Almost four in 10 U.S. households (38%) own DVRs, according to Nielsen. White and Asian households are more likely than Hispanic or Black households to have DVRs.
DVR watching is most prevalent among affluent households; those with incomes of $100,000 or more make up 29% of DVR playback watchers, but only 19% of the overall population. Although the majority (62%) of DVR viewers are younger than 45, the demographics are shifting as the technology moves into mainstream adoption.
Most (88%) of the primetime broadcast programming that’s recorded on DVR is played back within three days after the original airtime; 49% is played back the same day. Prime watching hours for recorded programming are the same as for live TV watching: peak hours are 9-10 p.m.
In the majority of DVR households, the DVR is part of the cable box (58%) or satellite box (40%); only 3% of DVR owners have stand-alone devices.
Although watching prerecorded shows allows viewers to fast-forward through commercials, many DVR viewers do watch the ads.
Some genres are more popular than others for watching in recorded form. Viewers often prefer to watch sports and news programs live, while science fiction and sitcoms are likely to be watched later. [Television, Entertainment]
Source: “December 2010 State of the Media: DVR Use in the U.S.,” Nielsen, Kathleeen Mathus, Communications Analyst, Television, 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003; 646-654-5000; kathleen.mathus@nielsen.com; www.nielsen.com. This report is available for download: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DVR-State-of-the-Media-Report.pdf
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