Ofcom: Brits keep faith in physical media despite growth of digital

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It might sometimes seem as if we're being consumed by the growth of digital media, with music and video streaming services becoming more and more popular in the UK. But that's not necessarily the case, according to Ofcom.

The regulatory body has published new research that has found the average size of Brits' DVD and Blu-ray collection has actually increased in recent years – from 45 discs per person back in 2005 to 68 discs per person in 2014.

And 80 per cent of UK residents own a collection of DVD/Blu-ray discs, but that's down one per cent on 2013 numbers. CD collections are becoming less common, however – 79 per cent owned one in 2014 (92 per cent in 2005).

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Elsewhere, the research found that we're now spending more time using media or communications devices than we do sleeping – 8 hours 41 compared to the average night's sleep of 8 hours 21, with young people most active.

Tablet and smartphone usage was, somewhat predictably, on the rise in 2013 as well, among older people as much as their younger counterparts. More than 60 per cent of all adults, for example, now own a smartphone.

And when it comes to we're watching TV, the average amount of time spent in front of a set each day has fallen by nine minutes to 3 hours 52 – that's the first time since 2009 that Brits watched less than four hours a day.

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Pete Hayman

Pete was content editor on What Hi-Fi?, overseeing production and publication of digital content. In creating and curating feature articles for web and print consumption, he provided digital and editorial expertise and support to help reposition What Hi-Fi? as a ‘digital-first’ title; reflecting the contemporary media trends. He is now a senior content strategist.