According to Parks Associates, use of Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Chromecast appears to be declining while adoption of streaming media players has increased to nearly 20% of U.S. broadband households, up from 14% in 2012.
Ownership of Chromecasts is steady at approximately 6% of U.S. broadband households, but monthly use rates are slightly lower than the last two quarters of 2013. The percentage of Chromecast owners who use the device at least monthly to view web pages on a TV declined from 76% in 3Q 2013 to 57% in 1Q 2014. Similarly, the percentage of Chromecast owners who use the device at least monthly to watch online video on a TV dropped from 78% to 73%.
"Streaming media players are starting to play a bigger role in home entertainment, but interest in new entry Google Chromecast is waning," wrote John Barrett, Parks' director of consumer analytics. "Streaming media players, thanks to their ease-of-use, trail only game consoles and smart TVs as the most frequently used streaming media device in the home. By contrast, only about 22% of Chromecast owners say it is the most frequently used streaming device in their home."
The research also indicates that smart TV adoption has increased to more than one-third of U.S. broadband households.