Why Netflix when we can download: Only 23 percent Indians show inclination to pay for video streaming

Vuclip, a mobile video on demand (VOD) service for emerging markets, has released its Global Video Insights Report for the year 2015, comparing developing markets such as India with developed markets in terms video consumption behaviour of users. The insights are a result of an online survey of 4600 users across six developing (India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, UAE and Philippines) and four developed (USA, UK, Singapore and Australia) markets. The survey insights fall under the four broad categories of OTT VOD service features that viewers consider important, device preference, types of video content consumed and video consumption behaviour in terms of preference to stream or download. OTT VOD service features that viewers consider important - Freshness of content (65%) as well as variety in content catalogue considered most important by Indian viewers. Indian viewers lay greater emphasis on video quality (30%) as against those in developed nations (23%). - 23% of viewers in India view buffering as a key inhibitor to video consumption on smartphones. Hence they have indicated their preference for OTT VOD services which deliver on the promise of providing them an unbuffered viewing experience. - While the need to have a smooth user interface is important across all markets, Indian viewers have shown unique preferences for features that help them download videos (56%) and that give them the autonomy to select video streaming quality (52%). Device Preference for Video Consumption - Smartphones are the most preferred device for personal video consumption in both the markets, while PC/ laptops are used more for video viewing with family and friends in India. - Viewers across markets are showing an increased preference to consume video content on smartphones with larger screen sizes. The majority of the mobile video viewing in developed markets takes place on smartphones in the five inches+ category while in India, this happens on smaller devices, typically in the 4.6 -5 inches range. - The proportion of smartphone and PC/Laptop owners watching videos on these devices (55% for both) in India is slightly above that of developed markets (52% and 50% respectively). -  Frequency of viewing television in India is significantly higher than in developed nations with 87% respondents choosing the TV as a preferred device for entertainment with family members as against 72% in developed markets. Type of video content consumed across devices - 91% viewers who participated in the survey indicated that in addition to live broadcast, they preferred the television for long form consumption such as films and videos with run time of more than ten minutes. Only 33% of smartphone users in India use the device to view such content. - 85% viewers in India consume short form video content (run time of under ten minutes) on smartphones as against 71% on laptops. User generated content (UGC) is consumed more on smartphones (28%) than on laptops (20%). - Comedy is a universal favorite across developed and developing markets with nearly 60% viewers showing their preference to consume videos in this genre. Video consumption behaviour - Unlike developed markets wherein usage of WiFi and mobile networks for accessing mobile internet is proportionate (51% and 49% respectively), mobile network usage is significantly higher (65%) in India. This can be attributed to lesser number of free WiFi zones. This is the reason why video consumption while travelling is considerably higher in India (56%) as compared to developed nations (46%). - Conversely, propensity to stream videos is much higher in developed nations as compared to developing nations such as India owing to better network connectivity. In India, laptops are used both to stream (30%) and download (70%) while smartphones are largely preferred for streaming (65%) only on account of limited storage space. Streaming over a WiFi connection is however the most preferred on account of a better viewing experience. - Downloads via torrent are dominant in India as compared to download through other subscription based websites. Propensity to purchase videos is significantly higher in developed nations (52%) compared to India (23%). - One third of the users in India remove the downloaded content the same day they view it indicating the prevalence of ‘Pseudo streaming’ on account of limited storage space.