A recent study carried out by Whirlpool on 16,000 of its members found that over a third of Australian broadband users are downloading pirated TV shows. This is a lot higher than I would expect and I wonder how figures from the rest of the world would compare. I expect similar results in the UK and USA.Australian TV viewers are probably slightly more likely to turn to download piracy than US viewers because Australian TV networks often axe TV series halfway through, are often one or two years behind on shows from the US and UK, and have crudely edited episodes to fit with adverts and schedules.
Also unlike the US there are not any download services, the only one I am aware of is the overpriced ReelTime.tv service which is yet to launch.
Downloading TV shows is often such a much more attractive option than even using a PVR since it comes with no DRM and contains no adverts. While TV studios and content owners do nothing to satisfy consumer demand we'll probably soon be looking at 50% or broadband users watching pirated TV soon enough.
1. damn straight, I'm in UK, and until the distributors will let us download a DVD/HD-quality mpeg with no restrictions for a few quid or dollars each I will keep to 'illegal' methods. When a group of, say, 20 volunteers, can maintain a website containing every show on TV within the last few weeks completely free-of-charge there is no excuse for the networks to spend YEARS and YEARS on this. If they can't adapt I'm leaving them behind.
There's a viable market on the internet for shows as big as House or as culty as Arrested Development. Netyworks shoot themselves in the foot by relying on airtime.
Posted at 7:21AM on Dec 14th 2006 by edd