Special Report: Intellect CE conference 2010
Digital opportunities T
Digital communications elude and excite in equal measure both consumers and industry operators. Has the Intellect CE conference managed to unravel this issue? asks Anna Ryland.
his year’s Intellect
conference was focused on the concept of digital connectivity in the home – the benefits, challenges and opportunities it presents to customers and industry operators who provide products and services for the ‘connected’ home. The selection of speakers reflected the complexity of this issue, which to a great extent still confuses the consumers in much the same way as the potential of the internet. The attitude of consumers to the internet and digital communication is that of “informed bewilderment” said Maggie Philbin, BBC journalist and the conference chair. All speakers agreed that the key factor in creating a digitally connected home is ensuring clarity of understanding and ease of use of digital products and services. Using them from the comfort of their homes (termed as ‘sofa moments’) customers will accept or reject them.
The omnipresence of digital communications is exemplified by the extensive network of Google’s services which connects 300 billion pages worldwide with variety of content. The devices that give people access to this vast pool of information are becoming increasingly sophisticated and powerful. “The potential of a connected phone is limited only by imagination,” said Kevin Mathers, industry head, technology, Google UK. Most information can now be captured and in a matter of seconds distributed over thousand of miles – as microphone becomes people’s voice and camera their eyes and they are increasingly keener to share it through social networks.
Meanwhile “radio needs to define where it’s heading, as it’s a strong medium but needs to grasp the digital opportunity,” argued Tim Davie, director of Audio &
14 The Independent Electrical Retailer August 2010
Music at the BBC. The importance of radio in people’s lives is clear: 91% of the population of listens to 21.8 hours of radio every week. The BBC share of this market is significant: 66% of the UK population listens to 16.5 hours of BBC broadcasts a week, and gives them a high score of 8.1. In fact the BBC commands a 56% share of radio market. Nevertheless the changes to the format and radio technology are inevitable, and future services will have to include FM, DAB and IP technologies. Also radio’s popularity will grow with linking it to different mediums. For example, people listening to a radio broadcast could be directed to BBC film documentary on this subject.
Also, full digital radio
coverage in the UK is a must. In 2011, the BBC is going to built 61 new transmitters which should improve the current situation, especially in
regard to the motorway coverage. It is expected to grow from 85% to 95% in 2011. Yet, the common standard for DAB radio still needs to be agreed and the radio industry looks to Digital Radio UK to provide leadership on this issue.
Home entertainment of the future Next Simon Caver, chief executive officer of LoveFilm, explained how this popular subscription entertainment rental business is making the transition to a digital format. LoveFilm is the number one operator in its field in Europe. It specialises in ‘classic film’ rentals, with £500 million income from its rental business and over 67,000 film titles on offer. Its service is fast evolving from disc rental to online rental, and is now taking a leadership role in the digital TV market. This new market opened a wide range of possibilities for both the users and commercial
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