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Television Still Popular, Despite Online Video

While digital video continues to grab headlines with the growing prominence of streaming and downloading video files among online adults, today's entertainment enthusiasts remain largely steadfast in their love of traditional viewing options, according to Ipsos Insight.

Among those adults that actively stream and download video content, just 11 percent of the video content they consume is viewed on a PC, while the overwhelming majority of their video content (75 percent) is consumed on a television set. Even among 12-24 year olds, who are the heaviest video streamers or downloaders, over 60 percent of their video content is currently consumed on the TV.

So, according to Ipsos, despite the rise of online video offerings today, consumers appear just as entranced by the increasing variety of content options available for viewing on their TVs, including terrestrial and premium broadcast television, DVDs, and pay-per-view options, as well as a growing autonomy to control when they watch their video content.

In response to the abundant video content options and user-friendly controls, Americans are increasingly investing in consumer technologies that create a video viewing utopia in the living room. For example, over one in four (27 percent) households in the U.S. now owns a home theater system with multiple surround sound speakers, while 20 percent own a large screen plasma or LCD television.

In addition, nearly one in five households owns a TiVO or other DVR device (19 percent), and though the impact of the DVR on overall viewing behaviors continues to be debated, it remains obvious that Americans still love watching television -- consuming nearly 16 hours per week on average.

"It's clear that consumers are inclined to experiencing video, particularly longer-form content, within their living rooms. 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," said Brian Cruikshank, Executive Vice President of the Ipsos Insight Technology and Communications practice.

Consumers aren't just spending money on the technologies in their living room, but also heavily investing in the video content they can experience on their TVs. Driven largely by the passion consumers have for living room entertainment, DVDs have become a ubiquitous medium.

Today, three in four (74 percent) households own a DVD player, and the average video library in households now includes almost 50 DVDs. In addition, the majority of American households (71 percent) subscribe to some form of premium video subscription service, whether it's standard cable television service, digital cable service, or digital broadcast satellite service.

Lastly, newer subscription services are further bolstering the TV's position as the nexus of video viewing. For example, close to one in five (17 percent) U.S. households now have rented DVDs through a mail service such as those offered from Netflix or Blockbuster.

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