One in four smart TV owners have never used it to connect to the internet, according to a YouGov report.

The survey also found that half of those intending to buy a smart TV simply want an up-to-date device rather than an internet-connected display.

And of those intending to buy a smart TV, only 37% said that connecting to the internet through it was a factor in the decision.

YouGov media consulting director Dan Brilot said the driving force was consumers future-proofing their TV set “in the same way that lots of people bought HD TVs even before HD channels were available.”

Amongst smart TV owners, 36% have a Sony, followed by Samsung (33%) then Panasonic (16%).

Almost two-thirds (62%) of people planning to purchase a set in the next 12 months are considering Samsung, followed by Sony (48%) and Panasonic (40%).

Even though Apple has yet to launch a TV, 26% of respondents said they would buy a device from the manufacturer.

“Sony is seen as the quality or premium brand favoured by the early tech adopters – late twenty- or thirty-something men – but Samsung is the brand working the hardest and most successfully to bring Smart TV to the masses through its advertising campaigns as well as leading the way in the availability of apps on the sets,” said Brilot.

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