Over 30% of consumers in the US who plan to purchase a TV set in the next 12 months want an internet-connected TV or smart TV, according to a new consumer survey from IMS Research.
Internet connectivity is becoming more important to consumers in the US. Consumer metrics indicate that the smart TV feature is driving 70% more TV purchases than it did 12 months ago.
“The awareness and preference for Smart TVs and the video services and applications that can be accessed through them is increasing, creating a shift in consumer purchase behaviour,” said Veronica Thayer, market analyst at IMS Research and author of the “Smart TV – Consumer Survey – 2012 Edition” report, in a statement. “However, price, screen size and picture quality remain the primary purchase drivers in the US”.
The survey also indicates that internet connectivity is not only a stronger purchase driver than 3D, but that it has become as relevant to consumers as LED screen technology. Among consumers who purchased a TV in the past 12 months, 63% more consumers claim they wanted a LED TV than an internet-connected TV.
In contrast, among consumers who plan to purchase a TV in the next year, almost the same amount claim that they want an internet-connected TV as a LED TV.
Furthermore, this study analyses how frequently video services and applications are being used in smart TVs versus an additional internet-connected device (such as game consoles, Roku, Apple TV, etc.). The report reveals that owners of smart TVs use video On-Demand (VOD) TV apps like Vudu, Amazon Prime Video and CinemaNow significantly more than consumers who access this type of application through another device connected to their TV set.
