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Tablets taking away TV viewers, says study

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More users in Europe may be tuning in to their tablets rather than their dedicated television sets

Recent studies have been discovering interesting habits from tablet users.

The newest claim, however, comes from a study conducted by consultative market research company TNS. A sample size of 5000 users across the UK, France, Spain and Poland were surveyed on their individual mobile media habits. According to Adage.com, the study found that as much as 39 percent of users are choosing to watch TV on tablets rather than on larger television sets. Meanwhile, smartphones haven’t been found to negatively affect TV viewership at all. In fact, smartphones may be complementing dedicated TVs as 19 percent of users in France say they watch more TV in the living room directly due to their phone usages.

The source makes a good observation on the perceived differences between smartphones and tablets. Whereas smartphones are used to “kill time” during moments where the user would not be doing much else otherwise, the tablet can actually “save time” because of its flexibility, portability and sufficient screen size. These characteristics could be making tablets more attractive in the household compared to TVs and laptops.

At least one company is ready to take advantage of the findings of the study. Telecommunications company Orange, who commissioned the study, is interested in creating content and advertisements catered specifically to users who view video content on tablets.

As consumers continue to opt for their tablet over their PC, this presents advertisers with unique opportunities to capture attention, engage consumers and encourage purchasing decisions,” said Orange marketing director Bruce Hoang in the Ad Age report.

The results of this study complement a previous study where as much as 30 percent of iPad owners were found to use their tablets mostly for Netflix.

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Allen Ngo, 2011-12- 2 (Update: 2012-05-26)