Women Control the DVR 325
JeiFuRi writes "While men normally hog the remote, a new study commissioned by Lifetime suggests that women are more likely to be in charge of their DVRs . Results from a survey of 1000 married woman say that 48 percent made the decision to purchase a DVR on their own and 55 percent claimed they understood the system more than their husband. Three-quarters of the women surveyed said that the reason they fell in love with DVR is that they are extremely intuitive and much easier than a VCR." The study also found some interesting things about DVR users' ad-watching habits.
Really... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Really... (Score:5, Insightful)
Lies, damned lies and statistics after all...
I'm guessing these are the other numbers (Score:2)
My guess at what the men said: "48 percent of married men say the decision to purchase a DVR was their own, while 55 percent of the husbands claim they understood how to interface with their unit's myriad features better than
Re:Really... (Score:5, Insightful)
Even if it wasn't true, how many men would admit it?
Re:Really... (Score:3, Interesting)
Media in general is consumed and purchased disproportionately by women. Games are the exception, but women are catching up there too, although they tend to like non-combative games more.
I freelance in media, mostly film, but some television. I've done some work for the Viacom empire, and I can tell you that programming for most television is preferentially geared to reflect that heterosexual women and gay men tend to overconsume te
Meaningless (Score:5, Insightful)
Taking a statictic on a person's opinion is not scientific in the least, heck it might not even be proper measurement.
I'm suprised that only 55% of women believed that they knew more about thier DVR than thier husbands. That number seems a bit low to me, after all, this isn't a compentency test, it's a test about belief. I'd wager that 100% of all women believe that they can navigate to and from the grocery store quicker than their husbands, even though they both live in the same house, know where the nearest grocery store is located, and probably would take the exact same route.
It doesn't even matter what the men thought, because it's still playing around with perception testing, which is interesting if you want to gather information about a perception. However, perceptive information isn't consistent amonst members within a population (even a very homogenous population) so I doubt this information will have any pratical application other than sensationalisim.
A real quote from TFA: (Score:3, Funny)
Now, what features do their husbands have that these women DON'T understand how to interface with?
Re:A real quote from TFA: (Score:2)
But (Score:2)
Re:But (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Really... (Score:2, Insightful)
Learn to say no now and then.
Re:Really... (Score:2, Funny)
In related news... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Women are smarter (Score:5, Funny)
Are you trying to say that man are sexually excited by DVRs? You hang out with some weird men.
Re:Women are smarter (Score:4, Funny)
Or some sexy DVRs
Re:Women are smarter (Score:2)
Re:Women are smarter (Score:5, Funny)
Don't miss next week's episode of Idiotic Generalizations: Liberals vs. Conservatives!
A wise man once said... (Score:2)
Slanted a little... (Score:5, Insightful)
"DVRs give them a mechanism to find commercials that are relevant, and that's a big message," Brooks said. "It's not that people don't want commercials, it's irrelevant interruptions that turn them off."
Ok, that is a big hint to the tv industry. Women do not want irrelevant commercials, but are willing to watch and advertisement that they are interested in. Unfortunately for the tv industry, I don't think men want commercials at all...
Also FTA:
The study, which was commissioned by Lifetime,
Lifetime, the network for women, is saying, "ADVERTISE HERE! WOMEN WATCH COMMERCIALS!"
See, there's a slant to everything.
Keith
Re:Slanted a little... (Score:2, Interesting)
I'd think men want anything that has sex in them, and are generally receptive to scenes that promote tribal behavior, if pop-culture is any indication.
Hence the popularity of memes originating in beer commercials.
I'd like to think people in general are receptive to clever amusement, advertising included; although that is a bit less substantiated, people do share such advertisements as interesting memes in spite of their corporate message.
E.g.: I'm current
Re:Slanted a little... (Score:3, Funny)
I resent that.
I want violence too.
Re:Slanted a little... (Score:3, Insightful)
Not true at all! (Score:5, Funny)
- Feminine products that reduce the frequency of menstraul cycles
- Public service announcements regarding the importance of the low oil pressure indicator light
- The How-To's of toilet use: Look at toilet before use. If the seat is up, lower it, without comment.
- Getting what you want by actually saying what you want
- Weight Loss Success with the Microwaveable Frozen Food diet
- Beer: The new Slim Fast
- Top 10 Health Benefits of Breast Implants
- New Cure for Erictile Dysfunction: The Silent Treatment
I mean, since I'm fast forwarding through these things anyway, might as well give relevant information to the people actually watching the commercials.
Relevancy as measured by (wo)men (Score:2)
What ! ?... I too care about relevant commercials - like how drinking Vud Blight beer will make Jay Leno look like Angelina Jolie. Or how I can overcompensate for the size of my ..uhmm.. nose with a new SUV which I can drive through two blocks to my office.
But yeah, I don't want to watch another AD on ba
Re:Slanted a little... (Score:2)
Close.
Men want commercials with big, bouncy BREASTS.
This may be funny, but also insightful
Please moderate to hell.
Re:Slanted a little... (Score:2)
For some reason I thought that said eyetoy..
was trying to figure out wtf?
It makes sense (Score:5, Interesting)
My wife and I have had cable for the last 6 years. I noticed and interesting difference in viewing patterns between us. I found that I tend to watch channels but she watches programs. I'll turn on the TV and watch news, documentary or sports channels and I'm not too fussy, I'll surf between the 4 documentary channels until I find something interesting and watch it. Her viewing decisions are made from looking at the program guide, the clock, recommendations from her friends and womens magazines and then decide what and when to watch. She will actually plan to watch a particular program (amazing I know). I don't think I've done that in years. A PVR would only improve her viewing convenience but it would make no difference all to mine.
It doesn't seem surprising to me that women would then control the PVR.
Re:It makes sense (Score:2)
Speaking of "surfing the tv", my girl friend tend to do that more than me. Just sitting down, see what is on and just stick to some program. I guess she is a man in a woman's body then...
Re:It makes sense (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:It makes sense (Score:2)
Gotta agree, I suspect these results come from something along the very lines you propose.
VCR not intuitive? A VCR has basically the same sort of interface as a PVR, with the PVR quite a lot more complex. Biggest difference? You set a VCR to record by time, not by program.
Though, I have to admit that my viewing habits more closely resemble females ones, at least in that I watch specific programs, not just pick a channel and wat
Re:It makes sense (Score:2, Insightful)
On a PVR, you can just click record when you want to record something. When you want to view it, you look at the list of what you have recorded, and select what you want.
With a VCR, you first have to find a tape, check that there's nothing on it you want to keep, and then start recording. If you want to keep whats on the s
After having a Tivo for about five years now... (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah.. my Tivo is filled with my wife's crap...
Re:After having a Tivo for about five years now... (Score:2)
http://www.weaknees.com/ [weaknees.com]
and share the spacee.
Irritatingly true. (Score:2, Funny)
Ad execs: read up! Blipverts! (Score:2)
Goes to show you how many people actually watch ads. I bet the percentage for men is the same. Slobbering ad executives still won't get it.
"A full 94 percent of those who said they fast forwarded commercials said they could still recognize brands and products as they zapped through the spots."
Re:Ad execs: read up! Blipverts! (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Ad execs: read up! Blipverts! (Score:3, Informative)
or a little over a quarter.
this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:3, Insightful)
Men hunt, women gather.
Give women the opportunity to browse and pick the best [whatever] and they'll do it better than any man. A DVR does this. You can schedule things in advance, wait for them to come in, and pick the fruit when its ripened.
channel surfing without a DVR is similar to hunting. you browse, you pick a target, and you strike at it by putting the remote down. decision made, decision executed, finality. man stuff.
mod me down if you disagree, but before you do, give it some thought. its not as wrong as society would like you to believe.
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:4, Interesting)
You make it sound as if you're about to say something controversial when you're really just repeating conventional wisdom and pop psychologists. I do happen to find your attitude sexist, but it's an attitude that pervades our culture. Please don't portray hegemonic views as persecuted beliefs.
Men hunt, women gather.
I don't buy it. Your analogy doesn't even make sense. When hunting you have some target. You have to have a particular target in order to set the PVR. When browsing particular channels, on the other hand, you trust that certain memorized areas will bear fruit. Sounds like a gatherer's approach to me. [Of course this is an equally fatuous comparison. I make it only to demonstrate how easily expectations can be fulfilled, no matter their validity.]
mod me down if you disagree, but before you do, give it some thought. its not as wrong as society would like you to believe.
Since when has it ever been wrong to express such views in American society? I find it to be factually wrong and harmful to the extent that it's prescriptive, but I strongly doubt that I am in the majority here.
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:2)
overextending the metaphor (Score:4, Funny)
I get up before dawn, put on Woodland pajamas, douse the living room in consumer urine, power on the telly and sit for hours, silent and motionless behind the couch, waiting to spot that elusive creature: the ten-point news program.
My weapon of choice? A Sony Universal with rechargeable AA Ni-MH rounds at 1.5V.
And an eight-inch call that goes "market share! market share!"
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:5, Insightful)
We could also say that men don't use the DVR as much because they are lazy, and women do because they are compulsive. Or maybe we could say that men are poor relaters and women like the interaction-like experience of using the DVR. Or maybe women use the DVR because they have exacting, varied tastes and men don't because they are generalizers and don't really care.
And it would probably all be complete bullshit. Which is why we try to make simple, scientific hypotheses and test them in a way that could falsify them without requiring metaphor or analogy.
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:2)
Now while these positions don't hold true these days in the literal sense, they did for thousands of years. Do you not think this could possibly change the way we think and behave? I bet you think male and female emotions are the same too, huh? This may change with time, but whether it offends you or
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:2)
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:5, Funny)
Hmmmm.
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:2)
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:3, Informative)
Regardless of the sexism, it's just plain false. For most of human history humans got 90% of their calories from gathering and only 10% from hunting. On the whole, humans were lousy hunters. The whole "human-as-mighty-hunter" thing was a myth disproven decades ago, but it still manages to perpetuate itself in popular culture.
I guess guys just like to think that they're 'naturally' brave warrior types genetically suited to running down large mammals and eating them raw. In fact,
Re: (Score:2)
Re:this is obvious, isn't it? (Score:2, Interesting)
No, they just need to feel better about their crappy lives by seeing others in a worse position.
The reason is simple (Score:5, Funny)
A shocking handicap, I know, but true.
Re:The reason is simple (Score:2, Funny)
Lifetime's other studies (Score:5, Funny)
Hmmmm.
Why does Lifetime care anyways? All their shows are the same so nobody really bothers recording them.
Where's my channel? (Score:2)
I'm missing something. (Score:4, Informative)
If someone could dig up the whole story, your efforts would be appreciated.
No kidding (Score:5, Funny)
Then this spring I bought a second one for the spare room, but now my daughter has managed to fill that one with her stuff! I can't win...
Re:No kidding (Score:2)
That's what I do^did^ with my wife^ex-wife^
as they so succinctly put it themselves... (Score:3, Insightful)
Propoganda for Women.
Re:as they so succinctly put it themselves... (Score:2)
Re:as they so succinctly put it themselves... (Score:2)
Damnit... (Score:2, Funny)
I'll have my fun yet!
I knew it (Score:4, Funny)
Doesn't surprise me at all. (Score:5, Funny)
Oh wait, that's me. She can't turn the tv off with the universal remote.
This is surprising? (Score:2)
From TFA:
While 99 percent of women say they use their DVRs to zap through commercial spots, 76 percent reported that they stopped for ads that are entertaining or relevant to their own interests. Women are also more likely to pause for TV and movie promos.
This is in some way surprising? 99% of respondents saying they don't want to watch ads on TV they're paying for? That 76% of them say they watch commercials they find a
I am the master of my castle (Score:2)
TV Advertising (Score:2, Informative)
aww but you forget (Score:5, Insightful)
So sure Mrs. Smith might claim she knows how something works, but I claim to know how a clock works yet have no clue beyond "cogs and stuff" (to put it as simple as possible).
To claim knowledge does not mean you have it. It means you claimed it.
Re:aww but you forget (Score:2)
How true
My lesson was
Except this one... (Score:2)
Bad grammar or deep truth? (Score:5, Funny)
The nature of "understanding" (Score:4, Insightful)
To a user, "understanding" means knowing how to fully unitilize a product's features. This is not a completely illegitimate point of view. Software engineers think that they understand the DVR because they know how the code works. I'm guessing that hardware engineers could make a pretty good case that, compared to them, the software engineers don't really "understand" the machines either. It's also a pretty good bet that marketing and advertising executives think that they "understand" the DVR, since they know how it's positioned in the marketplace, etc, etc.
You get the point... Understanding is in the mind of the beholder.
55% (Score:2)
Get the info right... (Score:2, Interesting)
This is a key point here:
a. You're surveying both men and women (which might seem obvious, but not from your post) - which is important because you're trying to claim to compare men and women habits - right? You can't do that if you only survey women.
b. You're surveying a specific slice of people: those who bought DVRs - this already profiles the people you're surverying: certain income range, certain education, a
Should we even allow these women to have DVR's? (Score:3, Interesting)
Think about it. Women (And many Americans, male and female), back in the day of the VCR, couldn't figure out how to set the clock. (P.S. I wonder if this is why most DVD's players don't have a clock. Sure you don't need a clock on a DVD player
If given a TV properly hooked up to a VCR, and the remote for the VCR, and nothing else, you should be able to SET THE CLOCK within five minutes. If you can't, you should be shot.
And we are giving these people MORE technology? I think there is a strong argument that people don't deserve to get the new tech toys if you can't understand simple things like setting the clock on the vcr.
I remember back in the day when I used to watch a lot of the Annenburg-CPB Channel (Sue me. I can't get enough of The Mechanical Universe and its simple HS level calculus applied to physics AND Mireille in "French in Action."),
They used to advertise a show and the clip they showed was interesting and I always got a kick out of it:
A bunch of college grads (All disciplines), at graduation, were handed a simple light bulb, ONE wire, and a battery, and asked to light up the bulb (basically create a very basic circuit).
All but one showed couldn't do it. They even said it was impossible. After we saw one guy figure it out, they'd cut to a professor asking (paraphrasing),
"If college educated graduates don't even understand the basics of electricity, what does that say about a society that tremendously relies on electricity?"
I am even suggesting that most people should be allowed near a computer, until they get a good understanding of it (hardware and software). That, however, would have the impact of putting Best Buy's rip off techies, "The Geek Squad," out of business.
Re:Should we even allow these women to have DVR's? (Score:3, Insightful)
This is precisely why we should be giving people DVRs - not just MORE technology but BETTER technolo
Ask Oprah (Score:5, Funny)
So I asked her to repeat herself and she did. She then wondered if I had ever heard of one and I replied that I certainly did know what one was - but with the lifetime service and the cost of the unit, it would be nearly $500 when we were done with it.
She seemed disappointed. I was again in shock. Why the hell was she interested in a piece of "geek gear"? The answer was: Oprah talked about it one day and said how neat it was.
I then replied "Did Oprah talk about how cool those new 2.5GHz Powermacs are? The ones with the new huge cinema displays?
All that got me was a dirty look. Still, by the end of the month we had a new TiVo. And TiVo - it's TV HER way.
study on vcr would be interesting... (Score:2)
gender roles (Score:2, Insightful)
I wonder what percentage of these take-charge independent wives feigned absolute helplessness at the prospect of hooking the unit up.
Sky+ (Score:2)
In a week and a half, my friend has gone from practically tech-illiterate to Mistress of Sky+, so that she can watch every episode of Most Haunted the box can find in one room while her boyfriend watches sport in the other.
Quick! make a geek-version! (Score:2)
Act now, write now to your favorite DVR maker!
Personality Differences (Score:2)
yeah, ok.... (Score:2)
Now I can tell you that my wife probably uses the PVR more than I do but I built it (mythtv) so I think I understand it a little. I just have less time to sit in front of the TV and watch anything.
Not suprised... (Score:2)
honest women. (Score:3, Funny)
And I'm sure we can take them at their word.
Re:My Mom (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:My Mom (Score:5, Insightful)
Remember that old matra that was oft-spoke years ago: "someday the technology will be so advanced, it will be easy to use, and people will view their computers just like any other appliance"?
Guess what? It's here, and it's called TiVo! For the relative complexity of what it does, I'd have to say that TiVo has one of the most brilliantly-designed user interfaces I've ever seen.
Re:My Mom (Score:5, Insightful)
Whoa, reel in the sexism there spanky. I work in a office that has some of the smartest women I've ever met. Level 3 hardcore technowizbang smart women.
Maybe you should work for a company that doesn't look for pants when they're hiring smart people. And dresses for receptionists?
Re:My Mom (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:My Mom (Score:2)
No... that's FOX news.
Re:My Mom (Score:2)
I think he needs to graduate high school first.
And go back and learn grammar, so that he doesn't look like a complete idiot.
Re:My Mom (Score:3, Insightful)
How is that world you're living in, anyways?
Re:My Mom (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Skewed? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Hmm. (Score:2)
Re:Hmm. (Score:2)
Re:DVRs? (Score:2)
I believe you're looking for this (Score:2, Funny)
Whoa there, cowboy. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First you'll need a shower, then we can work on that habit of saying "nyrrrrrr" between phrases. Then another shower just to be on the safe side. Then you get to decide which of Excelsior, Enterprise, and Exeter gets disconnected from the network so we can move it to a closet.
Re:Apparently I'm the only woman here... (Score:2)
Re:This seems only natural. (Score:2)
The days when women could remain out of the work force because hubby made enough to support the entire family are long past for most of America. Ozzy-and-Harriet land exists only for a small percentage of the population now.
Max