Not only are more consumers using the built-in connectivity of smart TVs to watch video, but half of smart TV owners say they use their set for streaming music or other audio content, according to the fifth annual edition of Hub Entertainment Research’s “Evolution of the TV Set” study, which shows how viewers’ habits are evolving along with the TV sets they use to watch.
The report notes that smart TVs are the home base for viewing. In fact, being “smart” is now the standard for virtually all TV sets, and so ownership of smart TVs continues to climb: 74% of TV homes now report owning a smart TV, up from 61% in 2020. Moreover, 64% of all TV homes report using a smart TV to stream video, compared with 47% in 2020. The dual increase in ownership and usage for viewing is a clear signal smart TVs are gaining traction, and gradually replacing separate streaming devices like Roku or Fire TV sticks or boxes.
At the same time, Hub’s “Evolution of the TV Set” study revealed that voice command is taking control, as 52% of respondents say the TV set they use most often has a remote control with voice command capability, up from only 38% in 2020. And in homes with a smart TV, 30% of respondents have linked their smart TV to a smart speaker to enable voice control – up from 25% in 2020.
Hub assures that smart TVs are becoming the hub of home entertainment. One “smart” thing about smart TVs is they can be used to do other things besides watch TV. This year, 3 in 4 smart TV owners (77%) say they use their set for more than just watching TV or movies – up from 6 in 10 (63%) in 2020.
The most popular non-TV feature on smart TVs is streaming music or other audio content: 49% say they have used their smart TV for this, almost doubling since 2020. The second most used feature is casting or mirroring another device’s screen on the smart TV. Over a third (38%) of smart TV owners said they have done this in 2023 – almost tripling since Hub’s 2020 wave.
“The evolution of the TV set is making valuable new features available to viewers, whether it be better quality picture and sound, streaming, apps, or voice control. This also means challenges to incumbent firms in the TV ecosystem as alternative content providers, advertising sellers, and gatekeepers dramatically increase their presence through the growth of smart TVs,” said David Tice, Senior Consultant to Hub and co-author of the study.
These findings are from Hub’s “Evolution of the TV Set 2023” report, based on a survey conducted among 2.504 consumers in the United States. Interviews were conducted in May 2023 and cover consumer ownership of, and attitudes towards, TV sets and TV-related technologies.