Smart TV is still some way off for the majority of consumers.(Survey)

Tim Britton UK CEO, YouGov

Watching internet content on the TV is an immediate desire for many viewers, with 28% demanding smart TV

As a concept, 'smart TV' has been old news for some time, but recent data from the YouGov SixthSense Home Entertainment report shows that for most viewers the idea of watching online content via a TV is still a distant prospect. In a survey last November of more than 2,000 consumers, 60% said they watch online TV content through any number of online sources, from iPlayer to YouTube. Of those, a quarter said they could watch online content on their regular TV.

However, of this number, only 12% do so through the use of a web- connected TV, precluding the use of additional IPTV devices, internet- enabled consoles and media players. A connected laptop is needed for 42% to watch online content on their TV.

Although a tiny number of consumers have access to smart TV, watching internet content on the TV is an immediate desire for many viewers. In our survey, 28% of respondents said they expect their next TV to enable them to watch internet content. Even so, demand for smart TV is less than half that for HD capability - 63% expect to receive broadcast HD content without the use of external devices, while only 28% demand smart TV. In today's austere economy, consumers are more likely to opt for a cheaper internet-enabled external device than they are to invest in a internet-connected TV.

The penetration of smart TVs may be low, but a significant proportion of people are watching online content through their TVs nonetheless. In further proof that games consoles are the Trojan horse of 21st century home entertainment, a Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox are used by 39% of consumers to access online content.

The main driver behind consumers' motivations to access IPTV content is choice - 30% said that being able to access the internet via their TV would enable them to watch more of what they wanted, and almost a quarter (24%) said they would watch more programmes if they could watch online content on their TV. But while consumers may crave the choice that smart TV affords, most are resigned to the fact that they'll have to wait for the privilege. An optimistic 15% expect to be able to watch online TV content via their TVs within the next three months, but over twice as many (36%) suspect it will be more than two years before this becomes a reality.

Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors