The number of TVs owned by US consumers will fall to 114.7 million in 2012, from 115.9 million in 2011, according to a report from the Nielsen Company. After taking into account the 2010 census figures, TV penetration is also forecast to decline, to 96.7 percent of households from 98.9 percent. The last such decline occurred in 1992, after Nielsen adjusted for the 1990 census. The market researcher expects the figures may also be affected by the switch to digital TV in the US in 2009, when some consumers may not have acquired the equipment necessary to watch digital TV. In addition the recent economic slowdown could be causing lower-income, rural homes to go without TVs, while some younger, urban consumers may also be opting out of paid TV subscriptions to watch video on other devices. Nielsen said the long-term effect of the latter trend is unclear, as these consumers may enter the TV marketplace later once they have the means, or it may be the beginning of a larger shift to viewing online and on mobile devices. The TV penetration data was estimated based on data collected during the recruitment of homes for Nielsen's People Meter panel.
