BAI research claims only 4.6% watch TV on a laptop
New research from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland shows that the vast majority of people are still watching TV on their sets at home.
The research, carried out by Ipsos MRBI, shows that 85% of people still watch TV on their television sets at home.
Only 4.6% of us use a laptop to watch TV at home; and less that 1% use their mobiles or tablets as TVs.
It comes as the Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte launches a public consultation on a new broadcasting charge to replace the TV licence.
Minister Rabbitte said the charge is necessary because of changes to the way people watch television, and to deal with high evasion rates.
Managing Director of Ipsos MRBI Damian Loscher said people are not downloading and streaming content on their laptops in large numbers.
"When we look at out teenagers and our young people nowadays on their phones, largely what they're doing is they're texting, they're on Instagram, they're on Facebook - and they're reserving the TV for at-home consumption.
"We might watch a few YouTube videos on the bus, but when we watch our two- or three-hour movie or series, we're watching it at home."
The BAI has also launched its own public consultation on its strategy for the next three years.
Chairperson Bob Collins says the plan has to reflect the enormous change in Ireland's broadcasting sector.
"People have the capacity in their pockets or in their bags though smartphones to create content in a way that was inconceivable," he said.
"That will have an impact on the way people respond to, relate to, other media."
