As U.S. consumers found ways to amuse themselves with DVD players, digital video recorders, and digital cameras last year, they also spent slightly less time surfing the Web at home, research firm
eMarketer reported Monday, based on recent data from Nielsen//NetRatings and research company CENTRIS (Communications, Entertainment, and Technology Research and Information Service). Time spent
online at home shrank among U.S. users to 13 hours and 44 minutes in February--down 2 percent from February 2004, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. That's less time than in Hong Kong, where users
spend an average of 21 hours at home online each month; but more than Germany (12 hours, 31 minutes), the United Kingdom (11 hours, 20 minutes), and Italy (8 hours). While Internet usage at home waned
in the United States, the number of homes with digital video recorders grew to 6.5 million in 2004--an increase of 119 percent from 2003; households with digital cameras grew to 33 million--a 44
percent increase; and homes with DVD players grew to 80.8 million--an increase of 19 percent, according to CENTRIS. Nearly one in four households (23 percent) had broadband access in 2004--a 31
percent increase from 2003. eMarketer theorized that one reason for the slight decline in Web surfing time was that broadband enabled users to use the Internet more efficiently. -- Wendy Davis