Study: Americans still like to see video on TV
Friday, May 25, 2007
By: Stewart Schley
Reports of traditional television’s death at the hands of online video appear once again to be premature, according to a new study released by Ipsos Insight.
The consulting company’s biannual study of digital video behavior found adults who actively stream and download video content watch just 11% of their television on a computer screen. They get about 75% of their video content over a TV screen, and on average Americans watch almost 16 hours of TV per week.
The loyalty toward the family TV also appears to hold true with younger (12-24 year old) viewers, according to the report. While typically they're the most avid video streaming and download users, more than 60% of the content they view is on a TV set.
And while television networks have recently started offering full-length video of TV episodes online, the study found that only 26% of users who say they frequently download and stream video – or 11% of the total
population – say they have ever viewed full-length shows on their computers.
There does appear to be interest in viewing downloaded video on the TV, however. About 43% of adults who stream or download video say they are interested in burning digital files from their PC onto a DVD so they can watch it on the living room set.
Ipsos also found that 27% of households now have a home theater system with surround-sound speakers, and 17% of the TVs are high-definition units. Despite the buzz surrounding digital video recorders, Ipsos’s study found just 19% of households have such devices.
“It’s clear that consumers are inclined to experiencing video, particularly longer-form content, within their living rooms,” said Brian Cruikshank, Executive Vice President of the Ipsos Insight Technology and Communications practice. “And given the growing investment many are making to upgrade their current technology at home, the TV appears to be well positioned to remain the dominant ‘screen’ for most video enthusiasts.”