Roughly 6% of American households are using Google’s $35 Chromecast HDMI dongle, but monthly usage of the device is declining as adoption of other streaming media players rises, according to research from Parks Associates.

Nearly 20% of U.S. broadband households have a streaming media player today, up from 14% in 2012. But for Chromecast, the percentage of owners who reported using the device to view Web content on their TV dropped from 76% in the third quarter of 2013 to 57% in the first quarter of this year, and the number who reported using the device for online video 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,” said John Barrett, director of consumer analytics for Parks Associates. “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.”

Part of the Chromecast data may be due to the rise in smart TV adoption as well, with more than a third of U.S. broadband households having an Internet-connected TV in the home.

“As consumers add new devices to their home, the usage habits in the home change and adapt to the new device, its benefits, and its capabilities,” said Brett Sappington, director of research for Parks Associates. “Chromecast was introduced last summer. Given the low price, many consumers purchased one and began experimenting with it, producing high initial use.

“Over time, however, owners developed a better understanding of Chromecast’s usefulness and appropriate niche in the video-viewing environment. Some continue to use Chromecast regularly, while others are choosing different options to get online video to their televisions.”

From the article, "Survey: Chromecast Usage on the Wane" Chris Tribbey. 

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