Americans Aren't Yet In Love With Internet-Connected Televisions

Internet-connected “smartTVs” represent just one-third of all televisions in the United States. This suggests “significant room for growth for Apple TV,” according to AppleInsider. A new NPD survey shows that just 42 million of America’s 115 million households have televisions that can connect to the Internet. While still small, this represents an increase of 17 percent year over year. Why is this good news for Apple? In a release, NPD executive John Buffone says:

Consumers want devices that can deliver high-quality content to their TVs. The increase in Connected TV and streaming media player penetration is proof that consumers are investing in solutions that can provide app-related content in the simplest, most effective way.

Connectivity and user experience were at the top of the list of features when respondents were asked what was most important to them in a connected device. Nearly 70 percent said the ability to connect to the Internet over Wi-Fi was their biggest concern. This was followed by remote control ease of use, elimination of buffering while watching a program, and home screen ease of use. For the first time, NPD found that the number of streaming media players surpassed connected Blu-ray players. As AppleInsider notes, “That surge in adoption may be good news for Apple as the company is thought to be preparing a major update to its own set-top streamer, the Apple TV.” Apple's "hobby" device hasn't been updated in over two years. Industry rumors continue to suggest a fourth-generation Apple TV device is coming later this year. Last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Cupertino has sold 20 million Apple TV devices through the March 2014 quarter. The results of the survey are based on discussions with 5,000 individuals as part of NPD's most recent Connected Home Report. See also: Don’t Expect To See The iWatch Or Revamped Apple TV Unveiled At WWDC 2014, and Is Siri Coming To Apple TV?

Related articles