Interesting Article from NYT about DVR and ratings

[Steveknj]

Originally Posted by DevdogAZ

Actually, if you check out this article from TVbythenumbers.com, they actually take this NY Times article to task, because it completely misstates the effect of DVR use on the ratings. Their point is that the supposed increases that the NYT article is touting are over numbers that nobody uses anymore.

Here's the deal: When you see the ratings for a TV show the next day, that number includes both live viewers, and those who watched the show on their DVR, VCR, etc. anytime before 3:00 a.m. Those ratings are called Live + SD (Same Day) and that's the number that gets reported most often in the media.

If this is still the case (and I'm sure it is), then the methodology is still in the dark ages. Advertisers still need a method of actually counting who's watching their ads to see if they are getting bang for their buck. If DVR ownership continues to trend upwards, the viewership of these ads will continue to move downward.

I wonder if there's a stat for pre-DVR of the percentage of viewers who actually watched commercials. I'm the type of guy who holds the remote in his hands at all time. Obviously on shows I recorded, I simply FF past the commercials, or 30 second skip. But on live shows, when ads come on, I'm switching to a second show, even for a few minutes during ads. And I've been doing this as long as I've had a remote for my TV. I wonder how many other people do this.

[SorenTodd]

Originally Posted by Steveknj

I'm the type of guy who holds the remote in his hands at all time. Obviously on shows I recorded, I simply FF past the commercials, or 30 second skip.

I'm not that rigid in holding the remote, but when I sense that an ad is upcoming, then I have my remote ready. After years of watching crime dramas, you develop a sense as to when a scene will end.

But on live shows, when ads come on, I'm switching to a second show, even for a few minutes during ads. And I've been doing this as long as I've had a remote for my TV. I wonder how many other people do this.

Well, I play that game two ways. If I'm watching "live" during prime time, I'm usually recording another network at the exact same time. So I will stay with the ads during program #1, and not spoil program #2 by changing my TV's input.

But if I'm just channel surfing later at night, then yeah, I'll duck out of channel #A when an ad comes on (and go to channel #B).

[allan]

Originally Posted by SorenTodd

Well, I play that game two ways. If I'm watching "live" during prime time, I'm usually recording another network at the exact same time. So I will stay with the ads during program #1, and not spoil program #2 by changing my TV's input.

Sometimes, when I'm watching live and recording on the other tuner, a commercial will get me watching a show in my NPL for a few minutes, then I'll switch back to #1 when I think the commercials are done.

[Steveknj]

Originally Posted by allan

Sometimes, when I'm watching live and recording on the other tuner, a commercial will get me watching a show in my NPL for a few minutes, then I'll switch back to #1 when I think the commercials are done.

If you have dual buffer tuners, you can actually watch BOTH shows at the same time sans commercials if you choose. These advertisers must HATE people like me

[steve614]

Advertisers just need to accept that (practically) no one watches commercials.
The VCR and DVR just made it more convenient to skip them.

[Aniketos]

Whenever I watch TV at someones house who doesn't have a DVR as soon as the commercial starts my hand instinctively darts down to where my remote should be.

[marksman]

Originally Posted by Aniketos

Whenever I watch TV at someones house who doesn't have a DVR as soon as the commercial starts my hand instinctively darts down to where my remote should be.

I have found myself doing that in movie theaters sometimes, during a slow part.