Consumer research featured in the Residential Security Tracker reveals that in Q2 2022, nearly 40% of US internet households reported owning some security solution, such as a home security system, networked cameras, or a video doorbell. Seven percent of US internet households, approximately seven million households, own a network camera or video doorbell but no security system. "Together, these smart home products add to the market for security solutions, as millions of households find a camera solution is'safe enough' for their needs," said Jennifer Kent, Vice President, Research, Parks Associates. "The current market for residential security solutions is a mix of devices, systems, installation methods, and attached services that offer consumers more choice than ever before." In the firm's July 2022 survey, Parks Associates expanded its definition of home security services to better capture fee-based self-monitoring and video storage services.

Do-it-yourself security systems will cause some shifts in the residential security market as more than two million broadband homes will have a self-monitored system by year's end. According to research by Parks Associates, 23% of the self-monitored systems are fee-based with an average cost this year of $9 per month while 22% also include home control. By 2024, the average monthly fees will slide down to $8.50 while 34% will have home control add-on services. Home security systems seemed cutting edge when they were first introduced, but now the market is flooded with options that are available from the likes of ADT, AT&T, Ring, Comcast, and even chain hardware stores. In order to better cash-in on home security services, Parks said the industry needs to find new drivers for the homes that currently don't have such services.

We tested every streaming box you can buy, and our two favorite are both great devices--but which one is right for you? The Roku Ultra retails for $99.99. Roku is developing its own voice assistant and will begin licensing its tech standards to other product makers in hopes of making it easier to expand consumers' home-streaming video setups. The Los Gatos, Calif.-based TV streaming tech company plans to have its Roku voice-powered Entertainment Assistant update available this fall for most Roku TVs and players. Roku also is launching new Roku Connect software that other device makers can license to create smart speakers and sound bars that will automatically link wirelessly to Roku TVs and media players.

Parks Associates today announced new research showing that 40% of smart light bulb owners use Amazon Echo or Google Home to control their devices. The international research firm will examine how voice control improves the smart home experience and can drive consumer adoption and usage at the 12th-annual CONNECTIONS Summit: IoT and the Smart Home, taking place January 9, 2018, at CES 2018 in Las Vegas. "U.S. consumers bought an estimated 14 million voice-controlled smart speakers with personal assistants in 2016," said Dina Abdelrazik, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. "Voice interfaces supported by personal assistants--like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana--seek to connect all the moving parts of a connected lifestyle and are simplifying the user experience. In every vertical, whether it be connected entertainment or the connected car, voice has the ability to unify devices to provide a coherent experience and drive greater adoption of IoT technologies. Simplicity, improved user engagement, and personalization will all lead to a stickier consumer."

Amazon Fire TV is beefing up its Alexa voice features. You could already use the voice remote with Amazon's Fire TV and Fire Stick devices to ask Alexa to search for TV shows and movies. Amazon Fire TV owners will soon be able to ask Alexa to search for -- and get information from -- local movie theaters, restaurants and other businesses, as well as ask the voice-enabled virtual assistant for programming on HBO Go, Hulu, Showtime and other apps. Owners of Fire TV devices (Fire Stick, 49.99; Fire TV, 99.99) will get the new Alexa features automatically via free software upgrades in the coming weeks, Amazon says. "Customers have told us they love having the convenience of Alexa on their Amazon Fire TV," said Tim Twerdahl, General Manager, Amazon Fire TV.