Smart TV channels a sense of frustration

"I haven't watched TV at home for almost five years." The same sentiment is a true portrayal of many Gen-Zers today. In the past when entertainment options were limited, TV dominated. Nowadays, computers, mobile phones and tablets, all of which offer more content, have overtaken TV in the viewing stakes.

"Watching less or not watching TV is the inevitable result of the diversification of entertainment for young people. The programs offered by the major TV stations is increasingly unable to meet the needs of young people, and a few minutes of advertisements are added at every turn, making it difficult to compete with mobile phones and tablets," says Li Dadi at Haige Business Watch, a public WeChat account dedicated to business analysis.

The phenomenon mirrors a plunge in traditional TV sales in recent years. A report by All View Cloud, a data analysis company, says domestic TV sales in 2020 was 44.5 million units, down 9.1 percent year-on-year; and sales revenue was 120.9 billion yuan ($19.1 billion), down 11.7 percent.

However, not watching traditional TV does not mean not using the actual set. The current development of smart TV is not just a tool for watching programs on the box. The three major video content providers, Tencent Video, iQiyi and Youku, have all launched TV applications. People can also cast the content of their mobile phones onto the TV at any time. Leaning on the sofa and watching a 55-inch big screen is still much more comfortable than lying on the bed with a 6.1-inch mobile phone.

All View Cloud expects growth for smart TV globally. Their statistics show that TCL (a major Chinese TV brand) shipped 11.4 million such units globally in 2020, a year-on-year increase of 13.6 percent. In terms of profit, the revenue of internet TV in 2020 totaled 12.1 billion yuan.

However, compared with the rapid development and profit growth of internet smart TV, complaints about a decline in service experience has come to light.

A woman's rant over her newly bought TV set echoed across Chinese social media recently. In her video, posted on Douyin, she says most people watching TV now are elders, and a TV cannot be turned on without two remote controls at least. After she finally turned it on, advertisements popped up and lasted for more than 10 seconds. The various charging apps, all required to be purchased to allow for viewing, made the experience worse. Without a VIP membership, there came another 70-second advertisement before she could finally watch a proper TV series. "I miss the simple TV set of my childhood," she lamented.