of internet-connected devices with which to access TV and audio-visual content, either on the move or at home.
Smart TV: definition ‘Smart TV’ refers to a standalone television set with inbuilt internet functionality. Users connect a broadband router directly into the TV. Smart TVs are produced by consumer electronics manufacturers including Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and LG. The definition does not include television sets connected to the internet via a third-party device, such as a settop box, a games console or a laptop/PC.
Internet-enabled TV: definition The term ‘internet-enabled TV’ covers any television set connected to the internet via a thirdparty device, such as a set-top box, a games console or a laptop/PC. The set-top box might be provided with services such as Sky On Demand, Virgin TiVo, BT Vision or Talk Talk. Games consoles used include Microsoft’s Xbox Live, Sony’s Playstation 3 and the Nintendo DSi. Laptops/PCs are connected through a cable run from an output port to an input port on a compatible TV. Consumers are connecting their TVs to the internet in a variety of ways Ofcom research conducted in 2013 indicates that, of those respondents with a TV and internet access at home, the devices most widely used to connect a TV to the internet, thereby creating an internet-enabled TV, were games consoles (15%) and laptops/PCs (13%). In addition to these two types of device, a number of consumers have set-top boxes, often as part of their TV package. Decipher has analysed set-top box numbers and estimates that 7 million households in the UK (27% of total UK households) had active internet enabled set-top boxes in March 2013. Ofcom’s research suggests that devices which are larger and more fixed to a specific location, such as set-top boxes and games consoles, are more likely to be used to connect a TV to the internet than smaller and more portable devices such as tablets. This is probably due to the convenience of having a larger device continuously connected to the TV. Figure 2.4
Use of different devices to connect TV to the internet
Percent 30
20 15 13 10 4
4
Smartphone
Other
3
3
Tablet
BluRay
0 Games Console
Desktop/laptop
Source: Ofcom Segmentation Survey, February 2013 Q.OCD27 Do you or anyone in your household use any of the following devices to connect your main TV to the internet? Base: All who have a television and can connect to the internet
130