Dish Network is looking to make a splash at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas — but one announcement, which leaked out prematurely, could raise the ire of ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. Dish’s new multi-room DVR, Hopper, will automatically record primetime broadcasts from local stations for ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC and retain those shows for a week — in effect turning Hopper into into a catch-up VOD service.
Football games often delay the start of CBS’s The Good Wife, much to the frustration of its fans (and their DVRs).
DVRs Boost TV Viewing In Second Quarter
In the second quarter of 2010, U.S. television continued to reach more people over more platforms. The average person watched more than 143 hours of television per month. This rate of consumption is essentially flat compared to the same period a year ago; however, the emergence of the DVR as a widely distributed device has changed viewing behaviors in many homes.
Of all the news commercials on the networks this year, one running this fall for NBC Nightly News might be the most unorthodox. In it, the anchor Brian Williams recommends that people record the 6:30 p.m. newscast if they will not be home in time to watch live.
