In advance of the IBC 2011 conference, Parks Associates released new research today revealing consumers in Western Europe value multidevice access to recorded TV programs over other new video services, including access to live TV.

Given a choice of new TV features, including 3DTV, online video access, and multiscreen services, 47% of broadband households in Western Europe’s largest countries selected viewing recorded programs on any Internet-connected device as one of their top three features. By comparison, 30% selected live TV as one of their top preferences. The results are from Parks Associates’ Connected Consumer in Europe, a consumer study that examines services received and desired, digital product ownership and purchasing, demand for value-added services, use of digital media, and mobile/convergence habits and usage.

Preference for viewing recorded content on a computer, tablet, smartphone, or other Internet-connected device was consistent across all countries surveyed. The greatest difference was among French households, with 51% selecting recorded content versus 30% picking live TV. Consumers in the U.K. valued both multiscreen services, with 48% choosing recorded TV and 36% selecting live TV, and multiscreen services overall were the least popular in German homes.