MUMBAI: A new research study carried out in the US has demolished common gender stereotypes regarding consumer uptake of TV technology - specifically the notion that women are not tech savvy

Lyra Research, specialists in digital TV market research, has released a groundbreaking new DTV View report, "Her DTV: Women and TV-Technology Survey, 2005." Based on a survey of more than 1,800 women and a comparative sample of more than 400 men, the report examines gender as a factor in the adoption and usage of a wide range of digital television products and services, including digital-cable and satellite TV, digital video recorders (DVRs), video-on-demand (VOD), and high-definition television (HDTV). It also explores gender's role in shaping consumers' attitudes toward these products and services.

"We set out to reality-test common gender stereotypes regarding consumer technology. What we found is that today's women and men are much more alike than they are different," comments Steve Hoffenberg, principal analyst for the DTV View report series and Lyra's director of electronic media research.

"When it comes to choosing and using TV technology, this survey largely dispels the notion that women are not tech-savvy."

Hoffenberg adds, "That is not to say that women and men always responded identically. For example, women are slightly heavier users of VOD, while men are slightly heavier users of DVRs. And women were less likely to say they are the decision makers when buying an HDTV set. But such differences are minor compared to the overall similarity of the genders' experiences with digital television."

"Her DTV: Women and TV-Technology Survey, 2005" is based on a comprehensive study of US adults conducted in March and April 2005.

Findings are cross-tabulated by demographic traits, with numerous charts segmented by respondents' gender and marital status. The report is the eleventh in the popular DTV View series on the digital television market published regularly by Lyra Research.