Ofcom: Just 5% of UK homes have a Smart TV

Just 5% of UK households own a Smart TV, according to telecoms regulator Ofcom.

Smart TVs are capable of delivering video and other content via broadband, often via apps

Ofcom says sales have doubled in the past year with Smart TVs now representing a fifth of all TV sales, but notes almost half (47%) of owners said internet functionality was not a consideration for them when making their purchase.

Sixty per cent of people asked by Ofcom said that they simply chose the most up-to-date product available, while 40% said that they liked the look of the set and 32% said that they wanted the best screen.

More than a third of owners say they have never connected their TV to the internet.

Of those who have connected their TV’s, 51% of say they’ve used their set to watch catch-up TV but online activities such as social networking (25%) and shopping (13%) were much less popular.

The take-up figures appear to undermine some industry and analyst claims that the forthcoming YouView service was “too late” because Smart TVs had already met demand.

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About Martin Hoscik

Martin has written about TV, film, telecoms and technology for more than 20 years and has previously contributed to several consumer magazines, as well as commentating on TV and radio about the UK's media industry. He is currently the editor of STREAMEDTV and sister site SEENIT.