Nielsen Tech Survey Finds More HDTVs, DVRs

A new survey of consumer electronics in the home by
Nielsen find that the number of homes with HDTVs, broadband Internet
connections, Wi-Fi networks, DVRs, MP3 players and iPads continue to grow
rapidly while such technologies as VCRs and DVD players declined.

The new Nielsen figures from the company's second
quarter 2010 Home Technology Report show that the number of HDTVs increased by
26.9% and the number of LCD flat screens was up by 48.2% between the third
quarter of 2008 and the second quarter of 2010. Separate Nielsen numbers shows
that a little over 60% of all U.S. homes have a HD set.

Meanwhile, the number of homes with a Wi-Fi network
increased by 24% over a similar period and DVR penetration also continues to
climb, with the number of homes owning a DVR increasing by 14.5% from the first
quarter of 2010 to the second quarter of this year, when about 40% of homes had
a DVR.

iPads have also taken off since their launch in
April. According to Nielsen, about 3.6% of all homes owned an iPad in the second
quarter of this year.

Other technologies, however, continue to decline.
The number of homes with a VCR has declined from 78% in the third quarter of
2008 to only 70.2% in the second quarter of 2010 and penetration rates for DVD
players has fallen slightly (0.6%) from the first quarter of 2010 to the
second, when about 87.9% of all homes owned one.