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"The Consumer Trends Series is supported by CBS.com, where brands can find engagement with the ideal audience through exclusive news, clips, trailers and more. To connect your brands with true enthusiasm, visit CBSInteractive.com/ideal.\nAlthough TV ownership dropped last year for the first time since 1992, traditional TV viewership rose 22 minutes \u2014 the length of a sitcom \u2014 per month. Now the average viewer consumes 159 hours of TV per month. \nAnd there's also a new media platform \u2014 your Internet browser \u2014 that increasingly competes for your attention. According to Forrester, people  spend as much time on the Internet as they do watching television \u2014 and sometimes they watch TV on the Internet on sites like Netflix and Hulu. So how does digital's infiltration of the mainstream affect consumer trends when it comes to television?\nMarket research firm Mintel recently published a report on the U.S. television industry \u2014 we checked out the data and found some other stats to shed some light on what's happening in the world of television.\n1. TV Embraces the Internet\n\n\n\n\nThanks to Hulu and Netflix, people don\u2019t necessarily need television sets in order to consume media. But while the recession prompted consumers to cut back on dining out and other frivolities, they did continue to spend on home entertainment, which has prompted many TV manufacturers invest in new, Internet-enabled models.  So even while traditional television is being challenged by the rise of Internet video streaming, manufacturers are embracing new consumer behaviors.\nLook at Sony's search-centric Google TV, for example.  The set allows user to search for \"Seinfeld,\" and call up air times, cast information from IMDB and information on where the content can be viewed on the web \u2014 it's a more holistic and streamlined experience. \nThere are several other ways to stream web content to your TV, including the use of connected devices like Boxee Box. The symbiosis between Internet, apps and TV could keep the TV industry going strong.\n2. The Box Office Pulls People Away From Their TVs\n\n\n\n\nThe movie industry has also affected TV consumerism \u2014 the rise of 3D movies has pulled consumers away from their sofas and into cinemas, where they can indulge in a highly visual experience for a few bucks more than a regular movie. While 3D TVs exist, they come at a hefty price and don't yet provide the same level of viewer immersion.\n3D technology was touted as the next frontier in the TV industry, but consumers don\u2019t seem to be latching on \u2014 in a 2010 study, 83% of survey respondents said 3D technology isn\u2019t enough to make them want to buy a new TV, and nearly one-third of people say 3D doesn't enhance the viewing experience. It seems that 3D technology is preferred on the big screens of movie theaters and not in one's home. Just 3% of TV owners own a 3D TV, but there's not much 3D content out there to keep them entertained. The resistance also can be attributed to the glasses factor: many people find them uncomfortable, inconvenient and, in some cases, nausea-inducing.\n3. LCD and Flat-Panel Screens Dominate\n\n\n\n\nMore than 60% of Mintel's respondents own a flat-panel TV. Competition among television brands in 2010 drove down the price of TV sets, which in turn spurred growth in the volume of TV sales. \nWhile Sony remains the big fish in the TV space \u2014 commanding 20% of the market share \u2014 bargain brands are gaining steam. Samsung and LG both made big strides in market share, but Vizio is presenting the greatest challenge to Sony, thanks to its placement in stores like Walmart and Sam\u2019s Club.\nValue brands like Vizio, which boast similar technology to the premium brands, but at a better price, have slashed prices by 20%. A 55\" edge-lit LED LCD HDTV was sold for $1,829.99 by Vizio and for $2,299.99 by Sony and Samsung \u2014 that's a $400 spread, and 30% of consumers say they'd go with an unfamiliar brand if it would save them more than $200.\nBut it's not enough to have a flat-panel TV \u2014 LCD screens represented 78% of factory sales in 2010. Although sales totals declined \u2014 much in part because the actual price tag on LCD TVs has decreased \u2014 LCD penetration more than tripled to 39% from 2006 to 2010. \nAnd apparently, size matters. If you're going for all the high tech features, you may as well go big or go home. Half of the TVs in America are now in excess of 40\". \nDespite the sales spikes for these new TV features, the average number of TVs per household has not changed \u2014 the market share is rising because consumers are \"trading up\" for bigger and better televisions.\n4. TV Is Going Social\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTelevision viewers are often multitasking \u2014 they watch their favorite shows while interacting on social media platforms via their tablets, smartphones and laptops. A Deloitte survey found that 42% of Americans surf the web while watching television, 29% talk on their phones while the TV is on and 26% of consumers are texting or sending IMs. \nAccording to TV Guide, Twitter leads Facebook when it comes to social engagement during a show's airtime \u2014 a phenomenon known as \"social TV.\" 50% of users said they tweet about the show they're currently watching, while only 35% say they post to Facebook. Interestingly, the most social TV shows are not necessarily the ones with the highest Nielsen rankings \u2014 they're the ones that spur conversation and have super passionate fans. American Idol, Glee and Smallville cracked the top ten, even though they're all in different echelons of Nielsen ratings.\nAt Mashable Connect, TV Guide's Christy Tanner spoke about social TV and where it's going \u2014 the video of her talk is embedded above. Tanner said the reason people are inclined to share their opinions on their favorite TV shows is that it's not a controversial topic, like politics, and it's not boring, like the weather. And so, we share our thoughts with our friends on Facebook, Twitter and other sites.\n5. Advertising Is More Targeted\nSome TV brands have begun to target demographics more specifically. While they used to target the \u201CUnder 45\u201D crowd, Samsung now targets young families, males under 35 and active and childless 25-34-years olds.\nLikewise, Toshiba ads speak to independent millennial women; Sharp appeals to tech-savvy consumers with Star Trek actor George Takei, and Vizio targets shopping-savvy and trendy twenty-somethings.\nYou might also notice more advertising targeted toward fathers. Dads are more receptive to television product marketing, as tech is something male friends talk about over beer, and a father could justify a new television as a big investment that will benefit and entertain the whole family. Television companies may try to target dads directly \u2014 maybe with a commercial of one family with a souped up TV being happier than a family without such a TV \u2014 or via the children. A 3D TV would make gaming and other TV-based activities more exciting, for example, so the kids might give dad that extra push to splurge.\nDemographic Trends and Fun Facts\nThe Mintel report is littered with interesting tidbits and data gleaned from its survey. Here are some interesting trends and stats:\n\nFlat-panel TVs remains most dominant in households with incomes that exceed $100,000. Not surprisingly, this demographic is also more likely to own a TV larger than 50\u201D.\nPurchasers tend to want the biggest TV screen they can afford, which suggests that size trumps technology and features.\nThose under 45 or with children are more likely to have a large TV screen.\nInterest in Netflix is as high among 45-54 year olds as it is among 25-34 year olds.\n21% of respondents would pay up to $100 more for an energy-efficient TV.\n34% of respondents would like to upgrade at least one TV in the home.\n49% of respondents like to have a TV in the bedroom.\n18% of respondents like to have a TV in the kitchen.\n\nHow many and what kind of TVs do you own? Let us know in the comments below.\nSeries Supported by CBS.com\n\n\n\n\nThe Consumer Trends Series is supported by CBS.com, where you can find engagement with the ideal audience at the #1 TV Network site. To see how our exclusive clips, web originals, full episodes and more can connect your brands with true enthusiasm \u2013 and an audience of up to 230 million \u2013 visit CBSInteractive.com/ideal.\nImage courtesy of iStockphoto, GodfriedEdelman"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2011/07/20/consumer-trends-tv/>