Smart TV surges into mainstream in the US

A new consumer survey from IMS Research has found that over 30% of consumers in the United States who plan to purchase a TV set in the next 12 months want an Internet-connected device.

The Smart TV – Consumer Survey – 2012 Edition report found that such connectivity is becoming more important to consumers in the country, with metrics indicating that the feature is driving 70% more TV purchases than it did 12 months ago. Moreover, the research revealed that not only was connected TV status as relevant to consumers as LED screen technology, it was a much stronger purchase driver than 3DTV capability. Among consumers who purchased a TV in the past 12 months, 63% more consumers expressed a preference for smart TV. 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 an LED TV.

“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 behavior,” explained Veronica Thayer, market analyst at IMS Research and the report’s author. “However, price, screen size and picture quality remain the primary purchase drivers in the US.”

The report also revealed that owners of smart TVs use video-on-demand (VOD) 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. This latter category includes game consoles, Roku and Apple TV connected devices.