Almost half of consumers don't understand what IPTV is, although many of them want some of the features it has to offer, according to a new study released Thursday.

Forty-six percent of the 6,000 consumers surveyed in the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Spain and Italy said they don't understand the term IPTV, according to the study by Accenture IPTV delivers digital television over broadband phone lines

Many of those same consumers want the services that IPTV can deliver, however. Asked what would make television better, 30% of the respondents said they'd like access to a larger number of movies, and 26% said they'd like to create their own channels to watch programs whenever they want. Those were the top two answers and describe capabilities that can be delivered by IPTV.

Just over half of respondents said the biggest benefit to subscribing to IPTV would be less advertisements. An almost equal number, 54%, said they're not willing to pay extra to be able to search for content whenever they want. Respondents were also worried about potential security and quality issues with IPTV.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.