The Internet is most likely to debut in the American living room via a set-top box that is streaming rented content, says a nationwide survey of 3,600-plus consumer electronics retail sales associates conducted by Creative Channel Services.

Recently, the consumer market has seen an increase in the number of manufacturers that offer Connected TV (Internet TV) technology in stand-alone products and as an embedded feature in TVs, Blu-ray players and other entertainment devices. CCS, a retail marketing agency that works with both consumer-electronics manufacturers and retailers to enhance shopper experiences by empowering retail sales associates with product knowledge, commissioned the survey to gain an understanding of attitudes toward the burgeoning technology at retail stores.

What the agency found is that a majority of retail sales associates are knowledgeable and had definite views on how consumers are likely to adopt the technology, on what consumer activities will help it proliferate and on how long it will take for the technology to replace cable and satellite services.

The recent survey collected responses from store-level associates at national, regional and local retailers of consumer electronics products. The survey found that nearly 80 percent of respondents described themselves as familiar to very familiar with Connected TV and that more than 45 percent felt that consumers will prefer to invest approximately $250 in a set-top box over a new internet-enabled TV, Blu-ray player or home theater system.

When it comes to why consumers will invest in Connected TV, the top-rated response was to have a unified multimedia experience, with 53 percent of respondents rating the consumer-interest level for this activity at "very interested." Streaming video was rated next highest, with 51 percent of respondents giving the capability a "very interested" response, followed by Web surfing (40%), using online applications (35%), listening to music (34%) and viewing photographs (34%).

Though Connected TV enjoys a high-profile at the moment, more than half of the respondents didn't feel consumers would look to replace their cable and satellite television services with it for at least another five years (53%). However, the responding retail professionals personally felt that Connected TV technology could replace cable and satellite services sooner, with 28 percent seeing the shift taking hold in three years, and 22 percent seeing it happening as early as two years.

"This survey is very telling," said Andy Restivo, president and CEO of CCS. "Who better to ask to determine adoption trends for new technologies than the people engaging shoppers every day? The survey highlights the fact that the average retail salesperson carries with them a tremendous amount of product knowledge, even for nascent technologies. As key influencers of consumer purchasing decisions, retail salespeople can drive adoption of cutting-edge technologies and help new products find homes in people's living rooms."

If the shift is going to happen soon, manufacturers will need to do more to inform the general public about Connected TV technology. In a survey of consumers also sponsored by CCS, just 31 percent of respondents said they were familiar with the technology, and only 17% said they were likely to purchase a Connected TV solution with the next year.