by touch alone because she can’t see the numbers anymore, even if they meant something.
Disney Mulling Shopping, Gaming Features for Disney+ Streaming Service
According to a report in Variety this week, Disney is considering adding new shopping and gaming experiences to its Disney+ streaming platform as a way to open up additional advertising opportunities.
In an interview, Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising Sales, hinted that a presentation Disney has planned for CES 2024 in Las Vegas on January 10th will reveal “what the next level of ad innovations will be” for the company.
The move comes as competition for streaming advertising dollars is intensifying, with Amazon Prime Video preparing to launch an ad-supported tier in early 2024 and Netflix rolling out new ad products like QR code sponsorships.
Since introducing an ad-supported option on Disney+ last year, Ferro told Variety that Disney has quickly expanded its advertiser base from 100 initial sponsors to over 1,000 globally. The ad-supported tier has also proven popular with subscribers, accounting for 50% of new Disney+ sign-ups.
