more than 70 percent of Internet users streamed video online in March this year

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Internet Video: A Stream Becomes a Virtual Deluge - New York Times

The computer appears to be well on its way toward total entertainment domination in the home. As evidence, look at new data from comScore Inc.: more than 70 percent of Internet users streamed video online in March this year. Television, movies, music and more — it’s all there in that box, awaiting full integration.

Zippier technology is driving more people to stream video online. A few years ago, if you wanted to see a video, the screen would taunt you with the words “buffering ... buffering ... buffering ...” until you lost interest or forgot what you wanted to look at. Now, you are more likely to achieve instant gratification.

And you don’t need a heavy-duty attention span, either. The average length of a streamed video was 2.6 minutes, according to comScore.

Another factor in the streaming explosion is the rise of user-generated content, as popularized by YouTube. That explains why the highest percentage of Internet users stream video on sites run by Google, which presciently agreed to buy YouTube last October. PHYLLIS KORKKI