Rich Fiscus
27 Aug 2007 5:09
DVRs have earned the enmity of broadcasters and advertisers alike by enabling viewers to easily skip their least favorite bit of the TV watching experience, commercials. Another group may be moving the DVR further up on its list of disliked technologies in the wake of Ofcom's fourth annual report on the state of the UK's communications market. In the survey, 31 percent of DVR owners said that they are watching fewer DVDs.
Ofcom's "Heavy viewer" DVR owners, those who watch the largest amount of TV, are least likely to watch DVDs. 53 percent of that group now watch fewer DVDs. But the DVR effect isn't Limited to just heavy TV watchers—the rest of Ofcom's three groups (light, medium, and medium-to-heavy) reported watching anywhere from 28 percent to 34 percent fewer DVDs. In contrast, only 9 percent of DVR owners surveyed by Ofcom report watching more DVDs.
Ofcom's figures are another indication of how radically consumer-friendly technologies like the DVR are affecting the entertainment industry. The TV and motion picture industries do have options other than pushing back with content restrictions, however, thanks to the widespread availability of broadband.
Source: Ars Technica