DVR Playback Ratings
I just read an article that says Nielsen is now tracking TV show ratings based on the DVR Playback factor. That is to say, they’re now trying to incorporate viewers who record shows on DVR and watch them at a different time into the overall ratings for the shows.
For example, the latest episode of House drew 19 million viewers, but that number increases by 2.7 million when DVR playbacks are taken into account.
I think this is a step in the right direction because obviously DVRs are here to stay and a lot of people take advantage of being able to record and watch whenever they have time. I just have to wonder how accurate the numbers are, though. Then again, they’re probably no more or less accurate than the original Nielsen ratings…!