# New Data and Projections on DVR's



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

The following is a Press Release from a firm that does alot of work for various media and advertising groups:



> *DVRs NOW IN OVER ONE-QUARTER OF US HOUSEHOLDS*
> _DVR Owners are Very Happy, but Impact on Total TV Viewing Remains Modest_
> 
> *Durham, NH* - September 15, 2008 - New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) found that 27% of TV households in the United States have at least one Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and 30% of those households have more than one DVR.
> ...


While the 6% "time shifting" seems low, in fact that which involves primetime shows is a larger number. From a Media Life article related to this new study:


> Last season, about 16 percent of viewing by adults 25-54 in primetime was to time-shifted programs, according to a MediaVest analysis of Nielsen ratings.


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

> 68% of DVR owners say that they usually watch recorded DVR programs when there is nothing on regularly scheduled TV that they want to watch


Not to put too fine a point on it, but in other words, 68% of people with DVRs are being stupid with how they use them.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

I'm sure the percentage of DBStalk members who time-shift (prime time or not) is MUCH higher than the rates provided by the sources in the OP...


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Lee L said:


> Not to put too fine a point on it, but in other words, 68% of people with DVRs are being stupid with how they use them.


I know it sounds stupid but sometimes I just like to find something interesting that's on now. Sometimes I'm bored with the stuff I record.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Oh, has anyone actually been to Durham NH lately? The last time I visited it, there was a college, and a lot of cows, and not much else. Has it grown?


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I know it sounds stupid but sometimes I just like to find something interesting that's on now. Sometimes I'm bored with the stuff I record.


Exactly.

I would never record COPS. Last night, however, I noticed it in the guide an thought it would be a nice diversion - and it was.


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## jimmyv2000 (Feb 15, 2007)

Stuart Sweet said:


> Oh, has anyone actually been to Durham NH lately? The last time I visited it, there was a college, and a lot of cows, and not much else. Has it grown?


Durham is still Nice i work in Madbury next town over 
Back to topic,
I think that 28% is a little low, my best guess is around 35% have dvrs now.
Vcrs are history and with the New D*HD DVR coming out thats Tivo enabled i expect that # to grow to 40%+


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

Lee L said:


> Not to put too fine a point on it, but in other words, 68% of people with DVRs are being stupid with how they use them.


There is a learning curve for some folks weaning away from mindless channel surfing to finding the actual purpose DVRs serve.

I've been a DVR user since October of 2000. Nice to know people are catching on.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

With a penetration rate of 28%, DVRs are the enemy of television. Who will watch the ads now?


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## rustynails (Apr 24, 2008)

"DVR owners are very happy with the service – 87% would recommend their DVR service to a friend..."


These people must be E customers with the VIP 722!


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Prior to ever having a DVR (4 HD DVRs ago), I always thought that there was no real benefit to having one.

Then I got my first HD DVR, and haven't looked back since.

As one who travels a fair amount, and also has a generally busy schedule, not to mention diverse household in terms of viewing interest...having multiple HD DVRs has been a wonderfully opportunity to do a list of new things:

1) Watch preferred HD programming at our viewing convenience

2) Assure that programming which is ongoing (series) can be viewed without missing an episode

3) Allow for multiple interests of viewing without sacrificing anything, or preventing one party from seeing something in lieu of another

4) Retaining certain programs for repeat viewing at our convenience

All in all, we've gone from "why have one" to "HD viewing is soooo much better with a DVR".


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## MIAMI1683 (Jul 11, 2007)

rustynails said:


> "DVR owners are very happy with the service - 87% would recommend their DVR service to a friend..."
> 
> These people must be E customers with the VIP 722!


 Ya I doubt that. Maybe some...and Tivo doesn't make a difference either. People like DVR technology. My parents have 2 HRxx's. I like my 5 dvr's too. People like convienience. They like the trick play functions as much as the recording capabillty. Interesting study. Glad to see more people are using it.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Prior to ever having a DVR (4 HD DVRs ago), I always thought that there was no real benefit to having one.
> 
> Then I got my first HD DVR, and haven't looked back since.


I loaned a TiVo to a couple I know and they were very uncertain going into it. I called a week later and asked how it was going. The husband replied, " I feel like I'm getting some value from paying the cable bill".

I think it's a personal experience unlike most other electronic devices and it crosses gender lines. Once you go there, doing without a DVR is unthinkable.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

How many people in the survey wish they had DLB?


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

Just got my third HD-DVR today! An HR21-200.
My wife even loves them, even though I've been trying to break her of the habit of calling them a TIVO
And we've never had a TIVO!


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## kevinwmsn (Aug 19, 2006)

Its better than the old days of finding a tape that has space and can only set one recording.


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## jediphish (Dec 4, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I know it sounds stupid but sometimes I just like to find something interesting that's on now. Sometimes I'm bored with the stuff I record.


I would say I am ten times more likely to watch an "old movie" (i.e. a movie I've seen more than a couple of times) if it is playing in real time than on DVD where I own the movie. Even moreso, I wouldn't DVR the movie at all (other than live pause).


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## cadet502 (Jun 17, 2005)

We used to have a pile of VHS tapes with a week or two of programs that we caught up on over the weekend. Got our first Series 2 Tivo about right after they came out. (Lifetime service, what a deal!)

We've got 7 tuners of DVR in the house.

My sons dorm room has one of our old series 2s, and one of his roommates brought along a newer 2 tuner Tivo, three tuners, four guys.


.


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## captain_video (Nov 22, 2005)

Several people I know that have DVRs just never got into the habit of using them the way they were meant to be used. Many people are daunted by new technology and tend to avoid using it if there's any kind of a learning curve involved. It's difficult for some people to adjust to the new lifestyle that DVRs offer and still watch their shows during primetime instead of timeshifting. They'll use the DVR for occasional recording but not much else.

What I find interesting in the report is the high level of satisfaction people are claiming for their DVR service. Chances are the ones that are using the cableco DVRs have never used a real DVR before and are just impressed by what they can do ("Look, Honey! It records just like a VCR!"). I'd be willing to bet that if they ever got the chance to use a real DVR like a Tivo or the HRXX models for a reasonable period the satisfaction rating for the cableco DVRs would drop considerably.


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## david_jr (Dec 10, 2006)

captain_video said:


> Several people I know that have DVRs just never got into the habit of using them the way they were meant to be used. Many people are daunted by new technology and tend to avoid using it if there's any kind of a learning curve involved. It's difficult for some people to adjust to the new lifestyle that DVRs offer and still watch their shows during primetime instead of timeshifting. They'll use the DVR for occasional recording but not much else.
> 
> What I find interesting in the report is the high level of satisfaction people are claiming for their DVR service. Chances are the ones that are using the cableco DVRs have never used a real DVR before and are just impressed by what they can do ("Look, Honey! It records just like a VCR!"). I'd be willing to bet that if they ever got the chance to use a real DVR like a Tivo or the HRXX models for a reasonable period the satisfaction rating for the cableco DVRs would drop considerably.


Don't have cable, but your post piqued my interest. What is the difference between a cableco dvr & a "real dvr" like a tivo or HRXX? Would you put E*'s in the former or the latter?


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## swans (Jan 23, 2007)

Lee L said:


> Not to put too fine a point on it, but in other words, 68% of people with DVRs are being stupid with how they use them.


You are saying that 68% of people with DVRs are stupid for watching a recorded show when nothing else is on live TV?


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

swans said:


> You are saying that 68% of people with DVRs are stupid for watching a recorded show when nothing else is on live TV?


After reading some of the material, I understood it to say that most people don't use their DVR to its fullest potential; IE: they don't time shift. They have not been weaned from live TV.


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

For those that don't know, Durham NH is the home of the University of New Hampshire which also has a relationship with NH's biggest PBS station, WENH-TV. I don't know if the college owns it or leases space to it or what - but the studios are at the campus. That and Amtrak's Downeaster train station (going north to Portland ME and south to Boston MA) pretty much describe Durham.


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## apabruce (Dec 17, 2007)

DVR's are the greatest thing since sliced bread for commercial haters, and makes watching TV more efficient.

I record everything, even live sporting events. If a game I want to see comes on a 4, I set it to record and start watching it at 5 or so. Friends complain about all the political ads this year, but I haven't seen any of them.

Even if I start watchng a live show, when the first commercial comes on I realize I don't want to see it so I pause and go find something else to do for 15 or 20 minutes.


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## kevred9 (Jul 18, 2008)

I actually find most "off the shelf" DVRs too limiting.

It isn't for the non-technical, but I would miss the following if I went back to a HRxxx, VIP-xxx, TIVO, or cableCo DVR:

1) Multi-room viewing. Everything recorded is available on any TV.
2) Ability to cut out commericials and archive the modified video (great for the kids shows)
3) Ability to convert the video to other formats for use on other devices, in the car on an SD card, etc.
4) Ability to archive DVDs on-line (great for the kids DVDs)

Tivo does have #1 I think, and the HRxxx might get it sometime. VIP-xxx can support 2 rooms currently...

Networks will never allow #2 the way I want it... They may limit #3 too.
Some DVRs have some type of #4 when pointed at a PC. Not sure if they can store it locally without access to the pc...


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

Some people will never be organized enough to plan their viewing. They will always use the DVR mainly as a "pause" device. And that's OK...that's why DVRs give us the capability to pause live TV.

I am exactly the opposite. I plan everything and record it in advance, except sporting events or unless I am watching something someone else has turned on.

There is no "right" or "wrong" about this and I would never put down anyone who mainly watches live TV with a DVR. Especially since I am married to such a person!

And the total death of TV commercials, if it ever happens, will make it a lot harder for viewers to find out about new products that they just might be interested in.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

My 622 calls home every night at 9:39. I wonder what they talk about? :sure:


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

swans said:


> You are saying that 68% of people with DVRs are stupid for watching a recorded show when nothing else is on live TV?


I took the quote to mean that 68% of people only watched recorded shows when they had nothing live to watch.

Me, I only watch live shows if there is nothing recorded to watch or for sporting events. Why watch live, when you can record it and watch when you want and avoid some commercials? Heck ,there are shows I talk about with people and when they ask me when it is on, I honestly don;t know.


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## rustynails (Apr 24, 2008)

MIAMI1683 said:


> Ya I doubt that. Maybe some...and Tivo doesn't make a difference either. People like DVR technology. My parents have 2 HRxx's. I like my 5 dvr's too. People like convienience. They like the trick play functions as much as the recording capabillty. Interesting study. Glad to see more people are using it.


You don't really know what you are missing if you have never tried the VIP 722. It's what all DVR's should aspire to be!


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## swans (Jan 23, 2007)

Lee L said:


> I took the quote to mean that 68% of people only watched recorded shows when they had nothing live to watch.
> 
> Me, I only watch live shows if there is nothing recorded to watch or for sporting events. Why watch live, when you can record it and watch when you want and avoid some commercials? Heck ,there are shows I talk about with people and when they ask me when it is on, I honestly don;t know.


I do exactly what you do. It would be interesting to actually see the question and possible responses. I kind of believe that the number is really too high.


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## Rick_R (Sep 1, 2004)

I actually had my DVR (a 622) a month before I actually tried to pause live TV. I couldn't get used to the idea. I just recorded a few shows at first. Now I pause live TV all the time. I will go back during a football game to see that play I liked or was controversial. After I do that I am running behind live TV so at the next commercial I can skip it.

I also do what a previous poster suggested. For the 11:00 news I set the DVR to the news and then press pause. I get ready for bed then I watch the news and skip over commercials.

One thing with a DVR that is different from taping a show. With tape I would fast forward over commercials but I would see the commercial run in maybe 4 seconds and often, maybe once or twice during a show, I would find a commercial that interested me and watch it. With my DVR the 30 second skip totally misses the commercial and I rarely watch one. Four 30 second skip presses gets you past a football timeout.

Rick R


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## nowandthen (Nov 19, 2005)

Rick_R said:


> One thing with a DVR that is different from taping a show. With tape I would fast forward over commercials but I would see the commercial run in maybe 4 seconds and often, maybe once or twice during a show, I would find a commercial that interested me and watch it. With my DVR the 30 second skip totally misses the commercial and I rarely watch one. Four 30 second skip presses gets you past a football timeout.
> 
> Rick R


That's why I don't reprogram my HR20 from slip to skip (so I can glimpse the commercials). And most of the time I use >> x3 for skipping commercials. I do use 4 hits on the 30 second slip during football, works very well!

Any show that I regularly watch and a few "fillers" get recorded. I never watch them live. And I too sometimes find myself trying to remember when a show airs :lol:


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## ronnald (Sep 19, 2008)

I can't watch live TV anymore since getting into the DVR world many years ago.I can watch the local news in 5 minutes.


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## Getteau (Dec 20, 2007)

Lee L said:


> <snip>
> Heck ,there are shows I talk about with people and when they ask me when it is on, I honestly don;t know.


I'm glad I'm not the only one. At best, I can probably tell you when one or two of the shows I watch actually comes on. If it's not on a local station, don't even ask me what channel. The rest were set when I happened to see them in the guide or by a search and I catch them when I notice them in the list.


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## mica (Jul 18, 2006)

I visited my inlaws recently, and they just got a time warner dvr hooked up to a 42" samsung hdtv, but they only had composite cables hooked up to their 'video 1' input! 

There was an hdmi cable just sitting there on top of the dvr, so I hooked that up for them and showed them where the HD channels could be found (~700s). Then I tuned in the Olympic games and they were just blown away. Then I scheduled a recording of the games for each night that week (pretty much so I could watch them) and, again, they were blown away. 

All that power under their fingertips . . .


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## BaldEagle (Jun 19, 2006)

> * 35% of DVR owners feel that they spend more time watching programs recorded on their DVR than regularly scheduled programs


Seems low to me. Does that include putting a regular scheduled program on delay, doing something else for a few minutes, then coming back later so commercials can be FF'ed?

If so then for me it is 99%, almost never watch a live program with commercials.


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