Nielsen Media Research next month will begin reporting the penetration of digital-video recorders nationally and in local markets, and for digital cable locally.
According to newly available Nielsen Universe Estimates, 17.2% of U.S. television households have DVRs, the ratings company reported.
Beginning in May, Nielsen will report DVR-universe estimates for the National People Meter sample and for all local television markets. Also next month, the ratings company will begin releasing digital-cable-universe estimates for Local People Meter and Area Probability Meter markets and DVD-universe estimates in all local markets.
Like Nielsen’s universe estimates for cable and alternate delivery services, the new universe estimates are derived through a process that integrates data from Nielsen samples. Estimates that are related to media consumption and computed using this sample-based methodology are often referred to as media-related universe estimates.
In terms of Nielsen’s media-related, universe-estimate computations, the ratings company said:
• National estimates are computed using the installed NPM sample.
• Preliminary local universe estimates are calculated based on data from households in the local markets.
• Preliminary universe estimates for LPM and Area Probability Set-Meter Markets are based on installed sample homes in the local markets.
• Preliminary universe estimates for Telephone Frame Meter and diary-only markets are based on local diary samples.
Final local universe estimates are computed when the preliminary estimates have been adjusted to sum to the appropriate national totals. This national control allows for the heaviest reliance to be placed on the larger, more statistically reliable People Meter sample.
