According to a new report from Conviva and nScreen Media, people who stream TV content now prefer to watch it on connected TV sets instead of PCs.
The PC has seen declining use as a video device for some time. However, in 2016 it dominated the consumption of premium video.
Conviva data shows that in Q1 2016, between 9 and 10 p.m. the PC averaged 5.4 million play requests and the connected TV 5.1. Just one year later, the number of play requests to the connected TV increased 75%, to 8.9 million, and PC requests decreased by a third to 3.7 million.
The PC suffered declines in usage in all eight countries featured in the study. Between 2016 and 2017, the PC lost share of video plays in every country featured. Its share of video plays fell 27% in Spain and Germany, for example.
However, it remains the most important device for premium video in China, Canada, Australia, and Norway. China stands out. The number of video plays to the PC declined sharplybetween Q1 2016 and 2017, from 72% to 58%. China stands out. Though the Chinese are watching much more on their mobiles, they still watch the most on their PC.
The connected TV, on the other hand, is only a major factor in four of the countries studied: UK, US, Spain, and Norway.