WebProNews

Europeans like their TV viewing as much as Americans and nearly half are watching television on the Internet, according to a study from Motorola. The days of waiting until primetime to watch favorite shows are going by the wayside as users are taking control of their viewing.

 The European study, which surveyed 2,500 broadband users in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, found that 45 percent of European viewers are already watching TV online.

The French are leaders when it comes to watching TV on the Web with 59 percent saying they view previews and episodes of their favorite shows online. Italians come in second in Internet TV viewing while the British hold the third place spot. German viewers are the least interested in online TV with only 33 percent tuning into Internet TV.

The TV itself is evolving, according to the study, becoming an interactive entertainment and communications tool. On average users are now connecting three devices to their TV sets, and close to a third of all Europeans are attaching a digital camera to download and view photos.

Forty-five percent of Europeans believe they will be making video calls using their TV by the time the 2012 Olympics are on.

"These results show that viewers across Europe are no longer satisfied with fitting into schedules dictated by broadcasters and are turning to the choice and flexibility offered by TV over the internet," says Karl Elliott, Marketing Director for EMEA within Motorola's Connected Home Solutions division.

"We are witnessing a nation of citizen schedulers who are in control of their entertainment, allowing them to watch what they want, how and when they want it."