A leading analyst has found 22% of internet users in four markets – the United States, UK, Australia and India – are using voice-command technology to operate TVs and set-top boxes.
The findings from the IHS Markit Survey found an additional 30% would be interested in doing so in the future.
Usage peaks among 25-to-34 year olds, compared to all adults aged 18 to 64. However, all age groups are key targets for voice-enabled features.
Older age groups are continuing to use more traditional methods to access content, but were ignoring other features that had been made available to them.
IHS says content discovery and navigation is vital for video services as one out of five video cancellations were caused by a perceived lack of available content.
For device manufacturers voice functionality is a key element in building an ecosystem. The ability for devices to communicate and control other devices has become evident, as brands are increasingly launching proprietary digital assistants.
The most likely reason for cancellation was the service was “too expensive,” followed by “no longer used the service” and “a lack of content available.”