What do viewers in Central and Eastern Europe want and expect from Ultra HD services?
While this seems like an impossible question to answer, fascinating insights into the attitudes of those in the region’s two largest TV markets – Russia and Poland – were revealed in a presentation at this week’s Connected TV Summit in London.
Focused on the findings of a study undertaken by Eutelsat in partnership with TNS and Samsung that looked at seven European markets, including Russia and Poland, in the period 2014-2015, it showed some interesting differences between those markets.
In Russia, for instance, viewers were willing to pay between €1,300-€1,400 for a screen, while in Poland the figure was below €1,500. Russian viewers also wanted a screen size below 46 inches, and Polish ones below 50 inches.
While the latter was broadly in line with the preferences in the other markets researched (France, Germany, Italy, the UK and Turkey), the former contrasted most with the UK, where viewers were willing to pay between €3,600 – €5,700 for an Ultra HD screen.
Participants in the study were divided into two groups, with the first being pay-TV and second free TV users. When it came to how much the former were willing to invest in Ultra HD on top of their monthly subscription, those in Poland said €2.5 a month and in Russia €1-€5.
Free TV viewers in Poland expressed no preference, while those in Russia said they would be willing to pay €10 a month for Ultra HD content.
By way of comparison, pay-TV users in Germany were willing to pay up to €30 a month and those in the UK a dedicated subscription plus €4 for VOD.
When asked about their ideal format for receiving Ultra HD, Polish users as a whole stated a first preference for VOD and pay-per-view, then a subscription.
They also liked the idea of one premium dedicated channel or linear bundle and identified nc+ or HBO as possible providers.
On the other hand, pay-TV users in Russia expressed a preference for subscription, while free TV users favoured pay-per-view.
Ultra HD services are gradually being introduced into Central and Eastern Europe and providers would be wise to take into account viewers’ preferences, such as those expressed in Poland and Russia, before launching their services.