More than 42 million homes in the US and Europe are now streaming television shows and movies via the web on their TVs, according to new research.
Connected TV usage is twice as popular in the US thanks to the popularity of online services including Netflix and Hulu.
The study, from market intelligence firm Strategy Analytics, found that 20% of people in the US reported watching internet content on their TV in the last month.
Around 10% of Europeans said they watched internet TV during the same period, the report said.
While there is a growing range of connected TVs (also known as Smart TVs) on the market that make it easy for people to watch internet-based content, the report found that people without internet-connected TVs are willing to connect additional devices to their TV in order to watch their favorite shows on the biggest screen in the house.
David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics and the report’s author, said the findings “demonstrate that television viewers are prepared to go to significant lengths to watch their preferred television shows or movies on the big screen. In spite of the technical challenges, many people want to be freed from the constraints of traditional, managed television services if their choice of content is not available when they want, where they want, and at a price they are willing to pay.”
People in the US were most likely to connect their TV with a games console to gain access to online content while Europeans preferred to hook up a PC using an HDMI cable.
Consumers in both regions also reported streaming content over their home network and internet-connected Blu-ray disc players.
According to an October 12 report by Taiwan’s Topology Research Institute, Smart TV sales are predicted to soar from 7.04 million units globally in 2010 to 124 million units by 2014.
Strategy Analytics’s online survey was conducted in July 2011 with a sample size of 4800 respondents aged 15-74 years old living in the US and Europe.
Source: http://www.strategyanalytics.com/