Skip to main content

Smart TVs Top List for OTT Video Streaming Devices

Why are traditional pay-TV services being disrupted by alternative lower-cost video entertainment services? Perhaps it's due to the apparent ease-of-use in searching for something to watch. Or, maybe it's the variety of video consumption options, as well as the huge depth of available television series and movie content.

Whatever the primary reason, and despite the widespread availability of inexpensive ancillary online video streaming devices, 32 percent of over-the-top (OTT) TV Users still prefer having the native connectivity of a Smart TV set.

This finding is according to data from the latest TDG market study, a survey of 2,000 U.S. adult broadband users -- 60 percent of which use an OTT video streaming service on their home television set.

Streaming Online Video Device Preference 

When asked which TV streaming platform they prefer, 32 percent of OTT TV Users selected their smart TV. Interestingly, this is pretty much equal to the penetration of smart TVs in general within this market.


Game consoles followed second, selected by 25 percent of OTT TV Users, while Internet set-top boxes were preferred by 17 percent of survey respondents. Streaming video sticks and Blu-ray players were selected by just 10 percent of OTT TV Users.

Why the Consumer User Experience Matters

Why do smart TVs top the list of preferred devices for OTT video viewing? According to Michael Greeson, director of research at TDG, this likely boils down to the device user experience.

Greeson says "With smart TVs, viewers are not required to manually switch inputs from the TV to another device or pick up a different remote controls in order to access their favorite streaming apps and programs."

Popular posts from this blog

Why 2025 Will Redefine Mobile Connectivity

As international travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels in 2025, the mobile communication roaming market is at an inflection point. Emerging technologies and changing customer preferences are challenging traditional wholesale roaming agreements between mobile network operators (MNOs). The global wholesale roaming market is projected to more than double, from $9 billion in 2024 to $20 billion by 2028. This surge will be fueled by the expanding deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) technology, which enables real-time roaming connections and activity monitoring. But beneath this headline figure lies a complex landscape of regional variations and technological mobile service disruptions. Global Mobile Roaming Market Development Western Europe dominates inbound roaming connections, largely thanks to its Roam Like at Home (RLAH) initiative, which eliminates roaming charges among member countries.  Meanwhile, the Indian Subcontinent is emerging as a growth hotspot. Between 2024 and 2029, inbou...