In a recent Internet survey of consumers, ABI Research found that one in four online consumers use a digital video recorder (DVR), with the vast majority of these furnished by a video service provider. While DVRs were made famous by TiVo, it turns out that consumer’s video service provider is becoming the primary supplier of time-shifting technology to consumers in the form of an advanced set-top box, and the survey results shed new light on users’ habits and preferences.
“The market for DVR is fairly mature,” said Michael Wolf, research director at ABI Research. “While just a few years ago many consumers still did not have a firm grasp of the benefit DVRs would bring them, today the concept of DVR and time-shifting is fairly well understood. That being said, adoption levels are still fairly dependent on service provider rollouts and whether consumers are interested in paying additional fees for the benefits of a DVR.”
The survey showed that both TiVo and service provider DVR customers are just as likely to skip most commercials. Nearly four of five TiVo customers and over 82% of service provider DVR customers indicated they skip all or most commercials. Both types are also both likely to record significant amounts of TV per day, with nearly half of TiVo owners indicating they recorded two or more hours per day while 43% of service provider DVR owners recording a similar amount of shows.
“Our research has found that behavior in usage of DVRs is similar regardless of who provides it, or the demographic profile of the user,” said Wolf. “While there are slight variations in usage based on age and income, once you put the technology in their hands the vast majority of consumers show similar behavior.”
Consumer Media 2007 explains how consumers’ use of traditional media is increasingly balanced with acquisition of media via new consumption and distribution methods. Much of the report is based on a survey taken in Q2 2007, and it analyzes how different consumer types will evolve over time and what impact they will have on how digital media is consumed. It also explores how consumers changing behavior will change the need for storage, and forecasts consumers’ future needs based on assumptions of future usage. The report forms part of two ABI Research Services, Consumer Video Technologies, and Digital Media.
ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets. Utilizing a unique blend of market intelligence, primary research, and expert assessment from its worldwide team of industry analysts, ABI Research assists hundreds of clients each year with their strategic growth initiatives. For information, visit http://www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.
