Conviva Leadership
Press Release
Data reveals that viewer expectations for streaming quality are outpacing improvements made by online video publishers in 2013
SAN MATEO, CA—March 31, 2014—Conviva, the leader in video analytics, delivery optimization and big data processing, today released its 2014 Viewer Experience Report, detailing the state of online video streaming performance across multiple devices. The report is based on global data from 45 billion video streams, seen across more than 1.6 billion individual devices and on more than 400 premium media video players, analyzed throughout 2013.
Key report findings include:
State of the Streaming Industry
Despite modest improvements in the quality of performance of streaming video, viewer expectations continue to increase at a much faster pace. In the past two years, the amount of time lost from a viewing session with a 1% buffering increase, grew from three to eight minutes, showing that viewers were much more tolerant of video playback problems just two years ago than they are today.
In 2013, based on Conviva data:
- Video buffering decreased from 39.3% to 26.9%
- Low-resolution delivery improved from 63% to 43.3%
- More than two in five views were grossly inferior video quality
- Video start failures increased to one in twenty times
Impact of Quality by Content Genre
According to Conviva’s metrics, viewing time for live action television plummets from over 40 minutes in HD to just one minute if the viewer encounters buffering. High definition delivery for sports and entertainment is a critical component for success; viewers watch over two and a half times as long in high definition than in standard definition.
“The demand for high quality and minimal buffering across devices has clearly been demonstrated by viewers,” stated Hui Zhang, CEO and co-founder of Conviva. “Our job, and that of our industry, is to ensure we improve performance at a rate that offers satisfaction rather than frustration. Conviva’s Video Experience Report offers insight for companies to identify where they need to improve.”
Multiscreen Turning Primetime Viewing into a Solo Activity
Conviva data shows that connected devices are starting to reshape the experience of television during what has traditionally been family viewing time. A study of streaming households (measured by distinct IP address) shows that the number of concurrent streaming devices has increased by 28% year-over-year. This fragmentation of the viewing audience is a clear indicator that the old measurement of “television households” needs to change and new metrics for today’s TV viewing need to be adopted.
Online Viewing Is a Multiscreen Proposition
Conviva data suggests that consumers are embracing the multiscreen video lifestyle, using different screens throughout the day. The preferred device of choice changes from:
- 6-10:00AM: Mobile devices – 6.9% of all video streamed daily
- Noon-4:00PM: PC – 16.3% of all video streamed daily
- 7-11:00PM: TV – 36.6% of all video streamed daily
“Some companies are doing a great job delivering high-quality video to all screens, but many are not minimizing buffering while maintaining video quality,” warned Colin Dixon, founder and chief analyst of nScreenMedia. “In those instances, one bad viewing experience on a single device puts all screens at risk. Continuity of quality across screens is very important.”
The findings in the Viewer Experience Report are critical for online video providers who are investing in their 2014 digital media strategies. The complete Viewer Experience Report can be downloaded directly from Conviva at www.conviva.com/VXR.
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About the Viewer Experience Report
The 2014 Viewer Experience Report highlights trends extracted from data provided by the 45 billion streams that Conviva analyzed across customers, geographies and devices in 2013. These streams were seen across more than 1.6 billion individual devices – including tablets, smartphones, PCs and connected TVs – and on more than 400 premium media video players. Recording detailed, real-time information on each and every viewer’s experience during every viewing session, Conviva data offers an unparalleled view into the habits of streaming video viewers and more importantly, the direct correlation between video quality and its impact on the business of online video providers.
About Conviva
Conviva’s Intelligent Control Platform enables online video providers to deliver a TV-quality experience over the Internet. This real-time big data processing platform utilizes advanced algorithms to give content publishers control over video delivery, helping them analyze, identify and preemptively avoid bottlenecks and breakdowns in a complex and fragile Internet delivery environment. Conviva’s global customer base includes premium entertainment, news, sports and media brands, as well as leading service providers in 180 countries. Conviva is based in Silicon Valley, with offices in New York and London.
