53% of Americans believe that mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets will replace TV sets by 2022, according to new research from Irdeto.
Released this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the survey revealed that while over half of Americans believe this transition will happen in the next eight years, 31% believe that the change will actually occur within the next one to five years.
65% said that they prefer to watch content live at the time of broadcast – whether that’s on a mobile device or on TV – while 60% of 18-24 year olds said that they prefer watching a full series at once, without waiting a week or more between new episodes.
When it comes to connected devices, the research found that 31% of people believe they will be using a Smart TV to watch programmes and films within the next five years, rather than other connected devices such as games consoles (6%), hybrid streaming devices such as Roku (6%), tablets and mobile phones (5%) and dongles (2%).
According to the results, though consumer demand for 4K TV sets is gaining momentum, it still has a way to go, with less than one in five “very interested” and 40% “somewhat interested” in purchasing an ultra-high definition set. 16% said that they had no interest at all in the technology.
“In the past 10 years, we’ve seen mobile devices eclipse the consumer landline telephone market, and we’re seeing a similar fundamental shift in the television industry,” said Richard Frankland, vice president of sales, Americas, Irdeto.
“As the data indicates, we have reached a point where not only are devices as important to consumers as televisions, but a generational clash is also occurring between the demand for live programming and over the top services. The consumer electronics industry is working to get those consumers back through innovations like 4K, and the operators and content owners will follow suit by creating profitable offerings that meet consumer demands.”
MediaTel is hosting a CES debrief at the end of this month. For more information, see our events page.
