DVRs not so hot? ESPN study shows they aren't for everybody.(DVR/VOD TECH SPECIAL REPORT)

Broadcasting & Cable, June, 2005 by Kerschbaumer, Ken

In a six-month study, ESPN gave viewers digital video recorders. At the end, the sports network came to this realization: Many people couldn't care less about DVRs. ESPN picked 100 households for its DVR experiment and periodically had trained researchers drop in to observe how using the device changed family viewing habits.

The murky verdict: Ultimately, 75% want to keep the DVR, but ESPN had trouble keeping the group intact. Over time, 90 of the 100 New York-area households dropped out and were replaced by others, and by the end, only 68 homes remained. "The findings of this study certainly contradict the prevailing wisdom that DVRs will become the norm [in] U.S. households and that the 30-second spot will be rendered obsolete," wrote ESPN's...

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