• by Wayne Friedman , February 22, 2016

Connected TV usage will continue to climb in the coming years -- growing 17% this year and 11% in 2017.

Gaming connected consoles will still command the most users -- 54.3 million, according to eMarketer, a 5.1% improvement from a year ago.

Google Chromecast, as a connected TV device, will see the greatest growth -- up 32.4% to 30.2 million. Smart TV sets will end the year as the device with the second-most connected users -- 37.4 million, up 6% from a year ago.

Apple and Roku will also make double-digit percentage gains, with Apple up 15.5% to 20.5 million and Roku adding 10.6% to 25 million.

While Blu-ray players will have the third-most-connected TV users -- 27.9 million -- it will be the only device declining this year, to 0.6%. This will accelerate in the coming years. The study says that by 2019, its users will decline 2.5%.

By 2019, the research says gaming consoles will have 59.6 million users; Google Chromecast, 50.2 million; smart TVs, 41.5 million; Roku, 32 million; Blu-ray players, 26.6 million; and Apple TV, at 25 million.

The October 2015 study from eMarketer is of individuals of any age who use the Internet through the connected TV at least once per month.