Consumer Electronics Daily

After “massive growth" in adoption of residential internet during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. broadband growth slowed in 2022 as the “low-hanging fruit has already been picked,” said Parks Associates analyst Kristen Hanich on a Connections webcast last week. Broadband penetration increased 5 percentage points -- 12 million homes -- since 2019, when pandemic-driven shifts required workers and students to work from home.

From the article "'Broadband Growth Slowing After COVID ...read more

Nearly half of U.S. broadband homes subscribe to four or more over-the-top video services, with streaming now the primary way consumers view TV content, said Parks Associates analyst Paul Erickson on a Thursday Future of Video webcast. But service stacking is starting to slow, as viewing bumps up against an “inevitable point of subscription overload from having a finite amount of time and budget to spend on watching video,” Erickson said.

From the article "'Subscription Over ...read more

COVID-19 led to renewed validation of legacy telephony technologies as voice calls “address the universal need for communication and social connection, providing a lifeline for everyday life, work, and relationships,” said a Tuesday Parks Associates white paper.

The combination of shelter-in-place, work-from-home, school-from-home and other home-based lifestyles during the pandemic has driven “dramatic upticks in voice calling in all its forms,” according to telecom provider ...read more

It’s a “burden” on do-it-yourself smart home consumers to have to know and understand the various smart home protocols, said Raya Sevilla, ADT senior vice president-product, at Parks Associates’ Thursday virtual Connections conference, a partner program to CES.

From the article "Smart Home Systems Need 'Simpler' Setup, Smooth Integration, Parks Event Told" by Rebecca Day.

Ad-supported VOD services are playing a pivotal role in delivering a relaxed, “tension-free” viewing experience during the pandemic's “troubling times,” Parks Associates analyst Steve Nason told his company's Future of Video virtual conference Wednesday. Acquisitions in the AVOD space by prominent media companies included Pluto TV by ViacomCBS in 2019, Xumo by Comcast in February and Tubi by Fox in April. The transactions all raised the overall profile of the AVOD category, said ...read more

Google's decision to discontinue its three-year-old Nest Secure do-it-yourself security system wasn’t a surprise, given Google’s $450 million investment in security stalwart ADT in August, Parks Associates analyst Brad Russell told us. It raises questions about the staying power of the DIY security system market, Russell said, noting the low uptake of recurring monthly contracts in the segment vs. the 88% adoption among professionally installed systems.

From the article "Goo ...read more

Video streaming service stacking is likely to continue near term, after accelerating during the shelter-at-home period for the coronavirus, said industry executives on a Parks Associates webinar Wednesday, marking the 10th anniversary of video streaming.

From the article "Streaming Service Stacking Continues; OTT Providers Face Challenges in Growing Market" by Rebecca Day.

The independent home automation hub is fading as a means to a do-it-yourself smart home purchase, Robert Parker, SmartThings senior vice president-engineering, told us after his keynote at the Parks’ Associates Connections conference Wednesday. The hub as an independent purchase model is going away as the smart home industry continues its effort to reach mainstream consumers, he said.

From the article "SmartThings Bundling Hubs In Effort To Play Up Smart Home Use Cases, Not ...read more