Tablets changing entertainment habits, study shows

The impact of tablet computers has been felt in many areas of the daily lives of consumers, changing everything from the way they access information and browse the web to their methods of communication.

According to a recent study from Boston-based research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, one of the areas in which tablets have had the most influence is media and entertainment habits.

In a survey of 1,400 US consumers, nearly two-thirds of tablet owners say they use their mobile devices to watch full-length movies. This, the report suggests, could eventually lead to consumers replacing their DVD and Blu-ray players with tablet devices as they become more mainstream.

Additionally, more than 50 percent indicate they use their tablets for gaming purposes. Of those, two-thirds say they are now less likely to use other devices for gaming, especially portable gaming systems.

"The increasing ubiquity and capabilities of smartphones, tablets and the mobile networks that support them is having enormous implications for the entertainment and consumer electronics industries," says Chadwick Martin Bailey vice president Chris Neal.

These influences are likely to become more apparent as tablet sales continue to grow. As a recent report from analysis firm IHS iSuppli predicts, tablet sales will triple this year over 2010, reaching 61.9 million units sold.