In a desperate move to maintain their ad revenues, the big networks just released “research” that claims that the impact of DVR’s is much less than earlier forecast. By using the fact, probably true, that people tend to watch more TV when they have a DVR, they postulate that they will also watch more ads. They even found three people who say they like watching the commercials and rarely skip over them.
The fact is, I agree that I watch TV more since I bought a DVR. The ease of recording shows without having to hassle with tapes is one of the biggest advantages of owning a digital video recorder. Then, of course, the ability to watch shows recorded earlier whenever you want also lets you watch your favorite shows at times when there is usually nothing on.
But for me, half the pleasure of watching a show is being able to watch it without the maddening commercial breaks that seem to come more frequently and last longer than ever. The continuity of a drama can be totally destroyed by stupid perfume ads or worse, the ones for precription drugs that end with all the gory side effects that you “may” experience. I’m sure that the writers and directors of a romantic drama don’t really appreciate a poignant scene being followed by an ad that includes the words “anal leakage.”
That said, I always skip through commercials when I’m watching a pre-recorded show. It’s not just that I don’t like having to sit through ads for stuff I don’t want; it’s that I like saving the time. I can now watch a show in 25-30% less time than it takes in real time. When I’m watching live TV upstairs, I’m constantly reaching for the remote to skip commercials only to be disappointed that I can’t.
So good luck networks in convincing your advertising agencies that DVR’s have little impact on the hours people spend watching commercials. In my house it just isn’t true.
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