Reinventing the IPTV Remote

“We do see more and more people connecting their PCs to the TV because there is so much content on the Web today, and they are sick of paying for cable when they can get it free,” Addis said. “We think there will be a market for a Loop remote control that is designed to enable that experience.”

As the home network gets more complex, there also is a significant opportunity for a company to make a simple-to-program universal remote, said Jonathan Hurd, director at Altman Vilandrie & Co. The Harmony 8800, a rechargeable remote with LCD screen, comes close, but it is still clumsy for the typical user to program.

“A great remote is one I can pick up and use in the dark and possibly without even looking at it,” Hurd said. “If you have to look down at the remote to find volume or figure out the mute button, which is a real problem on mine, you are looking away from the screen.”

Apple uses its patented simple iPod design to control its OTT device, Apple TV, but what the software company does particularly well is tie that simplified remote to a powerful visual user interface (UI), Hurd said. By doing that, consumers don't even have to look at the remote control to use it. There may be more menus to navigate than usual, but the browsing experience is something telcos can learn from.

“One thing that Apple has taught us about the user interface is it's the combo of the device and the application that the device is controlling that is important,” Hurd said. “With an interactive program guide or [video-on-demand] interface, the remote and that interface have to work well together to be truly a great experience.”

Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst for Parks & Associates, agreed that the linear, grid-based electronic program guide (EPG) is the first element that will go through significant changes in the next two to five years. How it evolves will dictate what the device will look like. He also said that most operators are used to remote controls costing $2 or $3 each. Integrating any next-generation technologies, such as free-motion or touch-screen capabilities, would raise the price point to a level they might not be willing to absorb or pass along to their customers. More likely an operator will make a recommendation on its Web site, guiding consumers to Best Buy or another outlet where they can purchase that type of remote, if interested.

“With free motion or touch screen, if we don't see a dramatic change in EPG, the standard remote with up, down, side-to-side buttons and a ‘select’ feature in the middle, which is really common, will stay the same,” Scherf said.

The remote control clearly is a market still in its early stages, but one with the potential to revolutionize IPTV viewing. As content proliferates and telcos exploit the capabilities of IP pipes, increasingly intuitive and compelling user interfaces will dictate if the industry is ready to break the remote control mold.

“In an IP network, the possibilities are boundless, but you need a UI that can enable the viewer and the consumer to extract the value of the services,” Addis said. “Without the right UI, it all gets lost.”