Blog articles from 01/2015

Since HBO’s late 2014 announcement that they would go direct to consumer, the TV industry has been abuzz. Speculation about the impact of the service has ranged widely, from those who see the service as a valuable tool to reach Millennials to those who see it as the beginning of the end for pay TV as we know it. This speculation was heightened in the past few days. As has been reported in several of the cited articles, a recent Parks Associates survey of 10,000 U.S. broadband...

As the Internet of Everything expands, the role of the home gateway is evolving. Over 80% of U.S. broadband households own a home network router, approximately two-thirds have an Internet-connected CE device (such as a smart TV, Blu-ray player, streaming media device, game console, or DVR), and 16% own at least one smart home device (such as a smart thermostat, door locks, or lighting). Parks Associates and Qualcomm recently co-hosted a complimentary industry webcast...

Google’s impending entry into the US wireless market as a Sprint and T-Mobile MVNO according to unconfirmed media reports has created quite a stir in the industry and the analyst community.  The potential implications for such a move can be profound and far-reaching.  Here is what we think of the announcement if the rumors are to be believed.   What is in it for Google? Google has a lot to gain from such a move.  Google already has a significant...

In a recent article for re/code , Parks Associates research revealed a potential loss of 6.8 million pay-TV subscribers when HBO's web-only subscription video service releases this year. Citing the results of the firm's most recent consumer study , author Peter Kafka  writes "if the people who respond to Parks’ survey actually follow through on their plans, then HBO’s new 'over the top' service will end up costing the pay-TV business around 7 million subscribers. That’s...

In keeping with its strategy to compete in the current OTT market, Amazon announced this month that it is adding original movies to its Amazon Studios productions. Currently, Amazon Prime Instant Video offers 7 original shows. In comparison, Netflix has 11 current original series, adopted and continued 5 series, produced 43 specials, miniseries, and films. Roy Price, the VP of Amazon Studios , said in their press release that the goal is to produce 12 movies a year. This increase...

So, Amazon is getting into the movie business . Here are three questions that I am hearing from folks in the industry about Amazon's announcement. Why is this announcement a big deal? Compared to many other players entering the original content space, Amazon is unique. Netflix , HBO , Hulu , and CBS all have (at least) one thing in common – their primary business is to provide interesting video content to consumers. In contrast, Amazon is a retail / CE maker...

The wave of smart products and smart home systems entering homes combined with the rapid introduction of software-based value-added services is out of sync with the slow and arduous utility pilot process. 2015 will bring innovation into the residential measurement and verification process. Data analytics based systems will provide tools such as disaggregation and weather normalization that can quantify savings for energy efficient products and services. Utilities need a measurement and...

This week, Parks Associates revealed new smart home research during the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Published in a new whitepaper, " The Connected Consumer: Top Trends in IoT ," the research reveals market predictions and early data for a number of verticals within the digital living space. Most notably, the firm forecasts that personalization, created through data analytics, unique interfaces, and targeted product features, will be the key factor in creating...