Multiscreen video isn’t just for all of those tech-savvy, tablet-toting wunderkinds. Adults are getting their video fix from sources other than the TV set at an increasing rate, according to a new study.
About 27% of U.S. adults watch video on devices other than a TV, and more than half of that group (53%) does it on a weekly basis, Leichtman Research Group (LRG) found in a survey of 1,240 households.
That’s up from 14% daily and 37% weekly just two years ago, LRG found in its seventh-annual study on the subject, which now accounts for non-TV devices ranging from PCs, smartphones, tablets and e-readers.
But most of the video viewing is on these devices involves the younger set, with 42% of all ages between 18 and 42 watching daily, and 77% weekly, versus just 14% daily and 33% weekly among those who are 45 and over, LRG said.
And most non-TV video viewing is taking place in the home – that’s the case 63% of the time among those who watch video on smartphones, and 89% when viewed on tablets and e-readers, according to the study.
Among other findings, LRG said 44% of all households have at least one television set connected to the Internet via the TV itself, or by linking through an IP-connected game console, Blu-ray player, or specialized streaming device like an Apple TV or Roku box. That’s up from 38% last year, 30% in 2011 and 24% in 2010.
Coincidentally, just 47% of that IP-connected product group is actually tapped into the Internet, NPD Group found in a separate study. The LRG and NPD studies both found that smart TVs are being connected to the Internet at the lowest rate, with LRG finding that just 3% of households are connecting solely via an IP-capable TV.
And, yes, Netflix remains one of the most popular streaming services regardless of the device. LRG’s study found that 22% of adults stream Netflix weekly, versus just 4% in 2010.
“Video watched on non-TV devices and via connected TV sets has significantly increased over the past few years, particularly among younger individuals,” said LRG president and principal analyst Bruce Leichtman, in a statement. “Consumers are generally using these new viewing options to complement traditional TV viewing at home.”
