DVRs Help Some TV Shows Improve Ratings

ubermiester writes "After years of panicked lawsuits by content providers against TiVo and DVR technology in general, the NYTimes is reporting on yet another lesson for the content providers to learn and then immediately forget: 'Against almost every expectation, nearly half of all people watching delayed shows are still slouching on their couches watching messages about movies, cars, and beer. According to Nielsen, 46 percent of viewers 18 to 49 years old for all four networks taken together are watching the commercials during playback, up slightly from last year.' The article also notes viewership increases 'in the range of 7 to 12 percent, with some shows having increases of more than 20 percent when DVR ratings are added. The four networks together are averaging a 10 percent increase."

see...

[Emesee]

things tend to workout after all.... things always aren't so bad.... so be of good cheer

Re:DVR usage

[easyTree]

skipping ads is communism / terrorism / child-unfriendly :P

Re:watching commercials

[NoYob]

Try the "pause" button, you can stop for a break whenever you want to.

But...that's extra work! Geeze! When I'm in front of the TV, I veg, man. I don't even get up to pee - I wear Depends and just go in my pants. Same with #2 - I blame the cat when the wife comes in. You can't expect someone to work when they're watching TV! It's bad enough I got to hit the power button and the play button.

Re:watching commercials

[Cro Magnon]

The beer commercials contribute to one, and I'm sure there's a drug commercial for the other.

Re:I don't get why PVR-users watch recorded ads...

[Adambomb]

A beowulf cluster of smug elitist know-it-alls, you insensitive clod!

For some reason this article

[Anonymous Coward]

makes me want to TIVO a show about the MPAA sposored by RIAA.

Re:I don't get why PVR-users watch recorded ads...

[Obfuscant]

I don't understand why those with PVRs still watch the ads.

Because you miss all the irony if you skip them. Like ads for Carl's Jr. or Jack in the Box during exercise shows.

The very best one was last night. Premiere of "Sex Addict Rehab With Dr. Drew." A facility full of sex addicts, men and women, models, rock stars, and an "adult video star". Not a single one of them sexually attractive in any way, but they're all sitting around talking about having sex with each other. The "adult star", knowing shes going to a facility to treat her addiction, tried sneaking in a dildo she called "Ron Jeremy", and a pair of knee-pads. Epitome of skank.

The major advertiser? Trojan. Not for condoms, but for women's mini-vibrators.

I don't know if it was sad or funny.

Re:That's because they need MythTV

[Hazard X]

Couldn't have said it better myself. The commercials breakup casual TV watching, so you're given (well forced to have) the opportunity to go do something else (IE, bathroom, check stove whatever) rather than compulsively chain-loading the next episode....and watching the majority of entire seasons of star trek in single sittings. Not that I've ever done that...

Re:That's because they need MythTV

[operagost]

On the one hand, it's $200 for each recorder.
On the other hand, it compresses everything to h264 which is very useful.
On the 3rd hand, you end up with 720p/1080i h264 recordings that are "tricky" to play back.
On the 4th hand, you can get a $200 nettop that will play them back fine.

I didn't realize that we had Goro on Slashdot!