Boston, MA - March 23, 2006 - The US and Europe are leading the global transition toward user-controlled TV. According to "Digital Video Recorders: Demand Surges As Mass Market Era Dawns," the latest report from the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service, digital video recorders (DVR) are set to change television viewing for 130 million homes worldwide over the next five years. Cable, satellite and other digital TV providers had installed 17.4 million DVRs globally by the end of 2005, and DVR manufacturers will enjoy annual sales of more than 40 million units by 2010 as increasing numbers of viewers demand more flexibility in how they watch television.

DVRs can already be found in 12 percent of US homes, and this Strategy Analytics report predicts that more than half of US consumers will have access to a DVR by 2010. The market has been slower to take off in Europe, but even in Europe 25 percent of homes will have DVRs by 2010, up from only 2 percent in 2005.

According to Peter King, Director of the Connected Home Devices service, "To remain competitive, manufacturers and service providers must now make the transition to IP-enabled DVR which will support multi-room television, remote recording capabilities, and access to personal content on PCs such as photos and music."

• Global sales of DVRs more than doubled in 2005, rising to 9.7 million units from 4.4 million the previous year
• Global sales of IP-enabled DVRs, which were 2.8 million units in 2005, are forecast to grow to 20.4 million units by 2010

Global DVR Households (M units)

Source: Strategy Analytics

Note: all data refers to DVRs integrated into digital television set-top boxes and excludes stand-alone and other DVR devices