Streaming media devices to take over homes

This, according to the Connected Home Forecast report, would represent a healthy 59% growth from 2015 to 2019. Connected TVs are projected to drive 45% of the growth over the coming four years, while less expensive, content-heavy streaming media players are projected to drive 35% of the growth. The rate of connecting these devices is projected to increase from 70% in 2015 to 80% of installed units by the end of 2019, driven primarily by hardware prompting connectivity, an increase in quality app programming from TV networks, and improvements to user interfaces.

NPD expects that from now until 2019, streaming media devices will be found in more homes than any other connected TV device. With multiple options available from industry leaders such as Google, Roku, Amazon and Apple, it forecasts that 43% of US Internet homes will own at least one streaming media player by this time.

“With an ever-increasing number of connectable devices expected to be connected to the Internet, viewers will have the ability to choose their preferred option instead of using the only device they have attached to their TV,” commented John Buffone, executive director, industry analyst, NPD Connected Intelligence. “This shift will inevitably result in diminished usage for some devices.”

Drilling deeper into the analysis, the Connected Home Forecast report also found that Roku and Google, with its Chromecast device, have expanded beyond streaming media players to take advantage of the growth in connected TV sales as well. As such, it predicts that a consolidation of operating systems will accelerate. NPD calculates that already more than ten TV manufacturers have opted to partner with Roku and Chromecast, rather than manage their own app ecosystem. “The integration of streaming media player operating systems into TVs points to the beginning of a consolidation of operating systems that app developers will need to focus on in order to reach their audience,” added Buffone.