Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

In A Connected World, Why Aren't Smart TVs Very Clever?

Turns out that smart TVs can be, well, pretty dumb. Even moderately priced sets can now connect to the Internet and run Netflix and other apps -- that's the "smart" part. Yet many people are ignoring the built-in features and turning to Apple TV, Roku and other stand-alone streaming devices that often do a better job.

In an August report, the NPD Group estimates that roughly a third of smart TVs in the U.S. weren't actually connected to the Internet. That's down from about half two years earlier, but still not good. Researchers at Parks Associates found that even as more Americans are using smart TV functions, streaming device usage has grown even faster.

"If you're a streaming media box (maker), you've got much more ability to push new features out into the market at an affordable price," says Barbara Kraus, Parks Associates' director of research. "They're very stiff competition for smart TVs."

From the article "In A Connected World, Why Aren't Smart TVs Very Clever?" by Anick Jesdanun and Ryan Nakashima.

Previously In The News

DIY causing home security disruption

Research from Parks Associates shows that over the past six years, self-installed home security systems are gaining momentum, slowly, but traction no less, over professionally installed systems. Recen...

AI, Sensors and Video Surveillance Verification: Home Security Innovations You Need to Know

Video analytics applications employ artificial intelligence to detect and identify persons, objects, animals, packages, license plates and other subjects of interest visible in video camera feeds. Vid...

36% of CE and Smart Home Product Returns Due to Setup, Installation Problems

CE research data from Parks Associates finds 36% of US broadband households who returned a specified CE or smart home device in the last 12 months cited difficulty in setup, installation, and usage as...

Age Tech: Reshaping Channel Opportunities

Technology is liberating boomers, seniors, families and caretakers by connecting care to the home. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 29% of U.S. seniors ages 65 and older have used video conferencing serv...