Why More People Watch Mobile Video At Home Than On The Bus

Smartphones and tablets are supposed to be mobile devices, but the freedom to watch movies on the go is apparently lost on many people.

A survey from Nielsen suggests people are more likely to watch streaming videos at home than in any other location. Over 74 per cent watch video at home, while a measly 31 per cent fire up YouTube on their daily commute. Why would you watch an eye-straining iPhone 4 video when you have a computer or HDTV in the same room?

It comes down to convenience, quality and data caps. It’s easy to fire up YouTube on the iPad and watch a quick video during a commercial. Much easier than launching some YouTube widget on your TV.

Video quality is also better at home than on the bus. Anyone who has tried to watch a video over 3G knows the pain of jerky playback and dropped connections. It’s just not worth it.

There’s also the issue of 3G data caps. If you watch a lot of video, you could easily exceed that 2GB data cap and find yourself in a world of hurt the next time your mobile bill hits your mailbox. [AllThingsD]