Advanced Television

Australia adopts new-screen technologies

October 15, 2013

The latest Australian Multi-Screen Report, covering the second quarter of calendar 2013, shows Australians are progressively adopting new screen technologies, creating new options to view broadcast television and other video.

Australians continue to spend the vast majority of their screen time with the in-home TV set. People watch an average 96 hours and 37 minutes of broadcast TV per month. 92 per cent of TV viewing is live, with playback viewing within seven days of broadcast at 7 hours and 46 minutes.

Playback viewing and other screen usage (which includes using the TV for gaming, online activities, and playback beyond seven days of broadcast) continue to rise. This means people are spending more time overall with their TV screens, reflecting the progressive take-up of internet connected TVs, now in 22 per cent of homes (16 per cent in Q2 2012), and increasing variety of devices attached to the main TV set, such as games consoles, ‘over-the top television services and PVRs (now in 54 per cent of homes).

99 per cent of homes have now converted to digital terrestrial television (DTT) and 88 per cent have converted every working TV in the home to DTT.

An estimated 33 per cent of homes now have tablets, up from 19 per cent in Q2 2012. Across the online population aged 16+, people claim to spend an average 50 minutes per month using tablets to watch any online video, which can include both broadcast TV and non-broadcast content. Australians report spending an average 1 hour and 20 minutes per month watching online video on smartphones.

Australians watch an average of 6 hours and 26 minutes per month of any Internet video via PCs/laptops (both television broadcast and non-broadcast content).

Erica Boyd, Senior Vice President, Cross-Platform, Nielsen, SEANAP, said: “The latest Multi-Screen Report underscores Australians’ seemingly endless demand for compelling content. Not only do we watch more than three hours of ‘traditional’ TV a day – a level that hasn’t changed over the past five years – but internet-enabled TVs and mobile devices provide more opportunity to consume TV and other video content than ever before. Nielsen, OzTAM and Regional TAM will continue to track Australians’ evolving viewing habits to provide an even better picture of how Australians engage with various screens.”

Key findings:

  • Australians watch on average 96 hours and 37 minutes (96:37) of broadcast TV on
  • traditional television sets per month5.
  • 92 per cent of all TV viewing is Live, with Playback accounting for 8 per cent (7:46 per month).
  • 99 per cent of homes have converted to digital terrestrial television (DTT), with 88 per cent having
  • converted every working set in the home to DTT.
  • 54 per cent of homes have PVRs (49 per cent in Q2 2012).
  • Household internet penetration is stable at 80 per cent.
  • Australians spend on average 38 hours and 41 minutes per month online6.
  • Internet-connected TVs are in 22 per cent of homes (16 per cent in Q2 2012).
  • 33 per cent of homes have tablets (19 per cent in Q2 2012).

Categories: Articles, Broadband, Broadcast, Connected TV, Consumer Behaviour, Equipment, Mobile, OTT, OTT, Portable Media, Research, VOD