According to a recent Arbitron study consumer media habits are tending toward on-demand services, PVR, internet radio and mp3s.  The study is backed up by recent growth in all of these areas.  A survey estimates some 27 million Americans either subscribe to on-demand style services from their cable provider, use PVRs or a portable mp3 player such as the iPod.

Other important facts from the survey include:

• Twenty-seven percent of 12- to 17- year olds own an iPod or other portable MP3 player.
• An estimated 43 million Americans choose to record TV programming to watch at a different time (using technology such as a VCR or TiVo/DVR).
• Seventy-six percent of consumers own at least one DVD.  Thirty-nine percent own 20 or more DVDs in their personal collection.
• Awareness of XM Satellite Radio has tripled since 2002, from 17 percent to 50 percent, while awareness of Sirius Satellite Radio has increased even more significantly, from eight percent to 54 percent.

Expect all of these examples to grow as the 12-17 year old iPod carrying kids grow into PVR and On Demand cable watching adults.  This seems to support a case for the entertainment industry adapting to the new consumer paradigm of controlling the media they purchase rather than doggedly providing only one way to buy (or watch) what entertains you.  If those corporations who profit from DVDs and CDs could stay ahead of the curve and provide their media as pristine downloadable content perhaps they wouldn’t be so threatened by piracy.  The entertainment industry's cries of BitTorrent killing business instead of taking advantage of the new low cost distribution opportunity is a cynical outlook on the markets they serve.  Sure, the industry could keep selling the silvery discs with songs and movies pressed onto them at media outlets like they do today, but the cost and overhead associated with distributing disc based media will provide some financial incentive for consumers to just download and burn it themselves if they must have a portable hard copy.  It’s human nature to control what you buy, with no limitations.  But will people pay for what they can steal?  I think the Arbitron study proves it.