Downloaded Videos Receive Low Marks from Consumers

Few US consumers are satisfied with the videos they download from the Internet - just 16 percent say the selection online is very good, and only 13 percent say video downloads are sold at a reasonable price - according to a new survey from market research firm Parks Associates, MarketingCharts reports (via DealerScope).

Moreover, fewer than one in five consumers downloading video say they plan to download videos again in the future. The study refers to video downloading, not streaming or embedded videos.

According to the study:

• 21 percent of video downloaders said they are satisfied with the videos they download.
• 14 percent say the quality of video downloads is usually very bad.
• 19 percent say they plan to download videos in the future.
• 13 percent say the price of videos sold as downloads is reasonable.

Consumers generally download video from one of two sources: peer-to-peer networks that offer unauthorized copies of TV programs and films, or licensed online services like iTunes. Low satisfaction levels might be expected for the former, because their quality and reliability are generally low. Yet even consumers who exclusively use legitimate services are unhappy with the experience:

“People don’t see a reason to use video downloading services,” said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. “Sure, it saves a trip to the video store, but it takes longer, looks worse, and you end up watching it on a 17″ screen. No wonder consumers are dissatisfied with the experience.”