So a few weeks ago I asked readers to help me better understand how they viewed opera on video via a short survey.  The results follow though heavily caveated by the fact that only 22 people responded.

Most people use multiple methods to watch video with 86% using Youtube, 82% DVD, 59% Blu-ray, 50% free video streams and 28% subscription streams. but only 14% (not very surprisingly) using 4K video.

The primary method results are more interesting: 45% use the Internet, 54% use some kind of disk.  The former is dominated by Youtube.  On the latter DVD tops Blu-ray 2 to 1.

Question 3 should have been a check box not a radio button so the results aren’t helpful.  The primary technology for viewing splits out  at 37% on some kind of computer with another 5% on phone while 59% primarily use a TV or Home Theatre set up.  This is pretty much what I would have expected given the Internet/disk split.

For people using a TV/Home Theatre the median screen size is around 50″ with 80% > 40″.

Only 26% of responders can play 4K disks.  This is not a big surprise.  Only a handful of operas have been issued in this format.

For sound 37% are using earbuds or built in TV/computer speakers.  May we call this lo-fi?  55% are using stereo or surround speaker systems and 10% are using over the ear headphones.

There are a handful of people using technologies like Chromecast to send Internet streams to TV/Home Theatre.

So what do I conclude?  It seems to me that we have a bimodal split (albeit with some crossover).  A modest majority are primarily watching disks on equipment that has a decent sized screen and at least external stereo speakers.  DVD still dominates Blu-ray which surprises me a bit.  A substantial minority are consuming Internet delivered product primarily via computers with smaller screens and less hi-tech sound.

What does this mean for me?  Well basically I review disks and Blu-ray when I can get the recording in that format and I don’t plan to change that.  The preponderance of DVD watchers does suggest that I should continue to consider how well a recording might work in the lower resolution format.  Clearly there’s a niche for someone focussing on Internet streams and Youtube.  That isn’t going to be me!

So thanks to the 22!