TVs and Blu-ray Players Drive Total Connected Consumer Electronics Shipments to Over Three Billion by 2016

Connectivity continues its inexorable march into home entertainment. A wide range of home media equipment is now network- or Internet-enabled, with the number of connected devices shipped into consumer markets expected to increase steadily at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21% through 2016.

Three billion and counting

ABI Research’s forecasts for connected devices for the period show that between 2010 and 2016, a cumulative total of more than three billion devices will have shipped worldwide.

The most common home entertainment devices to include media connectivity are televisions and Blu-ray players. According to ABI Research practice director Jason Blackwell, “TV and video player connectivity is being strongly driven by streaming services such as Netflix in the United States and LOVEFiLM in the UK. Gaming consoles also create powerful demand for connectivity; although connected consoles are nothing new, they still rank strongly in connected home entertainment and will see increased shipment numbers through 2014.”

Sound as well as vision

Networked and streaming audio are also important segments of this market. “Online radio such as provided by Pandora, and the new 'cloud-based' music streaming services from firms such as Rhapsody, Melon and Spotify are also boosting the market for networked audio,” notes Blackwell. (ABI Research has just published a study of this exciting new cloud-based distribution model.)

Blackwell concludes, “Other innovations such as Apple’s AirPlay, which allows wireless streaming of music or other audio content throughout the home, will also help to drive demand.”

ABI Research’s “Home Networking Market Data” contains market forecasts for a variety of networked devices as well as forecasts related to the installed base of home networking households. Blu-ray players, TVs, mobile media players, game consoles, set-top boxes, media adapters, digital cameras and AV players are all covered, and the forecast also includes network interfaces including shipments for HomePlug, MoCA, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and UWB.

This database is included in the firm’s Connected Home Research Service, which also includes other Market Data products, Research Reports, Surveys, ABI Insights, and analyst inquiry support.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 30+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.​