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Cablevision became the first cable company to be given legal approval to provide its own DVR services in August 2008.
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Cablevision lost its first bid to include DVR technology in March of 2007 in a case against several television networks and Hollywood studios. However, an August 2008 appeal was victorious.
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The right of Sony's Betamax to record home television went all the way to the Supreme Court.
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In 1979, Universal sued Sony, claiming its programmable Betamax amounted to copyright infringement. A district court found that noncommercial home recording was fair use. The case was reversed on appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court eventually upheld Sony's victory in 1984 in a five-to-four vote.
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As of 2009, 50 million households worldwide contained at least one television.
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It's a few more than 50 million! The global TV market represented 1.2 billion households in 2009.
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As of 2011, a 30-second commercial during "American Idol" cost about $1 million.
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It's not up to a million just yet! At last report, "American Idol" ads cost approximately $750,000 for 30 seconds of airtime.
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About half of the DVR owners in the U.S. use their boxes to avoid all commercials.
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According to a 2010 report by "TV Guide," half of all DVR viewers in the U.S. were skipping commercials entirely.
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North America is the region that produces the highest percentage of worldwide TV revenue.
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North America has the biggest TV revenue market share at an average of 39 percent, followed by Europe at around 31 percent.
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About 5 million American households subscribe to HBO.
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As of December 2010, HBO was reaching 28.6 million U.S. subscribers, offering much more than just the movies they were known for in the old days.
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Globally speaking, about 50 percent of our television is paid for by advertising.
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The worldwide TV market is supported financially by 45 to 50 percent TV advertising and 40 to 45 percent subscription fees.
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About 15 percent of television worldwide is paid for by public funding.
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With most TV paid for by advertising and subscription fees, only about 10 percent of global television is paid for with public money.
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The average American spends about 20 percent of his or her day watching TV.
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It might be time to get off the couch! The average American spends about 20 percent of the day watching TV, according to the Nielsen Company.
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