New survey finds families turning to TV for cheap entertainment

Lookie here, more of the same. With the current economic situation encouraging citizens to rethink their credit card-abusing habits, a Verizon-commissioned survey has (unsurprisingly) found that a majority of those polled will be turning to their TVs for low-cost entertainment. Out of the 1,026 adults surveyed, some 57% admitted that they were planning to spend "more time at home turning to their television instead of events outside the home." Naturally, Verizon took this opportunity to showcase just how cost efficient its FiOS TV offerings were in tough times, and if it would bother expanding its footprint to more than a handful of states, we'd probably be stoked about the notion. Instead, we're just bitter and envious.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 2nd 2008 1:07PM]

Bullshit. I'd agree that people may cut back on BS spending. But, if they decide to stay home, they'd be online more than watching tv. And, if they're watching tv, they'd be watching Hulu or similar online services.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 2nd 2008 1:48PM]

TV "low cost"? I know people whose cable bill is over $100 a month!

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 2nd 2008 2:00PM]

That doesn't make it the norm.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 2nd 2008 2:11PM]

Its actually expensive when you figure in that you are paying for commercials, too. Remember the early days of paid-for television without the commercial interruptions. Everyone glorified it over broadcast (ahem, commercial) television.

Now many people are paying $50-150 every month to watch commercials. Yeah, that's cheap. Of course, its less than what I pay into the county public school system every month. :)

[LonnieDVD Posted Dec 2nd 2008 3:55PM]

That is what my DVD player is for, to heck with over-priced cable.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 2nd 2008 8:56PM]

I see many more people staying home and watching their newest investment, a HD TV as well as hooking up HD DVR's and watching more DVD's including Bl-Rays. I do home entertainment consulting and believe me lots of folks are spending on home entertainment as the dollar needs to be stretched. They really are looking at it as an investment.