Do DVR users really skip commercials?
There is an interesting thought piece over at TVPredictions.com which talks about a common belief that PVR / DVR owners all skip commercials. The author goes on to give his views about why this is more myth than fact, and he points to a study to back it up.
The main argument is that most people prefer to watch their show in real time if possible. I know that I personally can’t always wait to see the next episode of a show (24 comes to mind), so I will watch it when it is on. Will I watch it through my PVR? Yes. Why? Because you never know when the phone will ring, or when someone will be at the door, or when the kitchen will catch fire, etc. The majority of the time I don’t even use the pause features.
The other main argument in the TVPredicitions.com article is that the TV advertising industry is trying to create an illusion that their ads are not being seen. The reason: in hopes that TV networks will lower their advertising rates.
Other interesting results from the study show that PVR / DVR users tend to watch 2 more hours of TV a week than non PVR / DVR users. There was also an increase from 11% to 17% of adults who own a PVR / DVR.
All in all, the study is quite interesting to read. If nothing else, it shows fits in with all other evidence that suggests that PVR / DVR technology is experiencing a strong growth.
[...] (via PurePVR) [...]
[...] This report echoes other studies that show that PVR / DVR users actually use the features on their devices. The whole thing seems kind of confusing to me – almost like the boy who cried wolf (or the MPAA or the RIAA). Why would cable companies introduce devices that effectively eliminate a potential source of income? If advertising revenue were to really dip enough that it affects profits, I’m willing to bet that cable companies would start to axe features like commercial skipping. Would it drive up advertising revenues? Possibly. Would it lower PVR / DVR sales? More likely than not. [...]