Over 70% of Brits with a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Can’t Live without It According to NDS Survey

According to the NDS DVR Report, an international survey of over 1,000 DVR owners:
Brits rank the DVR as the third most indispensable household item (70%), after the washing machine (95%) and the microwave oven (71%)
Brits rank the DVR as the second most essential household technology item they can’t live without (78%), beaten only by the mobile phone (80%)
62% of Brits with partners say that having a DVR makes for a happier home life

Over 70% of Brits who own a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) say that they can’t live without it, according to a new survey commissioned by NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV.

A DVR or personal video recorder (PVR) lets you record TV shows in digital format to a disk drive within the TV set-top box. NDS technology allows satellite TV subscribers to pause live TV, record, play back, rewind and fast forward their TV programs for viewing when they choose.

Other than the washing machine (95% of respondents) and the microwave oven (71%), no other household item is deemed more essential than the DVR (70%) in today’s UK homes. And when it comes to essential technology gadgets, the DVR (78%) is pipped to the post only by the mobile phone (80%), as the item they can’t live without. Intriguingly, the vast majority of respondents would rather give up their landline phone, dishwasher, radio, hairdryer and MP3 player than their DVR.

The survey also reveals that owning a DVR can make for a happier, less stressful home life. 64% of respondents with families believe that having a DVR has improved family life – which might help to explain why the DVR is ranked so favourably against other household items. Having a DVR also seems to improve relations between the sexes, with respondents who have partners saying that using a DVR has improved their relationship with their partner (62%). One respondent commented: “Having a DVR has taken the stress out of watching telly because no one has to compromise and miss their favourite programmes!”

NDS is the world leader in DVR technology. Over 18 pay-TV operators located all over the world have chosen NDS solutions to bring the unique capabilities and flexibility of the DVR to their subscribers, and there are more than 13.1 million NDS-powered DVRs in households around the world today.

Other report highlights

NDS wanted to know how DVRs are changing people’s lives. The statistics and trends detailed in the NDS DVR Report demonstrate the importance of the DVR’s role in the lives of British consumers of all ages.

Other key findings from the UK survey include:
DVR owners watch on average a total of 3.7 hours of television a day, made up of 2.2 hours of broadcast TV and 1.5 hours of recorded TV
Male DVR owners watch more recorded TV on average than women (1.7 hours vs 1.3 hours)
72% think that a DVR is much easier to operate than a video cassette recorder (VCR)
53% find that they are watching more interesting TV programmes since getting a DVR
77% agree that since getting a DVR they are more likely to find something to watch, when they want to watch TV
76% of people with a DVR think that it is a good idea because if the phone rings it doesn’t mean the programme they’re watching is ruined
46% of DVR owners with a family found that they had fewer family arguments over what to watch (this rises to 60% for people aged in their 40s)
81% of DVR owners think that having a DVR has improved how much they enjoy watching TV
30% of respondents who have only one DVR at the moment are so pleased with it that they would like to get a second one.

Commenting on the survey results, Nigel Smith, Chief Marketing Officer of NDS, said: “The results show how fast the DVR has become an indispensable part of many people’s lives in the UK. It’s one of those technologies that, once tried, has you wondering how you coped before. Other than the washing machine, the mobile phone and the microwave, the DVR is now seen as the household item people would least like to give up, which means they would rather wash up their dishes and manage without a hairdryer than be parted from their DVR! And if having a DVR also makes relationships with partners and immediate family less stressful and happier, it’s got to be a good thing”.