Move over PC: TV predicted to become the leading online video platform

By Ryan Waniata May 16, 2014

tv predicted to surpass pc as top online video platform old — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Alex Tretbar contributed to this article

Whether you use a gaming console, a Blu-ray or media player, or a smart TV, it’s no surprise that Internet-connected TVs are on the rise. But NPD Group’s latest quarterly Connected Home Report shows that the numbers took a big jump from the same time last year, showing connected TVs rising around 17 percent, or 6 million homes, for a total of 42 million in the first quarter of 2014. That’s a whole lotta TVs on the Web, putting the big screen in prime position to overtake the PC as the most ubiquitous Internet-equipped component for video.

NPD cites the ever-increasing popularity of streaming media players as a major driving factor in the rise of connected TVs. Whether using Rokus, Apple TVs, Google’s Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire TV, or a slew of other devices, consumers have more choices than ever to get their favorite online content to the big screen.

Computer-based video consumption has led the online video pack for the last decade. But recent research from Parks Associates helps support the assertion that the PC is on the way out when it comes to online video consumption. Detailed in a blog by the company, Director of Research, Brett Sappington, said that the amount of all video consumed on computers has dropped from over eight hours per week in 2013, to 6.2 hours per week currently. In fact, the PC was the only platform to show any significant decline in viewership within the past year.

“Ultimately, consumers can more easily access online video options on a television than ever before. In addition to smart TVs, Blu-ray players, and game consoles, consumers are also buying streaming media players and devices such as Google’s Chromecast,” said Sappington.

How do you watch your online content? Are you still glued to the computer, or have you moved to the TV? Let us know in the comments.

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Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…

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