The majority of personal video recorder (PVR) households are relatively new to the technology, with the devices not yet affecting their television viewing behaviour, according to new research from ESPN.
According to the findings, about two-thirds of PVR users got their devices in the last six months, with 85% of consumers owning only one, while 15% own two.
Speaking during a recent presentation at the Carat Digital Exchange in New York, Artie Bulgrin, senior vice president research and sales development at ESPN, claimed that research suggests PVRs are leading to more family viewing, with household members gathering around the television set connected to the PVR.
He said that 68% of viewing in PVR households is now done with the television connected to the device, with 60% of all viewing in PVR households done ‘live’ and the majority of PVR owners still considering live television to be the norm.
Other findings from the study showed that 30% of PVR users regularly use the ‘trick’ viewing features on the devices, such as replay, slow-motion, and pause when watching the recorded programme.
Bulgrin said that there was anecdotal evidence that PVR owners occasionally replay television commercials they have fast-forwarded through when they’ve captured their attention.
The technology is quickly rising in popularity, with research firm, In-Stat, showing PVR unit shipments to have jumped to over 11.4 million in 2004, up from 4.6 million in 2003, signalling an increase in consumer awareness of time-shifted television programming (see Consumers Demand For PVRs More Than Doubles In A Year).
Over the next five years PVRs are set to enjoy massive growth, with penetration expected to reach over 11% of television households worldwide, according to a report from Informa Media (see PVRs Penetration To Reach 30% By 2010).
PVR penetration in the UK is forecast to reach five million in the next four years, with penetration set to reach 21% of the population by 2008, increasing to 34% by 2012, according to research from Starcom (see PVRs Causing Increasing Threat To Advertisers).
As a result of this dramatic uptake, Starcom estimates that, by 2008, advertisers will have lost 6% of commercial impacts – the opportunity for an individual to see a 30-second ad.
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