Smart TVs to Represent Half of Television Market by 2015

EL SEGUNDO: One out of every four television sets that was shipped worldwide in 2012 was a smart TV, according to IHS Screen Digest, which forecasts rapid sales growth that will see Internet-connected sets representing half of the market by 2015.

According to IHS Screen Digest TV Technology Service, worldwide shipments of smart TVs amounted to 66 million units last year, up 27 percent from the year prior. This means that smart TVs accounted for 27 percent of the total television market for the year. By 2015, shipments are expected to rise to 141 million units, accounting for 55 percent of the global TV shipments. The following year, shipments are forecast to grow to 173 million units, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all the worldwide TV total.

“Despite a decline in global television shipments in 2012, consumer demand for Internet-connected televisions soared during the year—and the surge in sales shows no signs of abating,” said Veronica Thayer, TV systems analyst at IHS. “Smart TVs are rapidly joining the mainstream as manufacturers refine their products to add new features and to make them easier to use.”