FAQs asked by potential buyers of Smart TVs

After smartphones and laptops, Smart TV is the 3rd most sold smart device in India. At the same time the opportunity for this device to grow is immense.

India has a little over 200 million households with a TV set. Additionally, there are commercial spaces like hotels, offices besides public places like airports, restaurants, etc., where TVs are installed. As per Techarc’s estimates, India has currently a little over 22 million Smart TVs installed base.

With several brands launching Smart TVs in affordable segments with screen size of 43 inch or less, along with fiber based broadband growth and adoption of OTT content, Smart TVs are increasingly becoming the primary choice. However, there is still limited understanding of Smart TVs among consumers, including potential buyers. The entire ecosystem needs to enable more information in different languages and formats for the buyers to understand the nuances of the Smart TV so that they could make informed decisions about the purchase and maximise the return on investment as well as the satisfaction.

Techarc randomly analysed 1,500 questions asked by potential buyers of Smart TVs across the country to understand their information needs which aren’t adequately addressed by the Smart TV OEMs as well as the enabling partners in the ecosystem.

Techarc Smart TV Buyer FAQs

Bluetooth: The buyers have several doubts about the Bluetooth connectivity in Smart TVs that they explore to buy. Some of the key queries about Bluetooth connectivity that buyers have include:

• If the Smart TV has Bluetooth connectivity
• The version of the Bluetooth
• Which all audio devices (TWS, Soundbar, etc.) can be connected
• If anything other than remote controller can be connected using the connectivity.

Close to 7% of the potential Smart TV buyers from the sample questions analysed have queries about Bluetooth connectivity.

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Wall Mounting: Over 6.5% of the potential Smart TV buyers have queries about wall mounting. With most of the users preferring to hang their Smart TVs (especially of screen sizes 43 inches and less), they buyers want no ambiguity and surprises only to be discovered after the purchase. Some of the main questions are:

• If the wall mounting unit will be provided with the Smart TV.
• If wall mounting done by anyone other than authorised representatives will impact warranty.
• Would there be any charges for wall mounting.
• How convenient is it to use the ports (HDMI, etc.) at the back of the TV after wall hanging.

Display: Viewing experience is one of the main concerns that determines a Smart TV purchase. Though buyers have started also inquiring about the audio experience, but the primary area of concern still remains the display. The main queries that buyers have regarding Smart TV display are:

• The type and quality of panel.
• Refresh rate of the screen.
• Brightness of the display.
• FHD or HD.
• If its QLED.
• Does it support 4K videos.

5% of the potential buyers of Smart TV have questions around display. Either the information provided is inadequate, or not easily comprehendible for the buyers.

Installation and App Store related queries are the two other areas which make to the top 5 questions that potential buyers have around Smart TVs.

Regarding installation, the queries are around timings, readiness and any if there are any additional charges to be paid for the installation.

The app store concerning questions include if there exists an app store, what kind of apps can they find there, do they have all their favourite OTT apps there, etc.

The other worth noting questions that are there in the minds of potential buyers are regarding the following:

• If the Smart TV can be used for Gaming or for some particular games.
• If the Smart TV can be connected to a Smartphone for connecting to a 4G mobile network.
• The quality of the audio output. Here buyers are also looking for Dolby enabled Smart TVs specifically.
• The dimensions including weight of the Smart TV.
• Country of Origin of the Smart TV.
• What kind of power protection is required.
• If there is a remote controller provided.
• If the Smart TV can be controlled with voice command.
• Can external storage like SD Cards, USB Drives and Hard Disks be connected with Smart TVs.

Techarc Recommendations

Basis the analysis of the questions that potential buyers of Smart TVs have while exploring various options to buy, Techarc has the following recommendations for the Smart TV OEMs and other enablers.

• The page contents need to be aligned with the queries that buyers have. The general tendency here is to give prominent positioning to the hero feature or specification, while users might still be looking for basics.
• The layout of the page and format of the contents provided need to be revised and made reader friendly. The objective should be to encourage readers to read and absorb all information rather than only ensuring providing all the information.
• Its to be remembered that Smart TVs, especially in affordable segment are purchased in non-metro as well. Therefore, concerns about power protection, serviceability, etc., also need to be addressed in communications besides amplifying hero features like voice command controlled, 4K resolution, etc.
• The communication and outreach around Smart TVs need to be educative in nature where potential buyers could also learn about various technical jargons rather than only getting aware about them being available in a particular brand or model.
• There is a need to have regional content in different formats also to make people aware about Smart TVs, their applications, use cases, etc., more effectively.

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