Watching TV is not supposed to be hard. It should be pleasurable, but the industry has tied itself in knots as content and platforms fragment then coalesce in the shift to streaming.
“It's easy to overstate the problems that consumers face,” says Tom Price, Director of Content Distribution at Roku. “A lot of the work we’ve done in surveys and focus groups tell us that consumers feel they've never had it so good. They've got access to all of this great content, from extremely high production value drama series to niche creator videos that they can watch on whatever device they want whenever they want.
“They've also got increasingly sophisticated televisions. It's not like they’re having to jerry-rig cables, screens and devices as before. It's all starting to merge. With that said, it’s not quite working together properly yet. It still can be a little clunky to find the show you want and there's that paradox of choice where the sheer amount of possible things to watch can be overwhelming.
“These are challenges that Roku is working on. How do you offer consumers vast choice but simplify it and help them find the right content?”
You are not signed in
Only registered users can read the rest of this article.
Content Everywhere: Accelerators for change
Content Everywhere companies are already in planning mode for this year’s IBC. Some will also have been working on, or at least taking note of, projects included in the event’s Accelerator programme.
Why media networks are being rewired for the speed of light
The elimination of OB trucks is just the start of the light revolution. For the media industry, a rewiring of the transport network from electrons to photons promises to unlock AI driven production, immersive formats, and globalised workflows while dramatically cutting energy consumption.
Q-Stream Alpha: Prioritising trust when the network can’t be trusted
As the industry navigates a storm of content authenticity threats, the Q-Stream Alpha: The "Tactical Truth" Pipeline Accelerator seeks to deploy AI, ML, and post-quantum encryption to apply C2PA principles within live workflows.
KICK: Writing the rules of high-altitude immersive production
From camera placement and viewer comfort to movement, pacing and post-production, the French Alps-set KICK provided Altitude101 with a unique opportunity to test, challenge and refine the methods shaping its immersive storytelling.
Sheffield DocFest: “We need to be more weird”
Funding remains a puzzle, but the documentary and factual entertainment genres are thriving at Sheffield Documentary Festival.
.jpg)

.jpg)
