More than half of the TV sets shipped worldwide in 1Q’16 were smart TVs, according to new smart TV shipments data from IHS Technology. That includes North America, where smart TVs accounted for 56 percent of 1Q’s total, IHS said
The uptick in smart TV shipments marks a milestone for manufacturers and, more broadly, in the transition to digital television networking and content distribution. “It is a remarkable result. The industrial market showed resilience in 2015 and all signs are pointing to improving growth in the future,” Principal Analyst Paul Gray was quoted in a smart TV shipments press release.
Smart TV Shipments
Content availability is the key that’s driving growing smart TV shipments growth, Gray highlighted. ¨Where the local offering is relatively weak, consumers are reluctant to pay extra for built-in Internet TV services,¨ he was quoted. ¨Good streaming content in local languages remains the key to value in smart TV.¨
Android was installed on nearly half of 1Q’16’s smart TV shipments. Use of open source Linux-based Tizen has been growing rapidly, spurred higher as Chinese manufacturers install the OS, however. Forty-three percent of 1Q smart TV shipments outside China make use of Tizen. Samsung and Intel are among IT and consumer electronics companies leading the Linux Foundation’s Tizen technical steering committee.
Smart TV Platforms
That said, Chinese smart TV manufacturers have been wholehearted in their adoption of Android. “The first quarter of this year was exceptional, with seasonally strong sales in China, but weak sales elsewhere, and it is clear the Android-based solutions have a global lead,” Gray commented.
Use of Roku’s smart TV platform is growing in North America. Roku’s smart TV OS was installed on more than 90 percent of smart TV shipped by its partners in North America in 1Q, including Chinese brands.
“Roku TVs in North America have proven a powerful way for aggressive brands to build share with consumers confident of the value of their purchases,¨ said Gray.
