# How Much "Time Shifted" TV Do You Watch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204 "2010-09-09T17:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/61 "2010-09-10T12:57:02Z")
As others said, except of NFL, everything I watch is time-shifted. Or nearly everything. Sometimes I’ll take a break and will surf a little, but I don’t watch anything like that often. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/62 "2010-09-10T14:23:19Z")
Almost 100% of my viewing is Netflix, Tivo (fed by a standard antenna), or sometimes Hulu. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/63 "2010-09-10T14:57:53Z")
Very nearly 100%, ever since I first had a Tivo and then worked up from there. These days it’s a combination of Dish PVR (with a Slingbox, because I’m not home), torrents (again, I’m not home), and a small percentage of live TV when I’m in bed getting ready to sleep. In the latter case, it’s just browsing and looking at something that might be interested in, and not something that I “must watch.” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/64 "2010-09-13T01:52:01Z")
About 99% time shifted - maybe will watch the news live - but even then, will pause it when I go to the bathroom or fix dinner or whatever, and then fast forward through the commercials. If it weren’t for time shifting, I could never sit through guilty-pleasure shows like American Idol or America’s Got Talent, etc. Those show pad so much, we can easily watch an hour episode in less than 10 minutes, and I am not exaggerating! ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/65 "2010-09-13T03:42:42Z")
When I filled out my Nielsen survey a few months ago, 100% of what I watched was time-shifted. They actually changed the instructions for how to report time-shifted watching this year. The last time I did it, I think it had to be filled out on a separate page and they used a lot of archaic terms like “VCR”. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/66 "2010-09-13T04:26:07Z")
99%. I have season recordings for Big Bang Theory, Mythbusters, Glee, Formula One Debrief, Burn Notice, Colbert Report, John Stewart, College Gameday, Pardon the Interuption, and Louie. Once a week add football games and the F1 races, and you’re good to go. Come home at the end of the day and browse through the day’s “catch.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/67 "2010-09-13T19:04:14Z")
Around half. I never see shows like True Blood, Fringe, Haven, Warehouse 13, and Supernatural the night they air because I watch them with people who can’t see them at those times. And there are other shows I watch later simply because they’re on at the same time as shows I like more. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/68 "2010-09-14T03:38:13Z")
100% Would be higher, if that were possible. Can’t stand watching live TV anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/69 "2010-09-14T16:15:31Z")
Near-100% here as well. I don’t have a DVR, but I get everything I need from a combination of Hulu, Netflix, etc. The only thing I _ever_ watch live at this point are the occasional sports game - and that’s usually only live because I happen to be at a bar where they’re showing it. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/70 "2010-09-14T20:24:47Z")
“I don’t watch TV” really needed to be an option. And my house has twice as many TVs as people. The main one gets turned on to watch movies on DVD and that’s about it. The Internet is a far greater source of entertainment than television, and is interactive too. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/71 "2010-09-14T20:31:07Z")
I misunderstood the question. :smack: My real answer is less than 36%, but I voted more than 36%. I don’t have DVR so most of what I watch is when it is broadcasted, but I sometimes watch streaming videos on Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/72 "2010-09-14T21:22:00Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > I’d say I time-shift about 90% of the time. The only times I don’t time shift is when there’s something on that I want to watch live for some reason (e.g., the Oscars – I want to know who wins at the same time eveyrone else does) or when I’m just channel surfing to see what’s on. This. I also channel surf when Comcast is a piece of shit and has to replace my DVR without compensating me for tons of hours of unwatched shows that I will otherwise have to pay for via itunes. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204/73 "2010-09-14T21:50:14Z")
I’ve been shifting since the VHS days. Back then it was mostly due to timeslot conflicts. Now with my DVR, I just can’t live without 30sec skip for most shows. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-time-shifted-tv-do-you-watch/553204.md?page=3)