This increase in access has made rich media content more ubiquitous, but increased distribution and availability is only a part of the market development growth story.
Equally important is how, and on what devices consumers are accessing this content, and the increasing role of new mobile devices that are specifically designed for digital media consumption.
According to the latest market study by In-Stat, their research uncovered that 50 percent of media tablet owners are viewing video feature-length movies on their device, and TV shows as well.
Media tablet and smartphones are becoming vital new screens for streaming online video consumption, and are also functioning as personal interaction devices for video-centric social networking and applications.
“Tablets, in particular, have become a primary video device, both inside and outside the home,” says Keith Nissen, Research Director at In-Stat.
By 2015, In-Stat research projects that 65 percent of the U.S. market population will own a smartphone and/or a media tablet.
As these devices become a center-point for video engagement and consumption, content providers, device manufacturers, and broadband service providers need to support a multi-screen usage model that reflects social interaction, screen interaction, personalization, and mobility.
Additional research findings from the In-Stat study include:
- Frequent mobile video users will more than triple over the next five years.
- Nearly 50 percent of 18 to 24 year old smartphone/tablet owners frequently use a social network for interaction about TV programs currently being viewed.
- 86 percent of smartphone/tablet users will view video on their mobile devices.
- Nearly 60 percent of smartphone/tablet owners will also be viewing OTT (over-the-top) video at home.
- The average Apple customer household will have four Apple devices, while the average Google Android household will have at least two Android devices.
