Smart TVs in India: Crisis of Acceptability

Smart TVs seem to be the favor of the day – in context of the TV market. Look closely at the recently introduced TV models – almost all have Smart features – and almost all have the tag “Smart TV” attached to them. The TV makers – LG, Samsung, Sony and the other players as well – are introducing more and more Smart TV models – and sparing no effort in marketing them to the users.

Considering a market like India, where the general user is not even aware of the nuances of High Definition, successful acceptance of Smart TVs remains a matter of surmise and speculation. Then how come these multi-billion dollar companies, that have the best market research machinery at their disposal, are insisting on introducing a still more advanced technology? What exactly is amiss in the picture?

I follow a number of India focused tech websites and forums, and almost all of the users their seem to have very “anti” Smart TV stance – mostly out of the belief that the time is not yet ripe for Indian buyers to understand the concept of Smart TVs, and most will not be able to afford it anyway. Some users are more uncharitable in their remarks – and pose doubts as to the very raison d’être of Smart TVs. And mind you, the users on these sites are quite tech savvy. If this is the opinion that Smart TVs inspire among tech savvy users, what will be the case with the general users?

Here is my theory: The Smart TV makers are counting on Indian market to make the same leap of technology that it made years ago – when a scenario of extremely low telephone penetration was almost overnight replaced with a different picture – a cell phone in almost every hand. The Indian market did not follow the global model of gradual increments in tele-density – it made a straight jump from a primitive telephonic system to an advanced system – and the users accepted that. Today, looking at the India telecom market, a casual observer will never believe that a huge majority of cell phone user NEVER subscribed to a traditional landline phone – simply because the infrastructure was not there!

I am sure that a similar scenario is attracting the Smart TV marketers in horde – that the India users – or at least – large, relevant segments of the buying population – will appreciate the virtues of a Smart TV, and back it up with their wallets.

I think there is another development that may give them hope – the dramatic adoption and acceptance of smartphone by the Indian users. It just goes on to prove that the Indian users are savvy enough to understand the importance of latest applications, and use it effectively. Perhaps, the same feat will be repeated in the case of Smart TVs too.

Another reason for the enthusiastic marketing push for Smart TV can be explained by the emergence of the Four-Screen Strategy – about which I wrote in my previous post. The technology market has been certainly prepping up itself towards the goal of integrating the four screens, namely – Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and PCs. The recent product launches also bear witness to the fact that tech companies are actually implementing this strategy – either consciously or by default.