With the growth of entertainment available to watch online in the last few years, it may surprise a few people that as a nation Britain are watching more television than ever before.

The introduction of BBC iPlayer and 4OD as well as an endless stream of sources to illegally view popular television shows and films might have shown a decline in TV viewing figures but a recent poll has suggested otherwise.

A survey by the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board suggests that the majority of people now watch over 30 hours of television a week.

Figures also show that more than 9.5 million television sets were bought in 2010, which is double the number in 2002, so what is television doing to keep with the growth in online entertainment?

Developments in television

For starters, satellite broadcasting continues to allow an increasingly larger range of entertainment to choose from. Although some argue this has led to a decrease in quality, most satellite users love having a choice of hundreds of channels.

The introduction of high definition and now 3D televisions has also proved extremely popular with gadget lovers across the nation. An increasing amount of channels are rushing to embrace this technology as quickly as possible.

Viewers now also have far more choice of when they can watch their favourite programmes. With the growing popularity of recorded television technology as well as version of iPlayer and 4od being available on television, missing a television programme by being out of the house is a thing of the past.

Impact of TV on society

Only 3% of UK households are now without a television and Iain Logie Baird, grandson of television’s inventor John Logie Baird, has praised the continued impact TV has had on society.

He said: “When my grandfather famously unveiled the world’s first working television system in early 1926, people were astonished. Since that giant leap, technology has never stopped advancing and today we are witnessing faster developments than ever before.”