Nielsen’s challenge: Signing up three-screen viewers
Nielsen’s Brian Fuhrer laid out the future of television ratings at today’s NewTeeVee Live conference in San Francisco. Nielsen’s Extended Screen program, on which Fuhrer gave an overview talk, is a project to collect Internet usage data from Nielsen’s existing TV households on both computers and mobile devices, covering what’s become known as the three-screen viewing landscape of TV, computer and mobile handset.
Fuhrer’s talk didn’t go into technical details, but he explained the biggest challenge the three-screen world presents to ratings firms: Panelists who accepted a device that tracked their TV watching, such as the one pictured here, are often reluctant to deal with additional meters for tracking Internet and cellphone use. Nielsen must tread carefully lest they drop out of the program.
Next Story: YouTube to support 1080p high-definition video; mobile video uploads up 2,000% this year
Previous Story: GreenBeat2009: Still more Super Grid speakers!
About the Author, Paul Boutin
Paul (paul@venturebeat.com) covers Apple & the iPhone, social networks & social media, digital music & video, and any crazy Internet story. Paul wrote and edited for Valleywag from 2006-2008, after several years with Wired magazine and Slate. He writes regularly for The New York Times' technology section and sometimes for Wired and The Wall Street Journal. He studied computer science at MIT in the early 1980s, and worked as a software developer and network administrator for 15 years before becoming a professional writer. Follow him on Twitter at @paulboutin, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.