Is the DVR Dying? Netflix, Hulu and Amazon in as Many Homes as DVRs

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A few years ago, the best way to enjoy TV was to record your favorite shows on your DVR and watch them at your leisure. As an added bonus, this new way of watching TV, while similar to the clunky VHS, allowed for immediate skipping of commercials as well as the convenience of not having to adhere to a normal television schedule.

But what was once young is now old, as the DVR hasn’t really gained much ground as of late, likely reaching maximum market penetration.

A recent report by Nielsen via Business shows that we just recently hit an interesting milestone in media consumption, as now the number of households with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video and more now equals the number of houses with a DVR. This is a first for streaming video on demand, and is a trend that we predict will easily continue as DVRs slowly diminish and streaming media takes over.

Another interesting finding by the research determined that the top 20% of streaming video users account for nearly 80% of the total usage. In other words, those who stream, stream a lot of television online.

via Business Insider
via Business Insider

Not surprising, really, as those who turn to streaming media as their main source of entertainment likely do so on a very regular basis, while plenty of folks might simply tune in for the occasional original series on their favorite streaming services.

It will be interesting to see how major cable responds, as most look to keep eyeballs using their services. The majority are starting to roll out streaming-only options that will simply offer digital options of their content, likely no requiring traditional cable packages to access. The convenience of not having to adhere to a strict television schedule is obviously appealing to younger audiences, who will one day likely have very few loyalties to traditional television.

Will the advertising dollars follow? Can digital media provide enough revenue to keep our favorite shows afloat? It will be a changing of the guard that we will be tracking with fascination.