• by Wayne Friedman , April 8, 2013

TV multitasking -- already a dominant activity -- is still growing. Tablets are a major reason.

More than three-quarters of respondents -- 77% -- say they are using a computer/laptop or other devices while watching TV, according to Accenture. This is up 16% -- around 60% -- from a year ago.

The multitasking use of tablets while watching TV is at 44% -- up from 11% a year ago. Yet tablets have far less U.S. penetration than computers, TVs or phones.

But not all activities on tablets concern TV. Accenture says 17% are using a tablet for unrelated use to what is being viewed on TV; 14% are using tablets for searching content and social media related to TV content they are watching.

The survey says connected TV activities might be abating a bit -- with consumers' preference for using connected TV for online videos down to 31% this year from 36% in 2012. Also, 28% of consumers are either not sure or don’t have a preferred method for getting online video on TV -- up from 23%. Only 16% like watching through a set-top box, with nearly a third -- 30% -- watching daily online content this way.

Still, trust issues in watching a video on a TV screen via the Internet are improving. Some 53% of consumers said they would trust their traditional TV broadcaster -- up from 32 percent in 2012.

Digital distribution company Accenture Digital Services, an Accenture Business Service, produced the online survey, which was done among 3501 consumers in February and March 2013 covering six countries: Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. The sample is representative of the national population in each country except Brazil, where the sample is more representative of the urban populations.