With forecasts exceeding 80% of units shipped by 2015, connected TVs are expected to lead the way in global TV shipments escalating from 27% in 2011, according to new research from Futuresource Consulting. On a regional level, Japan leads the way in the adoption of connected TVs, with 59% of shipments in 2011 integrating IP connectivity as standard. Penetration in the USA and China hit 29%, however Europe is behind the curve with 24% of TV sales being connected.

The popularity of over-the-top video has created a demand for Wi-Fi in the entertainment cluster of home living rooms. Increasingly, home video entertainment devices such as digital TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and all versions of set top boxes (STBs) are coming to the market Wi-Fi-connected, so the devices can connect to the web and to each other. NewIn-Stat (www.in-stat.com) research shows that the evolution of the home network will drive the number of in-home video WLAN-enabled video devices to approach 600 million in 2015.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) ® released a new study which found that more than half (53 percent) of online U.S. adults watch some form of streaming or downloaded video content in the home. Those consumers have a distinct preference for streaming video versus downloading content, as 51 percent view streaming content and spend an average of two hours per week watching, while only 15 percent download content and spend an average of one hour watching.

Latest broadband and IPTV figures published by the Broadband Forum show a significant surge in growth in Q3-2011, with more new subscribers added in the quarter than at any time since early 2009. The figures also point to the growing importance of fiber as FTTH and hybrid FTTx deployments increase.

Consumers intend to buy fewer televisions this year and fewer are regularly watching content on them, a new Accenture (NYSE: ACN) survey has found. Consumers are rapidly turning to other consumer electronics devices such as smartphones and tablet computers to view media, while also using more online services and downloading applications for various purposes, including entertainment, according to  Accenture’s new 2012 Global Consumer Electronics Products and Services Usage Report.

Driven by rising demand for fast Internet access, particularly from China and other developing regions, the global broadband subscriber base is set to grow by nearly 60 percent in the coming years, with about 350 million new consumers projected to come online from 2011 to 2015. The number of broadband subscribers worldwide will amount to 949 million by 2015, up 58 percent from 600 million in 2011, according to an IHS iSuppli Broadband & Digitally Connected Home Market Tracker report from information and analysis provider IHS.

New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) found that 69% of households in the United States have at least one high definition television (HDTV) set -- up from 17% in 2006. Over the past five years, 52% of US households adopted HDTV.

In addition, 48% of HDTV households have more than one HDTV. Overall, about one-third of all US households now have multiple HDTV sets -- up from about one-sixth of all households two years ago, and 4% five years ago. Yet, about 45% of TV sets in HD households, and close to 60% of all TV sets in the US, are not HDTVs.

Global TV advertising grew by 3.5% in 2011 to $154 billion, despite the Eurozone crisis (which hit Spain, Greece, Ireland and many Eastern European territories the hardest), natural disasters (Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Turkey) and the Arab Spring revolts. In contrast, economic booms in Latin America and Asia Pacific led to significant growth, according to a new report from Digital TV Research.

The worldwide pay-TV market will continue to grow to generate service revenues of $236 billion by the end of next year. Cable TV operators continue to face increasing competition from IPTV and over-the-top (OTT) services. Increasing broadband penetration and the growing number of people using Internet-connected devices are supporting subscriber growth in IPTV and OTT services.

ABI Research anticipates that mobile devices may turn out to be the best form factor to bring 3D technology into mainstream markets. By 2015, 3D devices—including smartphones, notebooks, mobile Internet devices, and portable game players—will comprise over 11% of the total mobile devices market.