The Online Reporter recounted ARRIS CTO, CPE, Charles Cheevers’ comments on virtual reality (VR) at last month’s INTX show, noting that early adopters will seize on VR headsets and drive bandwidth demand. Cheevers also noted that VR could be the main driving force behind the need for all things gigabit.
According to a recent report by IHS Research, the number of connected audio-visual devices globally exceeds 8 billion, reported Rapid TV News. The report also found that Netflix secured a presence on 339 million devices as of year-end 2015, and that smartphones outnumbered tablets by five to one.
Facebook predicted that its platform will be mobile in five years and will consist almost entirely of video, a notion supported by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, reported Quartz. Facebook has already begun to promote video over purely text posts in its algorithm, a trend the company insists is user-driven and will continue.
Multichannel News reported on a recent study by Parks Associates, which found that approximately 23 percent of households headed by Millennials are OTT-only, which is above the average of 15 percent of all U.S. broadband homes. The study also found that 61 percent of Millennials subscribe to both pay TV and OTT services.
Researchers at Columbia University have discovered a simple solution to combat virtual reality-induced discomfort and nausea, according to BBC News. The researchers found that a sensory mismatch between what viewers see on a VR headset and where they are in reality is a source of motion sickness. The technique of slightly narrowing the field of view will bridge the gap for a more enjoyable VR experience.