• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, June 18, 2012

Sure, video viewers are watching more TV shows, movies and other long-form content via broadband video -- but which devices are getting the most action?

The answer: gaming consoles and connected TVs, said Ooyala in its recently released report on first-quarter viewing habits. That includes over-the-top devices like Boxee, Roku and Google TV.

The share of time spent watching long-form videos on connected TVs and gaming consoles rose from 57% in the fourth quarter of 2011 to 88% in the first quarter of 2012. “Users are switching toward longer content, independent of how much they watch connected TV overall,” said Matt Pasienski, data scientist for Ooyala.

This audience is also much more likely to hit "play" when they encounter a video: the conversion rate when presented with a video for these users was 75% higher than PC users. In addition, this group is the most engaged -– they complete three-quarters of all videos watched, more than users of other devices.

How should publishers tweak their strategies based on this insight? Ooyala said viewers are not changing the kind of content they’re watching -- instead they are now more frequently choosing to watch TV and movies on new connected devices. Publishers should analyze and adjust the video lengths and be sure to offer relevant recommendations to leverage these new habits.