Scientists call it the Paradox of Choice: more choice can make the experience less pleasing and even unpleasing. If you know what you want to watch, you whizz through the application of your favourite VOD service and watch content that just hits the spot. But deciding for the entire family is a more daunting task. And let’s be honest, sometimes (or often?) the couch potato in all of us takes over and any required initiative to choose content is too much.

So how will VOD services help us choose? VOD services such as Netflix or social media have a clear answer. They are spending fortunes on analyzing who we are, what we like and where we are watching, to suggest content that is new, similar, popular or of our favourite genre. They suggest that we continue watching series we have already started. And yet, they lose the couch potato, by requiring them to make a decision.

The real desire of the couch potato is that the service starts playing content. And this is the opportunity to make the content as relevant as possible. Combine the suggestion engines with the viewing behaviour, with a curated playlist compiled by experts, but also switch dynamically with live broadcasts, content that the viewer loves, maybe the news, maybe the popular talent show. Make it behaves like a playlist, and even shows promotions or commercials. Remember that if the couch potato wants to take control, it is only one click away.

We are all decisive at one time, and more laid back at another, but this illustrates that a dynamic ‘linear’ playlist combined with VOD content is the best of both worlds.

Michel Beke,
SVP Product Strategy @ MEDIAGENIX

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