US broadband households are a prime market for connected home entertainment, with over 16 million having a strong interest in these applications, according to a new report from Parks Associates.
Parks Associates says that companies must take an active role in promoting this market in order to realize its potential and adds that sales of devices such as multimedia PCs, DVRs, network storage devices, and media adapters will be key barometers for the health of the market over the next five years.
In addition, Parks Associates adds that the development of next-generation home networking standards for multimedia sharing and streaming will be important in driving the market.
Harry Wang, research analyst at Parks Associates, said: “Multimedia networking applications, such as sharing media files on a network or streaming content from a PC to one or more entertainment platforms, are key aspects of the connected entertainment experience consumers are demanding.
“With the market for multimedia networking still in its infancy, such relatively strong interest is a blessing to vendors in the digital home industry.”