• by Wayne Friedman , June 21, 2012

Watching paid video content on mobile devices is climbing -- but gaming consoles remain the overall leader when looking at all new digital devices.

Now, 29% of consumers watch paid content on a handheld device, while viewing on laptop/desktop computers has declined to 39% from 48% in 2011, according to J.D. Power and Associates Reports.

Tablets are the most popular. The study finds that 18% of consumers use tablets for viewing paid video content, up from 11% a year ago. Mobile phone usage is not far behind -- 16% of consumers have been watching video on phones, an improvement from 14% in 2011.

The study also notes that nearly one-fourth (23%) of customers view paid content via gaming consoles, compared to those who view paid content via handheld devices (29%).

Overall gaming consoles continue to be a high usage device when viewing video -- 6.3 hours per week, compared with 5.3 hours on a laptop/desktop, 4.9 hours on a wireless phone, 4.5 hours on a music player, and 4.4 hours on a tablet.

“These findings illustrate that while customers appreciate the convenience and value that gaming consoles provide, the TV screen is still a preferred viewing media,” stated Frank Perazzini, director of telecommunications at J.D. Power and Associates.

“On the other hand, average viewing times for mobile devices and computers are likely impacted by battery life and screen size," he noted.

Overall satisfaction with pay-to-view video service providers averages 750 -- on a 1,000-point scale -- up from 743 in 2011.