MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE BETWEEN TV AND THE WEB GROW

Some 21 percent of consumers have connected their TV sets to the Internet, up from 16 percent a year ago, according to a national study conducted by researchers Frank N. Magid Associates. In a news release the research group said that such consumers use their connected TVs for web browsing, viewing videos through subscription services such as Netflix, online gaming, and visiting Facebook. It was not clear whether those services were listed in the order of greatest usage. The principal means of connecting to the Internet was videogame devices like Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. So-called “smart TV’s” — those with Internet interconnectivity built into them at the factory — have already risen to No. 2, even though they arrived on the market relatively recently. Blu-ray players and settop boxes rounded out the list. Oddly, there was no mention of direct links from personal computers, laptops or dedicated compact devices like Apple’s Mac Mini or Google’s Chromebox. The Magid researchers observed that the attraction of Internet-connected TVs is growing, with 30 percent of consumers who have not yet linked their TV sets to the Web saying that they’re interested in doing so.