Commentary
Just an Online Minute... TV vs. PC
- by Masha Geller , September 17, 2002
The analysis also determined that 47% are regular television viewers but do not have a television and PC in the same room. The remaining 5% of Internet users report they do not watch television at all.
Among the 45.1 million wired adults that have television and PC in the same room, nearly half (47%) reported they frequently use the Internet while watching television, 29% reported occasionally, 18% reported rarely and only 5% reported never doing so.
Interestingly enough, while some Internet activity during TV viewing is associated with television content, the majority is not. comScore says that 15% of those with a television and PC in the same room reported visiting a website about the television show being watched; 11% reported sending email or chatting online about a show being watched; 11% reported searching for listings or television reviews; and 10% reported researching or browsing products featured on a television show or in an advertisement. Conversely, 74% reported conducting other online activities unrelated to the television show being watched; and 52% reported using the computer for offline activities.
"The prevailing understanding of how the Internet can interact with TV is misguided and needs to catch up to the reality revealed by the data," said Peter Daboll, division president of comScore Media Metrix. "While the early fears of the Internet were that it would steer people away from prime-time viewing, the real threat to TV is that the Internet is steering away viewers' attention while they are watching TV and surfing the Internet simultaneously."
Among U.S. Internet users in the first quarter of 2002, 63% subscribe to a cable service, 22% subscribe to a satellite television service, 2% use a TiVo device and 14% do not use a subscription-based television service.
