Game consoles more popular streaming devices than dedicated boxes in U.S.

Newsbrief: 75 percent of U.S. homes that are connected to broadband internet use game consoles to stream non-game content each week, according to a new research report from analyst firm Parks Associates. 28 percent of broadband-connected homes use consoles as their primary streaming device; Only 12 percent of broadband-equipped homes use a dedicated streaming box such as Roku or Apple TV. "Gaming consoles are the most frequently used connected CE device because of their high adoption rates," Barbara Kraus, director of research at Parks, said in a statement. Console sales are driven by a desire to play games, but find a second life as a streaming device, as the image below, provided by Parks, illustrates. Homes with multiple streaming devices are less likely to use their consoles for that purpose. More info (including the full research report) is available at Parks Associates' site.