According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global Smart TV shipments grew 55% year-over-year to reach 76 million units in 2013, accounting for 33% of total Flat Panel TV (FPTV) during the year.

Strategy Analytics' Smart TV Forecast report (www.strategyanalytics.com) found that Western Europe was the leading market for Smart TV in terms of penetration of shipments with close to 45% of FPTVs shipped in the region last year being Smart TVs. Looking to the future, the company predicts that global Smart TVs will account for 44% of FPTV shipments in 2014 and 73% by 2017 by which time it says virtually all mid to high-end TV sets will include some form of IP connectivity.

"Smart TVs are steadily moving mainstream and are integrating into a multi-platform offering alongside smartphones, tablets and PCs. Manufacturers will do well to focus their efforts on enabling better communication and sharing with second screen devices" says David Watkins, Director of Strategy Analytics' Connected Home Devices service.

Analyst Eric Smith adds: "While Smart TV adoption is certainly gaining momentum, a true measure of its success is whether consumers are actually using the Smart functionality. Our consumer survey data show that around 50 percent of Smart TV owners across the USA and major European markets are currently using their TV's Internet capabilities, so vendors must continue to add compelling applications and services to entice consumers to utilize their platforms."