1. PRIMARY ENGAGEMENT

​

Channel 100

• Users have become habituated to skipping ads across various platforms. Any interruptions that hinder the overall viewing experience are generally not liked. 

• On any given day, each time user switches off and then turns on the STB again, since the Welcome page repeats the same content/advertisements it is annoying for all users. In such cases, 

• If the Set-top box could instead resume from the last viewed channel, it might be preferred more

• Alternatively, repetition of the same promotional content throughout the time could be avoided.  

• If the Welcome could allow personalization of the user’s journey by enabling relevant or targeted content/ advertisement, it will be appreciated by users.

​

Users’ content viewing behaviors 

• Dedicated users rarely explore beyond their preferred channels; the usage is thus limited to very few features and keys. Any significant improvements and changes in user interface and navigation will thus not majorly impact this section of users.

• Random browsing isn’t a common behavior among TV users, this could be attributed to factors that users have personalized screens within their reach and could directly surf through their preferred media and online platforms. 

​

Channel Navigation

• The majority of users are navigating to other channels with the help of banners or alphanumeric keys. This could be due to the reason that users prefer either direct shortcuts like channel numbers or surfing through banners having reached a channel of choice. This is because users claim that it causes minimal interference with the ongoing viewing experience. 

• Guide as a feature is not used to its maximum potential due to several factors like information-display lags and longer navigation loops.  

• It was also observed during field interactions that trying to know what’s playing on other channels is most often a parallel activity. So not every time do users completely switch while browsing for information regarding what’s playing on other channels. 

• Dedicated viewers hardly explore or browse for content elsewhere when their preferred shows are on.

• If favorite channels are not set and this button is pressed “No Service Found” appears on the screen. Because of this, users often perceive that this function might not be available on their Set Top Box. It would be best if the user is instead given correct information about the button  and educated about steps for setting up their favorite channel

• Personalization of “favorite’ as a feature for different user profiles in a household can be an interesting feature to consider.

​

EPG

• The purpose of Guide isn’t explored to its maximum as users perceive TV viewing with a set frame of mind and don't dig into the plethora of information and options that it provides. While the transition from analog to digital has happened, it hasn’t really changed consumer behavior, as users, especially older folks, still, stick to the concept of switching rather than browsing channels.

• If the guide list/ contents could be personalized by the user as per his or her viewing habits and preferences, it would not help better the navigation experience but would become imperative to the TV viewing experience.  

• In this digital age, where everything is available at a click and patience level is decreasing, instant gratification has become a necessity. Users do not want to go through a lot of steps and seek the fastest shortcut.

• The amount of time that information of channels takes to load during the initial startup, might be forcing users to adapt to other ways of navigation, i.e using specific channel numbers. The same is also true when one keeps moving from genre to genre by going through channels one by one. 

• Going through unsubscribed channels and duplicated channels turn out to be an unpleasant experience for users, especially younger users who instead end up resorting to other platforms that enable direct and quicker choice and selection of content. This could be avoided. 

• For HD subscribers, if duplication could be particularly avoided for channels that have HD versions it would enhance user experience during browsing through the channel lists.

• The use of contextual buttons in order to enhance the experience and navigation is not being explored to its potential, if this information is clear to users they might end up using this feature more and efficiently. 

• While users do not have strong opinions on the look and visual appeal of the EPG interface. it must not be assumed that there isn't a need for a clearer and earlier navigation interface. The unsaid, undefined needs become apparent when the experiences of users are assessed; for example, colors, layouts, sizes of bars, fonts, and information displays all have an impact on how something is visually perceived.

​

2. SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT

​

Info and Setting Reminder through Info:

• In order to get info about a particular program or movie, pressing another button seems like a tedious process and seems like an extra step. Contrarily,  D-pad buttons are more intuitive as a user can see an instant output on the screen with a single click of the button. 

• It’s not limited to information that users seek and rely on nowadays, the review culture- digging a little deeper for info by checking the reviews and ratings of other users- is more prevalent among users.

• The function of reminder is becoming redundant in the context of TV Viewing as most users are dedicated users and switch on their TV for specific purposes. In the case of new movies and interesting events, the advertisements are anyway bombarded at viewers across channels, which anyway diminishes the need for ‘reminder’ as a function.

​

​Audio Language change:

• As dedicated users and selective browsers stick with their preferred programs, which are most often than not in the language of their preference- frequent language change is thus not required. It might be better to just set the language as per-user profiles, at the time of profile setups. This will help avoid going through the same process repeatedly, saving users time.

​

​Organizer:

• Since Organizer is not much-used/ frequently used for fixing or changing settings, it might as well be a part of the guide page itself instead of its provision as a dedicated button. This will help to crease unnecessary complexity. 

​

​Help: 

• Understanding of this feature is quite misleading due to its name (Help)  and users rely more on their personal devices to access account information.

• The help button is unfriendly both in terms of understanding and time-lapse in loading, this hampers user experience and causes frustration among impatient users.

​

​Record: 

• Recording partially bridges the gap between traditional TV viewing and current personalized content consumption. Recordings are becoming a personal digital library for users. 

• The ability to pause a live program and resume goes well with the current unpredictable lifestyle of the users and hence it is an appreciated feature.

​

​Transfer: 

• The basic understanding of internet connection within the set-top box is low and transferring the content to other devices seems like a major step for users. Users clearly do not have a need for this feature as such, owing to several factors covered in an earlier section. 

• There is a communication gap between users and service executives as the majority of users are unaware of several secondary features; wherein executives could have a greater role to play in transferring knowledge to users.

​

3. TERTIARY ENGAGEMENT

​

• Today, ideas of lifestyle and experiences are changing with regard to entertainment. Besides SEC A, increasingly younger SEC B users also don’t mind spending on experiences and would rather prefer to spend on content viewing elsewhere (Platforms, theatre, etc) than on TV set-top services. 

• An increase in personalization and convenience is further altering behavior, users- especially millennials- would rather spend and watch content as and when, and however, it fits well into their daily schedules as opposed to being restricted by a platform like a Showcase that offers limited options and is a timeslot bound. Customization- choose and play as per the time that suits a user’s need- can go a long way, if it could be made possible. 

• VoD doesn’t seem to be lucrative as a service; users prefer to buy/stream on platforms accessible on their personal devices rather than paying the same amount for buying movies on Tata Sky on Demand. Moreover, dated/old content further pushes users away from this service. 

• The usage of web apps seems to be inconvenient on TV and defies its original intent; users have much quicker and more convenient access to content via personalized screens.

• The merits of tertiary services need thorough assessment in line with the changing user behaviors. Features that are almost redundant need to be evaluated- are they just adding to the information overload and baggage without any great value addition?