Apple TV users gives high marks to the set-top box’s user interface

New research from Parks Associates finds 70% of US broadband households with a major video service consider its user interface (UI) to be good, with 48% rating it “very good,” and these scores impact their willingness to recommend the service to others. Apple TV owners give high marks to the set-top box’s UI.

Parks Associates says that analysis of consumer responses reveals quality of the UI and the ease of finding content are the most likely factors to drive willingness to recommend a video service.

“User interfaces are a key factor driving satisfaction for OTT services, and Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon – the big three in OTT streaming – have largely set the standard for content navigation and ease of use,” says Kristen Hanich, senior analyst, Parks Associates. “Other services have had to follow similar structures established by these three, but as new OTT services launch with greater and greater expectations, innovations in UIs could be an even greater differentiator contributing to their success or failure.”

The research group reports that one-fifth of households cancelling an OTT subscription cited an inability to find something to watch as a factor.

“Consumers are interested in finding particular shows or genres of content and have less interest in browsing by channel,” Hanich says.

Additional data shows:

• Seventy percent of consumer electronics purchasers said ease of use is a “very important” purchase consideration.

• When searching for something to watch, 12% of OTT users consider recommendations from the service as their first step.