1 in 5 U.S. consumers connects TV to the Internet, study says

The number of people who connect their televisions to the Internet is growing rapidly, with 1 of 5 consumers now using video game consoles, Blu-ray players or other devices to bring the Web to their TV screens, according to a new national study by Frank N. Magid Associates.

The research found that 21% of consumers in the U.S. connect their TVs to the Internet — up from 16% a year earlier. That number is likely to rise, with 30% of consumers who haven't already connected expressing an interest in doing so, Magid found in its nationally representative survey of 2,540 people. "Over the next 18 months, we are going to be at the end of the early adopter phase of connected televisions as the mainstreaming of the technology happens," said Magid researcher Andrew Hare. "More and more Americans are getting connected televisions in their homes."