The user experience is becoming more and more critical for CE manufacturers, pay-TV providers, and content providers. In an era where virtually every device can stream the major content apps--Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), YouTube, Amazon Prime Instant Video (NASDAQ: AMZN) and others--a strong user experience can create compelling, competitive differentiation.

The user experience for content streaming is influenced by picture quality, content availability, broadband performance, and the ease and intuitiveness of navigating the user interface to find desired content, but content is first and foremost the main success factor. Consumers are more likely to use a less-friendly interface for the right content than an easy-to-use interface that does not provide access to desired content.

The user interface has a key role in defining the quality of the user experience, which in turn affects a consumer's overall perception of the product or service. The user interface is not only the connection between the device or service and the user--it is also the connection to the desired outcome, whether that is viewing content or managing smart home devices. The driving principle of a satisfactory user interface is economy of effort. The interface should be clean, simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate. Most importantly, the interface should provide a swift passage to content discovery and access with the fewest possible number of clicks, movements, or commands.

From the article "Kraus: Winning the consumer through user interfaces" by Barbara Kraus.

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