MUMBAI: New technologies such as personal video recorders (PVRs), Internet-delivered video, tablets and smartphones, coupled with burgeoning up-take of digital terrestrial television (DTT), are increasingly impacting Australians’ television viewing habits, according to a new report released.

The first Australian Multi-Screen Report – compiled collaboratively by Nielsen, OzTam and Regional Tam – shows the extent to which new technologies are stimulating and enhancing viewing of broadcast content (‘video’)
beyond conventional television sets.

The report reveals that viewing of broadcast content via traditional TV sets remains strong and is growing. Meanwhile, smaller, more mobile and Internet-enabled devices – along with improved Internet connectivity – are creating new
opportunities to view video content; although viewing via such devices remains low in comparison to conventional TV viewing, strong growth has been observed in the past year.

Key findings as of Q4 (October-December) 2011
- Overall TV viewing is strong and rising
- Households have greater choice and access to DTT:
- 95 per cent of all homes have at least one DTT-enabled TV set (up from 90% in Q1 2011)
- 70 per cent of homes can receive DTT on every working TV set in the home (up from 55% in Q1)
- 44 per cent of households have access to time-shifting devices, such as PVRs (up from 37 per cent inQ1)

Combined, these factors give viewers greater choice and access to television content and are stimulating viewing via traditional means:

-Average monthly time spent viewing television broadcast content in the home via conventional TV sets increased by 6.1% between Q4 2010 and Q4 2011 (by 6 hours and 31 minutes) to 113 hours and 38 minutes (All People figures).

[NB:
TV viewing behaviour of course fluctuates seasonally, with viewing increasing in winter time]

- Average monthly time spent viewing playback (recorded) television content has increased by 4 hours and 31 minutes (60%) since Q4 2010, now at 12 hours per month in Q4 2011

- Approximately 99 per cent of Australian households have at least one working TV set. Overall TV monthly reach (that is, where people watch at least some television during the
period) has increased from 97 per cent in Q4 2010 to 98 per cent of Australians nationally in Q4 2011.

There is a strong and positive relationship between screen size and propensity to view, with people demonstrating a preference to watch content on the largest screen available.

Online video viewing is rising but remains small in comparison to conventional TV

- 77 per cent of households are connected to the Internet (77% in Q1), providing potential access to online television video content:

- Australians spent an average of 43 hours and 54 minutes per month using the Internet on a PC in Q4 2011 (up slightly from 43 hours and 33 minutes in Q1)

- Australians spent an average of 3 hours and 27 minutes per month watching any online video (not just television broadcast content) in Q4 2011, up from two hours and seven minutes in Q1 2011

Smartphone take-up is increasing but video viewing on such devices remains small

- An estimated 49 per cent of Australians aged 14+ years own a smartphone (35% in Q1)

- Video usage on smartphones has seen strong increases but still trails traditional TV viewing by a long way:

- Video usage on mobile phones is largely dictated by available services and associated service costs. Current estimates suggest this usage is relatively light but growing rapidly

- Users spend an average one hour and 20 minutes per month watching any video (not just television broadcast content) on a mobile phone (35 minutes in Q1),
suggesting usage of such devices to view TV video content remains small

Take-up of tablets is increasing
- An estimated 10 per cent of metro households own at least one tablet device
- Watching any video content on tablets grew from just two per cent of the total online population at the end of 2010 to five per cent by the end of 2011

People aged 18-34 are the heaviest consumers of online video and video on mobile phones The combination of the extended screens (PC and mobile phone usage) for any video content still accounts for just 4% of the video consumption on traditional TV sets
- Three hours 27 minutes per month on PCs (All People)
- One hour 20 minutes per month on mobiles (people aged 14+)
- 113 hours 38 minutes per month on a traditional TV (All People)

Nielsen’s media industry practice group in Australia head Matt Bruce said, “The introduction of DTT and time-shifted viewing, and the speed with which Australians are adopting new technology which delivers broadcast content anywhere, anytime has impacted the way in which traditional television content is accessed. The Australian Multi-Screen Report confirms that new technology and devices are adding to, rather than replacing, Australians’ TV viewing, and for media owners, agencies and advertisers, these findings provide much-anticipated insights into the way media is consumed, thereby helping to understand viewing habits and more successfully reach and engage with audiences across multiple screens.”