Skip to main content

Consumers Prefer Instant Media

The study, Internet and Multimedia 2005: The On-Demand Media Consumer, finds that an estimated 27 million Americans own one or more on-demand media devices – such as a TiVo®/DVR, iPod® or other portable MP3 player – and also exhibit multiple behaviors that show a heavy tendency toward an on-demand media lifestyle.

The study focuses on devices and services that allow Americans to exercise more control over the media they consume:

Recommended Videos

·       Twenty-seven percent of 12- to 17- year olds own an iPod or other portable MP3 player.
·       An estimated 43 million Americans choose to record TV programming to watch at a different time (using technology such as a VCR or TiVo/DVR).

·       Seventy-six percent of consumers own at least one DVD.  Thirty-nine percent own 20 or more DVDs in their personal collection.

·       Awareness of XM Satellite Radio has tripled since 2002, from 17 percent to 50 percent, while awareness of Sirius Satellite Radio has increased even more significantly, from eight percent to 54 percent.

“The study shows that consumers, while still using traditional media, have great enthusiasm and passion for on-demand media,” said Bill Rose, senior vice president of Marketing, U.S. Media Services, Arbitron Inc.  “Traditional and Internet broadcasters need to adjust their approaches to accommodate this increasingly important consumer segment.” 

“Consumers are taking more control over the media that they use, how they use them and when they use them,” said Joe Lenski, executive vice president, Edison Media Research.

Additional findings from the study include:

·       Those who use on-demand audio devices/services spend only slightly less time listening to traditional radio compared to the average. The average consumer spends approximately 2 hours 48 minutes per day listening to traditional radio, compared with 2 hours 33 minutes per day among those who owned iPods/portable MP3 devices, subscribed to satellite radio or listened to Internet radio during the past week.

·       Broadband connections are just as common as dial-up connections in American households.  Forty-eight percent of people with home Internet access have broadband and 48 percent have dial-up service.

·       The monthly Internet video audience is estimated to be approximately 35 million people; the weekly online video audience is nearly 20 million.

·       The number of Americans who made a purchase from a Web site in the past week has more than tripled, with four percent having purchased online in the past week in 2001 compared to 14 percent in 2005.

·       Ten percent of Americans with household income of $100,000 or more own a hand-held wireless e-mail device such as a BlackBerry®, compared to three percent of Americans 12+.

The findings reported here are based on a January 2005 survey consisting of 1,855 telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of Arbitron’s Fall 2004 radio diarykeepers.

Ian Bell
I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?
Fiio’s reboot of the Walkman no longer hides those glorious cassettes
Fiio CP13 Transparent cassette player.

What's better than engaging in the time-honored tradition of listening to a cassette tape while on the go? I'd argue it's being able to see tape itself -- in all its glory -- as you indulge in your favorite mix, or a prerecorded album. That's what you get with the new transparent edition of the Fiio CP13, a modern interpretation of the classic Walkman that caused a minor stir when it debuted at CES 2024.

The transparent edition joins the CP13's existing colors (red/silver, blue/silver, and white/black) at the official price of $129, however, we see that Amazon is already selling it for less at just $99.

Read more
Nebula’s new Capsule 3 and Mars 3 Air projectors go with Google TV
The Nebula Mars 3 Air portable projector on a table.

The Nebula Mars 3 Air Anker

Anker's popular sub-brand Nebula has been gaining a reputation for making some excellent projectors, and today the company added to its lineup with two new portable offerings. The soda-can sized Capsule 3 and the slightly bigger and more powerful Mars 3 Air will retail for $550 and $600, respectively, and will be available on November 20.

Read more
Astell&Kern’s new headphone DAC is PlayStation-ready
Astell&Kern HB1 Bluetooth DAC/amp seen with portable game console.

An Astell&Kern HB1 Bluetooth DAC/amp connected to a Nintendo Switch and Focal headphones. Astell&Kern

Bluetooth DAC/amp has a variety of features that will endear it to fans of hi-res audio, but if those fans are also console gamers, it could be even more attractive thanks to its support of USB Audio Class (UAC) 1.0 and its headset-friendly microphone compatibility. A&K has also announced its latest high-end portable media player, the , which offers an intriguing and versatile mix of analog outputs. Both new products will be available in November from select A&K retailers. The HB1 has been priced at $259, while the Kann Ultra will sell for $1,599.
Astell&Kern HB1 Bluetooth DAC/amp

Read more