Home

Digital Project

By Mina Ha

Information

This is the digital project of BCM240 - Media, Audience, Space. I have to design, implement and evaluate a digital project on one of the ways that media audience research and spatial research can interact. The aim of this project is stimulating the discussion, and to demonstrate that I am familiar with research in this area.

information

How the Video On Demand (VOD), such as Netflix affect the loyalty of the television audiences to the television network

Background

Background

Television is a kind of must-have item for everyone’s home in this century There are developments of the television that we can find. In the past, people treat watching the television as a social activity. People will stick together and lay on the sofa to watch the television show. It is a sort of social interaction through the media. The media create a space for people to gathering around. After the media development, there is a new form of the television watching.

My research topic is about the television memories.

I am interested in how the media change this audience behaviour. Because of my interest of television and the curiosity, the research topic is led to focus on how the Video On Demand (VOD), such as Netflix affect the loyalty of the television audiences to the television network.

Netflix has increasingly been regarded as a disrupter in the TV ecosystem.

(Sharma, R. A., 2016).

Sharma, R. A. (2016). The Netflix Effect: Impacts of the Streaming Model on Television Storytelling.

It is the Video On Demand (VOD).

The definition of the VOD is that a programming system which allows the users selecting what they want to watch, such as the movie and the TV shows based on their choice.

It is not controlled by the traditional broadcast schedule. It extremely prevails in this century. Here is the picture below showing that the services of Netflix are over 190 countries. In April 2018, Netflix had 125 million total subscribers worldwide, including 56.71 million in the United States. (Netflix Investor Relations., 2018).

Netflix Investor Relations. (2018). Netflix Investor Relations | Netflix, Inc.. “Netflix Q1 18 Letter to shareholders". Retrieved July 6, 2018, from http://ir.netflix.com/static-files/419958ac-5fd7-4bcd-9fb1-ebca445a9016

While the file-sharing service BitTorrent once occupied 31% of the total Internet traffic in 2008, this year it occupied 5% of the total Internet traffic during the entire day.

(Lewontin, M., 2015).

People are more loyal to the television network after the rise of the VOD. In the past, people prefer to watch the movies or the TV shows through the online pirated copy, such as BitTorrent. The online article shows that the behaviour of the audience is changing.

Lewontin, M. (2015). CSMonitor.com. How streaming video has outpaced file-sharing across the globe.Retrieved July 1, 2018, from https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2015/1207/How-streaming-video-has-outpaced-file-sharing-across-the-globe

Methodology

For the research methodology, I would prefer to make use of the traditional ethnography as the research method.

For the traditional ethnography, I would like to have a face-to-face interview with someone who are the VOD users.

The interview question will focus on the users’ behaviour and their value of watching movies or TV shows.

Methodology

Interview

Interviewee:

35 years old, male

BBA degree background

Can you tell me your television memories of childhood?

when I was around 7 years old, i usually stick with my dad to watch the tv show, especially at the weekend. We watched the tv everyday during the dinner. It's like a family activity for us. We watched the soap drama everyday during the dinner time. At that time, there was not much choices for us. We only watched one channel. We mainly watched the tv show on the big, heavy television.

What kind of tv programme or movies that you watched?

I “loved” watching the soap drama with my family. I think it is not about the content of the show. It’s more like that I enjoy the moment of being together.

What would you and your family watch the shows /movies except watching on the old-tv?

We mainly watched it on the tv. My whole family sticked together in the living room and watch the tiny screen. Movie tickets is quite expensive, especially for a big family that have 5 childrens. We had a VCD player. We usually buy the VCD near the temple street market. When I was young, I lived in Yau Ma Tei. There were so many retail store selling the VCD. My dad always brought me to the store and pick some movies home. After a few years, I found that there are the pirated copy.

Have you watch the movies or the TV shows through the online pirated copy, such as BitTorrent in the past?

Yes for sure. when I was like secondary school student, the internet is very common. People can easily found the tv shows or the movie online. We didn't have to pay for it. We can go to BT and download the full version of movie and tv show without money. Although the quality wasn't very good, it was enough for the general public. Some movies are difficult to find it online. In the past, my friends and I would share what we download.

How frequency for you watch the online pirated copy?

At that time, the online pirated copy is very common between my generation. I think 80% of tv shows and movies that I watched are from the online pirated. 4-5 times a week.

How about your television watching habit now?

Actually, I don't watch the show or movie at the tv now. The tv is for my parent only. We turn on the tv and treat it as a background music for us. The tv programme is not attractive for us, even for my old family member . In Hong Kong, there are mainly two tv channel only. There is no much choice for the audience. I prefer to watch it online, such as Netflix. I cannot live without it. There are so many dramas and movies. I share the account with my family.

Are you use the Video On Demand (VOD) mainly?

Yes.

How frequency for you watch the programme through the VOD?

4-5 times a week maybe. I think that I become a accholic of this. It is so convience. I can watch it from the PC, laptop, smartphone and TV.

why? It is quite different than the past. That kind of VOD, such as Netflix is needed to paid.

In the past, my family cannot afford the price. Also, we did not care about the quality of the programme as much as now. As I mentioned, there were only 2-3 tv channel in the past. People did not have much choice. However, now is different. We have more choices. People can choose what they want to see. Although we need to pay for it, the quality is better than the past. We can have our own choice. That is the reason why I will not watch it through the online pirated copy now.

Interview

Findings

According to the interview, there are some findings shown that how the Video On Demand (VOD), such as Netflix affect the loyalty of the television audiences to the television network. It separated into 2 aspects, the price of the television experience and the quality of the life.

According to the interview, people did not have much choice based on the price of cinema tickets and paid service. People preferred using the online pirated more than the legal retail store in the past. After a significant development of the media, it is very common.

After a significant development of the media, people are get rid of the media inventions and experiences. They care more about the quality. Comparing the quality, people are willing to use the paid VOD service. This is the reason why people are more loyal to the television network.

Findings

Conclusion

The Video On Demand (VOD), such as Netflix effect people television watching behaviour a lot.

A Sandvine report found that the traffic for video and audio streaming services like Netflix in North America is soaring. Netflix alone accounts for a whopping 37.1% of streaming traffic. In the otherside, the file sharing for BitTorrent is in sharp decline. The traffic for BitTorrent dropped from 31% of total North American internet traffic in 2008 to a measly 5% this year. (Ibarra, R., 2015)

The report shows that there is a relationship between the uses of Video On Demand (VOD) and the audiences’ behaviour. After the interview, I found that the Video On Demand (VOD), such as Netflix affect the loyalty of the television audiences to the television network. It shows that people do not mind paying a monthly fee to have a better quality of video watching experience.

It separated into 2 aspects, the price of the television experience and the quality of the life.After a significant development of the media, people are get rid of the media inventions and experiences. They care more about the quality. Comparing the quality, people are willing to use the paid VOD service. This is the reason why people are more loyal to the television network.

Conclusion

Reference

Sharma, R. A. (2016). The Netflix Effect: Impacts of the Streaming Model on Television Storytelling.

Ibarra, R. (2015). NY Daily News. Retrieved July 24, 2018, from http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/netflix-killing-pirated-content-article-1.2458904