Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Owners in India Have a Happier Home Life According to NDS Survey

--A Digital Video Recorder (DVR), such as Tata Sky+ or Hathway Digital Box Plus Recorder, allows pay-TV subscribers to pause live TV, as well as record, play back, rewind and fast-forward their TV programmes for viewing when they choose. DVR owners in India were surveyed on behalf of NDS by Media Partners Asia (MPA) Consumer Research.

--Once consumers have used a DVR, they can't live without one: the DVR ranked as the second most essential household technology item (77%), beaten only by the mobile phone (94%)

--88% of survey respondents say that owning a DVR has made their TV viewing experience more enjoyable

--Respondents also feel that owning a DVR has led them to watch more interesting programmes (64%)

--A DVR also improves family life: half of those with families say that it has given them the freedom to have meals together again

--Owning a DVR leads to a more harmonious home life, with 54% of respondents saying that it has stopped them from arguing with their partner over what to watch

Owning a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) makes for a happier home life according to a new survey of DVR owners in India commissioned by NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, and undertaken by Media Partners Asia (MPA). Owners of DVRs such as Tata Sky+ and the Hathway Digital Box Plus Recorder questioned for the survey overwhelmingly said that a DVR makes TV viewing more enjoyable (88%), and enables them to find and watch more interesting programmes (64%).

What's so great about a DVR?

A DVR revolutionizes TV viewing because it lets you watch what you want, when you want. NDS technology, which lies at the heart of DVR services of pay-TV operators across the globe, allows subscribers to pause live TV, record, play back, rewind and fast-forward their TV programmes to view when they choose. A DVR means that subscribers can:

-- pause their favourite live programme if they need to go and make a cup of tea, and then resume watching from where they left off

-- rewind a section of the programme if they missed what was being said because, for example, the phone rang during an important scene

-- fast-forward through sections of the programme that they have already watched

-- set up the DVR to record every programme in a series in one easy step, using the 'series link' button from the menu screen

DVRs take the stress out of watching TV with partners and other family members

Owning a DVR also enhances relationships with partners and other family members, according to the survey: more than half of respondents in a relationship (54%) said that using a DVR has stopped them from arguing with their partner over what to watch on TV! Furthermore, 50% of DVR owners with families remarked that having a DVR in the house has given them the freedom to eat meals as a family again, because no one has to worry about missing their favourite TV programmes.

A 'must-have' gadget

It's therefore no surprise that the DVR (77%) is second only to the mobile phone (94%) as the technology household item most respondents couldn't live without. The home PC came in third with 60%.

Easy to use

A number of respondents remarked specifically on how a DVR is easy to use and has improved their lives. A 34 year-old man from New Delhi said that he liked owning a DVR because he found it "convenient to watch programmes around social engagements". A 62 year-old man liked the fact that it was "very easy to use".

Other report highlights:

The statistics and trends detailed in the survey of Indian DVR owners demonstrate how important a role DVRs are increasingly playing in the lives of Indian consumers. NDS is the company behind the technology that drives over 21 million DVRs in use worldwide today.

Other key findings from the Indian survey include:

-- DVR owners watch on average a total of 4.2 hours of television a day, made up of 2.9 hours of broadcast TV and 1.3 hours of recorded TV

-- 86% of respondents said they would recommend owning a DVR because it means that they do not have to rush home to watch a particular programme

-- 84% of respondents said that they were more likely to find something good to watch on TV now that they owned a DVR

-- 84% of respondents said that operating a DVR was a revelation -- it is so easy to use

-- 22% of respondents already have a second DVR and a further 31% would consider getting a second one in the future.

Here's a list of eight popular pieces of today's household  KEEP  LIVE
technology - but you can only have four - which four have         WITHOUT
become a vital part of your life and which could you live
without?
Mobile phone                                                94%   6%
Digital video recorder for the TV                           77%   23%
Home PC                                                     60%   40%
VCD/DVD Player                                              48%   52%
Digital Camera                                              44%   56%
Landline telephone                                          40%   61%
Games console                                               19%   81%
iPod                                                        16%   84%

Since you started using your DVR, which of the statements  % OF TOTAL
would you say most fits your TV habits?
I watch more interesting TV programs                       64%
The TV programs I watch are about the same                 35%
The TV programs I watch are less interesting               1%

Commenting on the survey results, Sue Taylor, NDS Senior Vice President and General Manager Asia Pacific said: "DVRs allow families in India to watch what they want on TV when they want, which makes for a happier, less stressful home life. A DVR is one of those items that, once tried, is difficult to give up, because it opens up a whole new world of TV viewing possibilities."

Research methodology:

The survey was carried out by MPA Consumer Research, a division of MPA on behalf of NDS during August-September 2009. The telephone survey involved 250 people across India, aged 18 to 83 years' old, who have a DVR at home.

For a copy of the complete NDS DVR Survey for India, please click here.

NDS continues to demonstrate its commitment to the pay-TV market in India -- where more than a quarter of NDS employees are now located - through ongoing investment in its R&D centre in Bangalore as well as commercial offices in both New Delhi and Mumbai.

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About Media Partners Asia

Media Partners Asia (MPA) is a leading provider of information services on media and telecoms in Asia Pacific. MPA offers various audiences and clients with multiple services, including publishing, research, consulting, online and conferences. The company covers all major media and communications sectors, including: advertising; broadcasting; broadband; cable and satellite TV; digital TV; filmed entertainment; IPTV; mobile; online; outdoor; pay-TV; and print media. MPA publications and reports receive widespread coverage in global media and are utilised by numerous industry-related groups.

To learn more about MPA and its capabilities, visit www.media-partners-asia.com.

About NDS

NDS Group Ltd. creates the technologies and applications that enable pay-TV operators to securely deliver digital content to TV STBs (set-top boxes), DVRs (digital video recorders), PCs, mobiles and other multimedia devices. Over 70 of the world's leading pay-TV platforms rely on NDS solutions to protect and enhance their businesses. VideoGuard(R) is the world's market-leading conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) technology, currently deployed on 107 million active devices, and safeguarding pay-TV service revenues exceeding $40 billion. NDS middleware, including MediaHighway(R) which enables a host of advanced services for subscribers, has been deployed on 123 million devices. NDS DVR technology, centred around XTV(TM), leads the global industry with 21 million units deployed. (Deployment figures as of 30th June 2009).

Headquartered in the UK, NDS remains committed to investing in R&D with over 75% of its employees dedicated to pioneering work at development centres in China, Denmark, France, India, Israel, Korea, UK and US. NDS has also implemented a host of initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and helping digital TV subscribers reduce energy consumption.

NDS Group Ltd. is a private company owned by the Permira Funds and News Corporation. See www.nds.com for more information.

Read about the latest developments at NDS and in the pay-TV industry in World Vision.

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SOURCE: NDS

NDS 
Amy Lucas, Corporate Communications 
T: +44 20 8476 8243 
alucas@nds.com 
or 
Vanessa Griffiths-Green, Director Marketing & New Initiatives, Asia Pacific 
T: +852 2201 9151 
vgriffiths-green@nds.com 
or 
Breakaway Communications for NDS 
Kelly Fitzgerald, Managing Partner 
T: +1 212 616 6006 
kfitz@breakawaycom.com

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