Gaming consoles have long been key to connected-TV viewing, as the most common devices used to channel over-the-top services to regular television sets. Though native internet-connected TVs are becoming more common, gaming consoles are still the way to connect for most online video viewers who watch on their TVs.
Research from Interpret found that this was still the case in June 2012, when 30% of all US internet users (or 62.5% of all those who streamed video from an internet-connected device to a TV set) used a gaming console to watch online video.
One major reason for this behavior is that many households already have gaming consoles�while relatively few have dedicated over-the-top streaming devices like Apple TV or a Roku box.
AYTM Market Research found that 53.7% of all US internet users owned one as of November, and nearly 10% more who did not have one anymore did have one at some point in the past, unsurprising for a decades-old staple of many family rooms.
Research from MAGNAGLOBAL also found game consoles highly prevalent in US households: The firm estimated that this year US consumers will own a total of 108.2 million. By contrast, consumers will own just 7.8 million over-the-top video devices.
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