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The US still prefers watching video content on TV to smartphones and tablets

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By John McCarthy | Opinion Editor

September 19, 2014 | 3 min read

US consumers are still relying on their digital TVs to view video content, with smartphones and tablets merely providing a second-screen experience, according to a report from market research company Park Associates.

Smartphone growth has been slowed by TV VOD services

The nationwide survey of US broadband households, conducted in the first quarter of 2014, analysed how multiplatform innovation is fuelling new revenue and retention opportunities for TV content owners and distributors.

It found that US broadband households spend, on average, 1.3 hours per week watching video content on tablet devices and 1.6 hours per week viewing content on smartphones - a figure which is growing consistently on a yearly basis.

However, these national viewing habits seem minimal when compared to the fact that Americans will watch almost 20 hours per week on TV.

Despite the popularity of mobile platforms, the TV remains the preferred screen for video consumption, while the PC has shown significant declines as a video-viewing platform.

Glenn Hower, research analyst at Parks Associates, said: “The percentage of video viewership among tablet households has tripled since 2010, rising from nine per cent to 28 per cent.

"For smartphone households, the percentage of video viewership doubled from 16 per cent in 2010 to 31 per cent in 2014. Increases in multiscreen video viewing are significant, but ultimately neither platform can duplicate the visual experience of the larger TV screen.

“Successful multiscreen video services need to offer unique services for each platform, complement the content on other screens, and leverage the typical conditions where people use certain devices.”

John Barrett, director of Parks Associates, said: “There are many important transitions underway in the video space.

"TVs are becoming the dominant platform for online video tablets are undermining video consumption on mobile phones, and linear TV is giving way to on-demand video."

While TV serves as the dominant video content viewing platform, it was noted that mobile devices provide viewers with significant second-screen opportunities.

.As consumers change the way they interact with content, the interplay between screens and devices has become more important than ever.

Earlier this year, a study from the IAB found that three quarters of advertisers believe that mobile video-viewing devices will become as important as TV in the next five years.

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