New research from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) finds consumers in increasing numbers are accessing Web-enabled content directly from their TVs.
The findings, part of the “Beyond 2D Viewing: Understanding the Demand for Advanced Television Features” study, reveal that more than 20 percent of U.S. adults own a smart-app-enabled HDTV and that 90 percent use the apps available on their displays.
More than 40 percent of HDTV owners connect their primary displays to the Internet, with 76 percent connecting at least one external device with smart app capabilities to their primary displays.
Half of all HDTV owners connect a video game console or a DVD/Blu-ray player to their primary displays. Smart app users are most likely to stream video content from the Internet (61 percent), browse the Internet (56 percent) and view pictures (54 percent) using smart apps on their televisions, according to the research.
Consumers are also looking for displays with built-in Wi-Fi and Internet browsing when purchasing a new HDTV. Those features trail only high-quality audio and video as the most important purchase factors of HDTVs, the research says.
Consumers also are experiencing Web-enabled content for HDTV via a second screen on a portable connected device. Social networking is the most common activity on the second screen. Among HDTV owners who also own a tablet, 67 percent use their tablets for social networking while watching TV. Among HDTV owners who also own a smartphone, 58 percent are using a social network on that device while watching TV.
