http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/02/04/tivo_vod/

iPlayer all the way for me, though that's mostly cos of the PS3. Mind you, it's not like you couldn't catch a repeat, is it?

If I recorded shows I'd never watch them, just because I'd think, 'Sure they're always there...'

Ern speaketh the truth.

I think that a hybrid of ordinary TV with these on demand in a single box is what people will want. The Apple TV also needs to do 1080p as well as play regular HD TV. The on demand should be an extra rather than the only feature. Though I guess they will find that it will be too impractical to make boxes for each country.

I have hundreds of hours of recorded material far more than I could watch normally. If I were ill for a few months then I would have something to watch.

Yes, it's very easy to hit the record button for later viewing.

I often find myself trawling through the sky+ menu, deleting stuff that has been sitting on there for 6 months and never viewed.

As far as VoD goes, iplayer is generally very good. ITVs player sucks, or it did the last time I used it.

I use the iPlayer mainly for the odd program but mainly for radio shows. Though it is not something that I am that bothered about. I like the fact that planned schedules mean that I have to structure my day around them. It forces me to have breaks. Cup of tea during ad breaks etc. With on demand I will skip those.

TBH, I suspect this is the all-too-prevalent sloppy reporting of a poor analysis of a bad experiment: small sample size (5 families), single location (Boston), atypical timing (Xmas holidays), atypical installation method (cutting off access to broadcast TV) etc.

The data seems to suggest that VoD isn't the single silver bullet that the hype implies but beyond that, I don't think any other conclusion can be made. I'm personally of the opinion that the truth lies somewhere in the middle - I frequently use VoD services but I also use broadcast services as well. I find myself drawn to Amnesia's statement:
However, I have no data upon which to base such a supposition and would dearly love to see some better numbers.

I have no figures, but for me a box that handles Freeview and can give me the option of on demand will probably be best of all. I cannot justify an Apple TV just for iTunes on demand content. If it did Freeview HD as well then it becomes that little more useful. If it could handle BBC iPlayer for those that did not want to pay it might again have an extra bonus. The other problem with Apple TV is that it all has to be in iTunes. I have masses of content that will need to be converted for iTunes.

Right now, the PS3 does what I want. It does Freeview (via the PlayTV hardware), and thus becomes a PVR. It also does iPlayer to a more predictable level of quality and speed than Virgin Media does. I have a MacMini hooked to the TV should I want to watch iTunes based content.

I'd love video on demand, probably via a dedicated internet line or some other form on comms (at the moment, my internet isn't fast enough for more than a couple of concurrent users viewing web pages, let alone streaming potentially HD content)

With over 300 films and around 20 TV programmes with all of their series, I've considered programming a sort of random TV channel that plays 24/7, but I don't think I have enough yet really...

What is needed in the VoD field is a sort of Apple Genius channel. For those of you who aren't familiar with Apple Genius, it looks through your library (of music or apps) and suggests similar items for purchase. VoD needs something similar, collecting data on what you watch and how ofter, then offering similar films/TV programmes.