There is an insatiable hunger for more video on the web and this study, commissioned by Nielsen for NCTA, confirms that fact. And while interesting to know, the fact that there is more video on the web than ever before seems to make the above conclusion seem way too obvious. Of course usage is up!
The fact is that most content available on the web today is short-form, snack-size bites, to feed that viewing hunger. It would be more interesting to learn when during the day this video is consumed and what the preferred length of a video on the web was viewing. I recall in the VOD universe, most free on-demand viewing occurred outside the prime time window, and most longer content, i.e. movies, tended to be watched during prime time. In the case of broadband video, it would be interesting to learn what percentage is viewed during the work day, and what percentage in other dayparts. And will that information, which I am assuming will show a disproportionate amount of viewing during the day, cause companies to restrict the viewing of video on company computers.
While better navigation and search are imperative to user satisfaction, how user behavior changes with the advent of longer video on the web will also be interesting to analyze. The convergence of the web with the cable box and the ability to move or stream content to a preferred viewing device, tv vs. pc, may be necessary to lead that behavioral change.
