From content to hardware: the smart TV dream of video websites

In the past two years, as Internet video companies have continued to grow stronger and bigger, video websites are no longer satisfied with the video revenue model of PC and mobile terminals, but are focusing on the "next growth point" on the gradually growing smart TV industry. Starting with LeTV, many video websites have begun to get involved in the production of smart TV hardware.

Recently, there were reports that PPTV and Suning Cloud Commerce will soon cooperate to enter the field of smart TV hardware production, and there are rumors that another video website, iQiyi, also plans to set up a joint venture to make its own brand of smart TVs.

However, today, iQiyi senior vice president Duan Youqiao publicly denied the rumor.

However, at the same time, Duan Youqiao, a former Skyworth executive, made it clear that although iQIYI will not make independent hardware products, it will continue to adhere to the iQIYI inside strategy and cooperate with hardware manufacturers with its advantages in software technology and content.

At this point, according to the company's development strategy, video websites that have begun to get involved in the field of smart TV hardware have formed a division: one type is represented by LeTV and PPTV, which have created their own smart TV brands; the other type is represented by iQiyi, Youku Tudou, and Tencent, which have entered this field through content cooperation with traditional TV manufacturers.

Like any new attempt and investment, Internet video companies' shift to the hardware terminal market also involves both opportunities and challenges.

It must be admitted that although smart TVs still belong to the TV manufacturing industry, the current hot market is created by Internet companies such as LeTV and Xiaomi. In contrast, the smart TV products launched by traditional manufacturers such as Skyworth, TCL, and Hisense have weak sales and innovative technologies that are difficult to win the favor of consumers. As consumers' age and identity change, young people born in the 1980s and even 1990s have become the main force in the market. The brand appeal of traditional manufacturers has become an important factor in their lack of appeal. At the same time, Internet companies have become the first choice of the new generation of consumers because of their contemporary business models.

Industry insiders predict that Internet video websites that are content-based will find it easier to cultivate user stickiness than traditional hardware manufacturers.

It is not always smooth sailing for video websites to enter the smart TV hardware production. Take LeTV, which was the first to enter this field, for example. When LeTV CEO Jia Yueting decided to enter the hardware production field, he was opposed by many LeTV executives and investors. The successful launch of LeTV TV Super TV also relied on LeTV's sufficient copyright and capital accumulation at the time.

In addition to the huge investment in hardware that video websites need to consider carefully, with the Internet TV rectification measures successively introduced by the radio and television, the content resource broadcasting platform of Internet TV is also an issue that companies cannot ignore.

In response to these unavoidable investment risks, iQiyi has chosen to cooperate with home appliance manufacturers to enter the future "smart TV" products, and has cooperated with TCL to release the TV+ series of TVs. It is understood that in addition to the field of smart TV products, iQiyi has also reached cooperation with Huawei's e-commerce brand Huawei Honor and Haier, launched the 4G cross-border mobile phone Honor iQiyi X1, and jointly launched the iPlay handheld game console with Haier.

Of course, iQiyi is not the only Internet company that chooses a cooperative model to avoid risks. According to insiders, Youku Tudou, which has no shortage of traffic and cooperates with the licensee CIBN, does not plan to release its own brand of TVs. Instead, it will cooperate with home appliance manufacturers to release co-branded TVs and will not participate in sales and production.

Looking at the overall situation, multi-screen integration will be a major development trend in the field of Internet content, and smart TV is also an important point of contact for connecting TV platforms with the Internet, acquiring users and developing services. It is a trend and a trend for Internet video websites with huge content resources to get involved in the smart TV industry.

At present, among the Internet video website giants, only Sohu Video has not made any move to enter the hardware field. Although Sohu Video CEO Zhang Chaoyang has publicly stated that Sohu will not enter the hardware production field, relevant insiders have revealed that Sohu Video's hardware product planning is already being secretly planned.

In general, the complete transformation of the television industry is inevitable. As another entrance to important data and home Internet, smart TV will inevitably become a battleground for major Internet video websites.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.