What Consumers Watch: TV Remains the Preferred Screen of Choice

While many have forgone traditional media in favor of social media, the latest edition of The Nielsen Company’s Three Screen Report, shows that over the last two years, ownership of HDTVs, DVRs and smartphones have increased at double and triple digit rates.

More than half of US TV households now have HDTV, up 189% from the first quarter of 2008, and more than one-third now have DVRs, up 51%.  High-speed broadband Internet access, now in 63.5% of homes, has created a better user experience for watching online videos and nearly a quarter of households have smartphones, enabling consumers to “place shift” and watch video wherever they are.

Who’s Watching What?
From the cart below you can see how select age demographics are watching TV and how much time they spend doing so. 

TV still remains the preferred screen of choice: viewers watched 2 more hours of TV per month in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period a year prior. They are also continuing to simultaneously use the Internet while watching TV, with the average time spent doing both activities up 9.8% to 3 hours and 41 minutes.

Instead of forgoing traditional media in favor of social media, perhaps you need to take a look at an integrated mix of the two and how they can complement each other.