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As OTT video viewing continues to climb in popularity, customers have revealed they still enjoy the convenience of watching streaming content on a bigger screen. The easier it is to stream content on a television set, the happier customers are.

According to a recent report from TDG, smart TVs are the most preferred streaming device, with 32 percent of OTT viewers preferring this device over others. In addition, 25 percent preferred using a game console, followed by options such as Internet set-top box and Internet stick.

Seamless experience

The study suggests the reason for the popularity of smart TVs is the ease of use. Other methods of streaming television introduce friction into the experience. For instance, users may need to switch remotes or manually switch inputs to get access to content from a streaming device. Smart televisions make it easy for viewers to quickly access what they want with little to no fuss.

This could be why Roku, which initially produced set-top boxes, is branching out further into smart television sets. The company launched its first smart TV a few years ago at the International Consumer Electronics Show. In fact, as Variety reported, Roku has sold 1 million smart TVs in the U.S. This year, it will introduce about 60 new models, including a 4K TV, which boasts an extremely high resolution.

"As streaming technology improves, customer expectations rise."

Other companies are seeking additional ways to improve ease-of-use around OTT streaming. Samsung just announced a new smart remote that will be able to control every device attached to one of its smart TVs, eliminating the need for multiple remotes.

All in all, OTT video viewing grows more sophisticated by the day. Although there are plenty of people who continue to watch on mobile phones and desktops, OTT viewing has come a long way from its meager origins.

Ease of use extends to payment

Technology is continuing to improve, which means customer expectations are on the rise. Along with the seamless viewing experience enabled by their smart TV, consumers want uninterrupted content as well. OTT streaming brands that fail to provide this will disrupt the viewing experience customers are trying hard to achieve by purchasing new tools and setups.

It's crucial for the growing number of streaming services to utilize a high-quality subscription billing partner to monetize their content. Payment issues can seriously disrupt the customer experience. It's crucial to work with a subscription billing vendor that offers retry logic to allow customers to continue service as long as possible. Customers quickly become frustrated when their service is disrupted for a reason that could be easily avoided, for instance, exceeding their credit limit. Implementing subscription billing with retry logic reduces this friction and substantially increases the success rate of transactions.

In the future, all users will be able to benefit from connected televisions with easy access to all the content they desire. OTT streaming brands need to make sure they keep up by offering user-friendly and accessible services.