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Nielsen to measure TiVo usage

Posted by timothy on from the and-how-many-drives-have-you-installed dept.

ny_cable_guy writes "The following letter went out to all of Nielsen's clients this morning: 'Working together, Nielsen Media Research and TiVo have developed software that will enable the extraction of tuning, recording and playback information from TiVo's PVR system. TiVo has downloaded this new software as part of a normal system upgrade via phone lines to existing TiVo subscribers across the country. This software would be used only by Nielsen Media Research to retrieve data from sample households, and only with permission from the household, as is the case with all homes in our samples. It is otherwise inactive in non-Nielsen homes.' The full letter has been reprinted here on netWert."

3 of 293 comments (clear)

  1. Oh, that's representative. by sllort · · Score: 4, Funny

    The new Nielsens are out, and there's been a bit of a shakeup in the ratings war! Friends is out of its number 1 spot, replaced by the Simpsons and second runner Junkyard Wars... Anime appears to be America's new addiction.

    1. Re:Oh, that's representative. by prator · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, thanks to my wife, we will probably get to only watch Trading Spaces all day/every day.

      -prator

  2. Re:Excellent! More accurate demographics helps! by arkanes · · Score: 4, Funny

    So they know what shows to add more and more product placement to? I suppose there's some sort of chance that this information will somehow get networks and advertisers to see the light and work toward changing the current economic model into something that works better with PVRs and other such things. Maybe by accepting lower profits, and a less dynamic industry, where it's not as easy to get rich quick (or die penniless), but a nice, stable industry. Like making gravel. Or whatever.