Roughly one in four of all TV sets shipped globally last year were Internet-connected, and during 2016 that figure is expected to approach 70 percent, according to a new IMS Research report.
According to IMS Research market analyst and author of "Connected TV Sets – World – 2012" Veronica Thayer, Internet connectivity is becoming a standard for high-end TV sets and increasingly is being added to mid-range TVs.
The report also reveals the main type of operating system used in connected TVs will remain proprietary over the next five years. However, Android OS will start gaining presence and is expected to reach a significant share of the market by 2014.
The research also forecasts that by 2016 more than 80 percent of the connected TV sets shipped worldwide will have built-in Wi-Fi, and about 30 percent will have advanced user interface features, such as motion, gesture or voice.
"Connected TV sets will help boost sales of flat-panel TVs as the awareness and the demand for Smart TV features increases," Thayer adds. "However, the impact that Internet-connectivity will have on total TV set growth will be diminished by the availability of other Internet-connected devices, such as Apple TV, Roku and game consoles."
