Next Generation Connected Home Devices (Fourth Screen)

Pages

36

Deliverables

Released

3Q 2009

Product Code

SU-1676

Price

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As online content and services expand throughout the digital home, a relatively nascent "fourth screen" market is starting to take shape. Connected digital photo frames, perhaps the most established of these fourth screen product categories, are poised for growth as home network penetration expands and -- following some initial concerns with overall quality -- consumers warm to these devices. Media phone and desktop Internet appliances, even more nascent than digital photo frames, already face difficulties establishing solid value propositions and differentiated feature sets in consumers’ minds. In many cases consumers lack the necessary knowledge to make informed assessments of these products. In some cases substitute products exist, such as smart phones or other fully-featured mobile devices (not to mention computing devices).

This study analyzes this relatively nascent market and discusses the issues facing companies trying to establish a viable fourth screen within the digital home. Primary data from an ABI Research online consumer survey of 1502 adults in the United States also helps shed light on current US consumers' perspectives and views of these fourth screen devices.