• by Wayne Friedman , September 15, 2021

Although smart TVs are making TV households with separate set-top boxes and other peripheral equipment obsolete when it comes to streaming content, some households may be slow in making that transition.

Of viewers using another device other than their smart TV sets, 70% still use separate media devices to access streaming content. This could include Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV, set-top-box equipment. Nearly 50% of smart TV owners stream through their video-game console.

A research study says 39% of smart TV owners expect to watch more streaming TV. At the same time, 33% who own peripheral boxes and 29% of gaming console owners also plan to watch more streaming content.

The study, from TV set manufacturer Vizio, who commissioned Magid, the research/strategy consultancy, to do the survey, was conducted via an online survey of more than 1,600 U.S. streaming TV users aged 18 to 64, along with a two-day online community qualitative study of both smart TV and peripheral owners.

The survey says consumers also stream or “mirror” content from personal devices -- 66% from a mobile phone/tablet; 58% via laptops; and 25%, other devices.