• by Wayne Friedman , December 10, 2014

A survey from Boston-based Strategy Analytics says the average U.S. broadband household now has 1.9 connected TV units as of the third quarter 2014, up 28% versus a year ago, when it average 1.5 units, and 5% higher from the second quarter of this year.

The number of units in the U.S. is now 168 million.

Connected TV devices include smart TV, smart blu-ray players, IP-enabled game consoles and digital media streaming devices, such as Apple TV, Roku or Google Chromecast.”

The report says Samsung is the dominant player in the U.S. for smart TVs, with a 35% share of unit shipments during the third quarter. Vizio was second, followed by Sony and LG.

When it comes to gaming consoles, Sony had a 50% share of unit shipments in the quarter. Microsoft has the largest installed base with close to 30 million for Xbox.

When it comes to third-quarter shipments of digital streaming devices, the study says Google’s Chromecast took the top spot with 26% share of shipments followed by Roku and then Apple TV.

The research came from vendors, trade associations, financial reports and third-party sources, as well as consumers' buying intent and recent purchases. It includes total market sizing, ownership, penetration rates and market value for 27 countries.