Consumers Use Their Connected Blu-ray Players To Stream Content
Blu-ray Disc players, which so far were used for playback HD movied stored in optical discs, are also increasingly used to access subscription video-on-demand content, according to new data released from The NPD Group.
According to the market research company, nearly 8 in 10 users who connect their Blu-ray Disc player to access online content download television shows and movies via Hulu, Netflix, and other subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services, compared to 69 percent of connected-TV users and 64 percent of connected video game console users.
Tablets and smartphones tend to be used less frequently to access SVOD services. Nearly one quarter of connected tablet users and about 15 percent of connected smartphone users access these services on their devices, but consumption is growing, the research firm reported.
"The growing installed base of Web-connected devices is already having implications for how consumers discover, consume and acquire entertainment content, and for how providers and retailers need to promote entertainment content to consumers," said Russ Crupnick, SVP of industry analysis for The NPD Group. "Once primarily the domain of tech-savvy young male early adopters, downloading entertainment content to tablets, TVs, and game consoles is now much more common among regular American moms, dads ? and their kids, too."
When it comes to listening to music on the go and in the home, smartphones and Web-connected TVs lead other connected devices for consumers' propensity to stream music and listen to Internet radio. NDP found that just under a third of smartphone users and connected-TV users (31 percent) who access online content, use their devices to stream music or listen to Internet radio, compared to just under 20 percent for tablet users and video-game console users. The usage profile for the various smart connected device types also varies widely for online video games and game apps.
"The evolution of entertainment content acquisition has obviously been driven by wild growth in, and availability of, Web-connected devices now commonly seen both inside and outside of the home," Crupnick said. "The once ubiquitous desktop computer has given way to connected televisions, Blu-ray players, notebook computers, tablets, and smartphones, which have enjoyed tremendous growth in the past two years."
Tablets and smartphones tend to be used less frequently to access SVOD services. Nearly one quarter of connected tablet users and about 15 percent of connected smartphone users access these services on their devices, but consumption is growing, the research firm reported.
"The growing installed base of Web-connected devices is already having implications for how consumers discover, consume and acquire entertainment content, and for how providers and retailers need to promote entertainment content to consumers," said Russ Crupnick, SVP of industry analysis for The NPD Group. "Once primarily the domain of tech-savvy young male early adopters, downloading entertainment content to tablets, TVs, and game consoles is now much more common among regular American moms, dads ? and their kids, too."
When it comes to listening to music on the go and in the home, smartphones and Web-connected TVs lead other connected devices for consumers' propensity to stream music and listen to Internet radio. NDP found that just under a third of smartphone users and connected-TV users (31 percent) who access online content, use their devices to stream music or listen to Internet radio, compared to just under 20 percent for tablet users and video-game console users. The usage profile for the various smart connected device types also varies widely for online video games and game apps.
"The evolution of entertainment content acquisition has obviously been driven by wild growth in, and availability of, Web-connected devices now commonly seen both inside and outside of the home," Crupnick said. "The once ubiquitous desktop computer has given way to connected televisions, Blu-ray players, notebook computers, tablets, and smartphones, which have enjoyed tremendous growth in the past two years."
