The PictureBox Player is a multi-screen proposition, but strictly in the OTT space, as subscribers of the service on Pay TV platforms will have to set-up a separate account in order to access the service on the PC and connected devices.
The ability to access content on iPads and Samsung's connected living room devices is the likely to prove to be the compelling component of the offer. Of these the connected devices from Samsung make up a small, but growing, contribution addressable audience, but the iPad has sold over 1.2m units in the UK and offers an appreciable increase in PictureBox's addressable audience. To put this in perspective the installed base of Apple's device is larger than three of PictureBox's pay TV partners (TalkTalk, Top-Up TV and BT Vision) which had 1.1m subscribers between them at the end of 2010. Although its installed base remains smaller than the 3.8m Virgin Media households in the UK.
However, the limited amount and scope of content offered at any given time on the PictureBox player may prove to be an issue. In comparison to PictureBox, LoveFilm offers  UK subscribers access to a streaming library of over 2,000 movies (typically from the same catalogue title window) as well as access on Sony and Samsung TVs, and the PlayStation 3 in packages starting at £5.99 per month, including DVD rentals (including new releases). IHS Screen Digest believes that this content mix, combined with LoveFilm's ability to leverage its existing subscriber base is likely to prove the more compelling proposition for consumers in the near term.