TV Watchers, Ad Dodgers

TV Watchers, Ad Dodgers

Survey looks at television viewing, ownership and purchasing habits

Auckland, 4 October 2012 – As the digital TV switchover begins rolling out, a new survey highlights trends in television use, ownership and viewing habits.

• 77% avoid watching advertisements
• 31% MY SKY shows and fast forward through ads
• 19% watch more content online than on TV
• 24% of Gen Y use TV more for gaming
• >3 TV households passes 40% mark
• 87% ready for the switch to digital TV

New technology and services have changed the way we are using our televisions, says Derek Bonnar, Canstar New Zealand National Manager.

“How we watch television is changing. While viewing hours aren’t changing much1, dodging advertisements appears to be a bit of a national pastime. Three quarters of respondents confess to avoiding advertisements as much as possible. Those with MY SKY took things even further; nearly a third record their favourite shows and fast-forward through the ads.

“Gen Ys and Gen Xs are much more likely than Baby Boomers to use their television for gaming. Twenty five per cent of Gen Ys say they use their TVs more often for gaming than they do for watching TV shows and movies, compared to just three per cent of Baby Boomers.

“Online or on-demand content is proving popular too, especially with younger audiences. Nearly 20% overall say they watch more content online than on television, rising to 35% of Gen Ys,” says Bonnar.

Multiple TV Homes Now Common
With fierce competition among retailers, and a great television deal almost always available, Bonnar says it’s no surprise that multiple TV ownership is becoming prevalent.

“Just over 40% have three or more TVs in their household, and just over a quarter said they had more TVs in their house than people.”

Despite the surge in TV sales ahead of last year’s Rugby World Cup and this year’s digital switchover2 , not everyone does their homework before buying. Nearly a third in the survey said they did no research before purchasing their new flat screen, with no discernible difference between male and female purchasers, says Bonnar.

“Our advice to consumers is to do some homework before you venture to the shops. Deals can vary between retailers, so it always pays to check prices and terms ahead of time.”

The Canstar Blue survey asked respondents who had purchased a television to rate their brand in five categories:

1. Value for money
2. Performance
3. Ease of use
4. Warranty and service
5. Overall satisfaction.

Panasonic took out the award for overall satisfaction for the second year in a row, says Bonnar.

“Not only has Panasonic got the most satisfied customers overall, notching up back-to-back wins, it also received 5 star ratings across the board.”

Other brands rated in the survey included Samsung, Sony and LG.

About the survey
Canstar Blue commissions Your Source to regularly survey 2,500 New Zealand consumers to measure their satisfaction across a range of products and services.

The outcomes reported here are from the 587 people within the survey group who purchased a flat screen TV within the last two years.

Age Groups:
Gen Y: 18-29
Gen X: 30-44
Baby Boomers: 45+

*To view the full results of the Canstar Blue survey go to: www.canstarblue.co.nz

ENDS
1 ThinkTV television viewing announcement, January 2012
2 Reported by stuff.co.nz 6 December 2011

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