MILLIONS NOW WATCHING MOVIES ON IPADS

Last year may have been the year that saw an explosion in the market for big-screen television sets. But this year, more and more people are using their relatively small-screen iPads to watch TV shows and movies, according to Scottsdale, AZ-based research firm In-Stat. According to a new report, about half of all tablet-owning consumers are streaming movies and TV shows onto them. In its study, the company predicted that mobile video users will more than triple over the next five years. The report appears at the same time that H-P, which announced last month that it was discontinuing its own tablet, said that it had changed its mind and will reintroduce them. Amazon is also reportedly set to introduce two new tablets that will be cheaper than Apple’s iPad and offer more features. In the In-Stat report, research director Keith Nissen said that as mobile video “devices become a center point for video engagement and consumption, content providers, device manufacturers and operators need to support a multi-screen usage model that reflects social interaction, screen interaction, personalization and mobility.”