Netflix, Amazon Instant Video top ‘must-have’ apps for Internet-connected TV owners

Internet-connected television sets are somewhat of an enigma in the technology scene. Their existence hasn’t quite been embraced by consumers, but companies like Samsung and Sony continue to hope that consumers will catch on with “Smart TVs.” But for those of us that are enjoying the fruits of a Smart TV at home, a Harris Interactive Poll has found that three of the top four applications are video streaming apps.

Netflix tops the poll (used by 47 percent), while YouTube (44 percent) and Amazon Instant Video (33 percent) follow closely behind. ESPN (21 percent), Hulu+ (21 percent), SyFy (14 percent), HBO Go (13 percent), MLB.com (8 percent), Vudu HD Movies (7 percent), Conema Now (7 percent), and Vimeo (5 percent) were among the top 15 applications that pollsters had recommended as the “must have” applications for their Internet-connected TV.

Seeing as how 11 of the top 15 must-have applications are some form of a video streaming service, it’s evidence enough to see that our television viewing habits in this day and age are undoubtedly shifting. With the abundance of streaming services that exist today, we no longer have to disrupt our busy schedules to catch that one show that starts right after you get off of work (unless that show is on HBO).

But what this also means is that Internet-connected TV owners are willing to pay for the convenience of streaming television shows or movies on a larger screen rather than simply use their computers. Nearly 50 percent of Smart TV owners recommend paying for a Netflix subscription, and a significant number of owners had recommended Amazon Instant Video, Hulu+, and HBO Go, which are among the top paid-subscription video services today.

There’s a correlation in the data between the sales of Internet-connected televisions with the adoption of subscription services. Internet-connected TV owners are more likely to use their television for video streaming-related forms of entertainment. But the number of subscribers to such services on their TV is of course reliant on the market penetration and awareness about Internet-connected TVs. According to the poll, 73 percent of non-Smart TV owners were not familiar with Internet-connected television sets, but 29 percent of non-Smart TV owners suggested that they were likely to purchase a Smart TV within the next 12 months upon learning about its existence. Only 7 percent of pollsters unfamiliar with Smart TVs were likely to purchase a Smart TV in the next 12 months.

For Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and other streaming services, it’s clearly in their best interest that the Internet-connected television makes it into more households.

Do you own a Smart TV? If so, which applications do you use?