An IPSOS/Club Internet/Microsoft TV study conducted online on around 2,000 IPTV users in France last month has shown that over half (54%) have changed the way they view TV. The majority (70%) said that IPTV made watching TV more enjoyable and 61% like the way in which IPTV offers more control over when to view programmes. Furthermore, 43% found IPTV made viewing less passive than traditional TV.
The research was undertaken nine months after the launch of the Club Internet IPTV service. It found that 88% of the service’s subscribers, as opposed to 64% of other French IPTV platforms, used the EPG. There were also marked differences in the usage of PVRs (87% v 34%) and timeshifting (75% v 27%) in Club Internet’s favour.
France was one of the first countries in Europe to introduce IPTV services. They are currently offered by several companies, with the incumbent telco France Telecom alone claiming 577,000 subscribers at the end of 2006.