A key factor to this expansion is the integration of DVRs into cable and DBS set top boxes: 55 percent of DVR homes had it as part of their cable box and 40 percent had a DVR within their DBS box.  Just 5 percent had a standalone DVR.  And as households recognize the convenience DVR offers, a growing number are becoming multi-DVR households.  25 percent of homes had two, while 5 percent had three or more.

“DVRs are changing the way Americans watch TV. Despite the competition for viewers’ attention from the Internet, video games and other media, TV viewership continues to rise.  As with other vehicles, convenience is key – allowing people to consume content when they want.  DVRs are a relatively inexpensive and useful tool for viewers to do that,” said Pat McDonough, Senior Vice President, Planning Policy & Analysis at Nielsen.

So what are people recording and when are they finding the time to playback recorded programs? Most playback is occurring during primetime, early fringe and late fringe.  Playback during the day was highest on Saturdays and Sundays as viewers used the weekend to catch up on their favorite programs and movies.  Programs recorded between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. were played back within the same day more than those airing at 10 p.m., which could impact live viewership of programs airing at 10 p.m. and later.

Of Nielsen’s 56 Metered Markets, the top ten for DVR penetration are:

Download a full copy of Nielsen’s DVR report, including more detailed information about playback, impact on program loyalty, demographics and possible implications for networks here.

During this period, households with broadcast only (i.e., no cable or satellite service) TVs declined from 11.5 percent to 10.9 percent while cable or satellite service has increased slightly from 88.5 percent to 89.1 percent.  This increase may be related to the upcoming transition to digital television that was originally set to take place in February 2009.

Satellite service grew modestly as well, from 28.0 percent to 28.8 percent.  Cable or satellite service with pay channels, such as HBO, Showtime and Cinemax, has grown steadily over the five quarters, from 47.0 percent to 49.4 percent.

Digital Video Recorders (DVR) have grown in popularity over the last five quarters, with 28.9 percent of households owning a device, up from 21.3 percent in Q4 2007.  20.2 percent of homes have one DVR, while 8.7 percent have two or more devices. Homes capable of receiving high definition television jumped from 12.9 percent on Q4 07 to 23.4 percent in Q4 08.  Video game console ownership increased from 37.8 percent to 39.0 percent, while homes containing personal computers with internet access increased from 70.9 percent to 73.8 percent.  More than 54 percent of households had one or two TVs, 24.9 percent owned three TVs while 20.8 percent owned four or more sets.

“At this point, we have no indication that economic factors are causing homes to cancel their cable subscriptions or cut back on DVR, HD, gaming or Internet capabilities.  These segments have remained steady – or in some cases, increased – over the five quarter period we studied,” said Pat McDonough, senior vice president of Planning Policy & Analysis at Nielsen.  “That said, one factor that may be masking any economic component is the digital transition.  It may have been necessary for some homes to invest in new equipment to prepare for the conversion.”

In terms of device usage, Nielsen found no significant increases or declines in TV viewing, DVR playback, DVD playback or video game console use, suggesting that the economy has had no measureable impact on these activities.

According to a separate Nielsen survey, the Home Technology Report, consumers continue to purchase new technologies for home entertainment.

The Home Technology Report telephonically surveyed 1,433 people in Q4 2008.

In addition to the increased popularity of the iPhone, Nielsen found that DVRs such as Tivo are showing up in more homes, with penetration up over 50% versus a year ago.  Households with teens were over 30 percent more likely than the average household to own or rent a DVR device.

Download the full report here.

Nielsen’s Q3 2008 Home Technology report measures quarterly survey data on American technology usage and attitudes.  A Nielsen PreView study based on this HTR focused on adoption rates on over 50 current technology devices and technology subscriptions.

The data from Nielsen confirms anecdotal evidence indicating that DVR users are passionate about the devices.  The story noted that in 30% of the estimated 28 million homes with DVRs, the devices are connected to more than one TV set.